4290 Pirate Ship

[cachalote]

 
thanks fot the extensive review sir gareth.
i have mixed feelings about this set. 
it is a pirate ship and i am a compulsive pirates' collector so i will buy it sooner or later, but with some fear attached.
i have already said, in another thread, that a man must be resposible for this set's color scheme - color-blindness rarely afects women.
i also have doubts about the merchant-turn-into-a-pirate design: i feel it is a little beside the point.
the apparent contradiction between the realistic-directed figures and childish-looking ship also makes me a bit nervous.
rotrock version is far better (thank you richard).
finally, after close inspection, i found something that really makes me sad - the almost disappearence of string cordage.
the option to change "cable" sheet-lines and blocks for plastic contraptions is very landlubber-ish.
i bet zirndorf stans far-away form the sea.
maybe, for pirate ships, geobra could consider using a design team from malta - they would no doubt produce a more sea-worthy look.
 

[deadeye dick]

Gareth,

Thank you very much for reviewing the ship. I have to admit I wasn't a big fan of the new ship, but after reading your review and watching Rotrock's customized ship I'm getting a bit excited 

Is it possible to share a scan of the plans?

Cheers,

DD.

[Timotheos]

Ironicly, though, the misfiring cannons might be a touch of inadvertant realism!

I have the original pirate ship from the early 1980s.  The rigging was a nice touch because it exposed me as a kid to how complex a ship could be.  The new captain's cabin, however, is a lot nicer with its hammock.  I would have preferred seeing the holes for the James Bond cannons replaced with crews quarters under the front deck.  That rear-deck cannon appears to have replaced the navigator's compass. On the ship I toured in San Francisco, I learned that the navigator didn't even face foreward, but kept his gaze locked on the compass mounted on the rear-deck.

And, if you ever find yourself in San Fran, sometimes at the wharf there will be an 1800s era ship available for tour.  I was surprised by how nice a captain's quarters could be (this one had a drawing room and a bedroom with velvet furniture).  The crew slept in crazy bunk beds under the foredeck. 

[cachalote]

  my dear playmofriends,
i just moved house and decided to build a big display case for my pirate collection.
  i need help with one information - the height of the 4290 ship.
i am still waiting for this set to arrive for sale in portugal but i would like to start with the display case.
i guess the 4290 is bigger than the 3940 i own but i would like to be sure of its dimensions.
  can someone help me with this?
thank you.

[Martin Milner]

I've been looking at this ship again because I just acquired a couple of 3750s on eBay at bargain prices, but one is missing a mast and some sails.

What I DO like about this ship is the number of sails, and the fact that they are proper full sails without rips.

Has anyone tried the masts and sails from this ship on the other 3550/3750 ship hulls? If the masts fit the same holes, and I suspect they do, I'd rather refit my other ships with this fuller spread of canvas.

[Justindo]

Thanks for the nice review.

I like the sails, the hammock, the ship's bell, and the lamps.  That's about it.

[Gustavo]

Nice review, Gareth-knight!

I love the animals (& goods)

Thanks for the pictures!

Gus

[BlackPearl2006]

I remember when we all saw previews of this ship some years back, and most of us were disappointed by the pics, exclaiming that it looked too preschoo-ish and lacked the realism of previeus ship sets.  I tended to concur.

I have not brought myself to purchase this ship just yet, as it has taken me the past couple years alone to find the time to even work on my 3286 ship (customizing it into the Black Pearl), but I have had a chance to play with the display 4290 ship at the local Playmobil store.

I do think mostly the colours detract from it's overall aesthetic.  I do like that it has more sails than previous ships, but it does seem so preschool-ish nonetheless.

Colours aside, it just seems to lack realistic detailing in lieu of gimmick-laiden features that are unrealistic compared to its real-life tallship counterparts.  I mean, real ships don't have cannons that fold away on a pivot, nor a rotating figurehead.  Real ships have cannon ports, and real rope rigging, and ornate detailing at the bow and stern.  I miss that.

The 4290 does have a nice stern, IMO, and I am very happy to see a bell and a fence around the ship's helm.  The plastic rigging can easily be replaced with the old-style rope rigging from an older add-on set or leftovers from previous ship sets, and as already proven, simply repainting the bugga can give it a whole new appeal.  Out of 5 stars I would rate this at a 2.3.

[Andy R]

This type of ship has a historical precedent; I named my SEEALDER, in fact, in honor of a WWI German Merchant Raider which posed as a merchant windjammer.
There is one thing about this ship I really didn’t like- the rigid rigging. It deformed the bowsprite. I say “Bring back the rigging.”