DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY -- NAVAL HISTORICAL CENTER
901 M STREET SE -- WASHINGTON NAVY YARD
WASHINGTON DC 20374-5060

Sources Of Ship Plans

Government Sources

1) Cartographic and Architectural Branch, NNSC, National Archives and Records Administration, 8601 Adelphi Road, College Park, MD 20740-6001 (telephone 301-713-6885).

Their collection includes most ships stricken from the Naval Vessel Register. Requests should be limited to no more than three ships at any one time. The average cost for microfilm is $23.OO per reel. Charges for paper copies vary with the size of the original drawing.

2) Smithsonian Institution:
This collection includes the plans of naval and merchant ships with emphasis on 19th Century ships. The quality is generally high. Many are not original drawings, but were done by Howard I. Chapelle and other for publication. Catalogs can be purchased as indicated below, using check or money order payable to Smithsonian Institution. The two sources are separate, and orders should not be combined.

a) Naval ships catalog costs $6.00:
Smithsonian Collection of Warship Plans
Naval Section, Division of Armed Forces History
Room 4011, MRC 620
National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington DC 20560

b) Merchant ships catalog costs $10.00:
Ships Plan List
Ship Plans
Division of Transportation
Room 5010, MRC 628
National Museum of American History
Smithsonian Institution
Washington DC 20560

Commercial Sources

This list is provided solely for information, and does not imply any official recommendation or endorsement. 
A. J. Fisher Inc.               Model plans, supplies
1002 Etowah Avenue              Catalog costs $3.00.
Royal Oak MI 48067

Bluejacket Shipcrafters          Kits, supplies, catalogs
PO Box 425C                      Emphasis on early 
Stockton Springs ME 04981        sailing ships.

Dromedary Ship Modeler's Center  Emphasis on 20th century
6324 Belton Drive                ships.
El Paso TX 79912

The Floating Drydock             Catalog costs $4.00.
General Delivery                 Emphasis on 20th century
Kresgeville PA 18333             Good for World War II.

Model Expo                       Model kits, tools, 
23 Just Road                     parts, publications; 
Fairfield, NJ 07006              emphasis on sailing 
                                 ships. 

Model Shipways                   Emphasis on sailing 
PO Box 1000                      ships. 
Industrial Park Drive
Mount Pocano PA 18344

Pacific Front Hobbies            Issues catalogs.
11804 NE 138th Street.
Kirkland WA 98034

Rocky Mountain Shipyard          Model plans and books.
590 Ronlin Street
Grand Junction CO 81504

Squadron Shop                    Mail order outlet for 
1115 Crowley Drive               domestic and foreign model
Carrollton TX 75006              kits and publications.
                                 Issues catalogs.

Periodicals


Periodicals contain advertisements for sources of model tools, parts, plans, publications and supplies, as well as articles on scratch-building and kit adaptation. Some libraries may hold back issues. Any library should be able to help locate these through union lists of serials.

Model Ship Builder (bimonthly)
PO Box 128
Cedarburg WI 53012


Model Shipwright: A Quarterly Journal of Ships and Ship Models.
Conway Maritime Press Ltd.
101 Fleet Street
London EC4Y 1DE
England

Seaways' Ships In Scale (bimonthly)
2271 Constitution Drive
San Jose CA 95124

Books


Numerous books have been published on model building, ships, aircraft, and military vehicles. Libraries can help locate and borrow these publications through subject catalogs and the interlibrary-loan system. Many titles on modeling and military hardware that are not listed in the standard bibliographic sources can be identified and located through dealers and specialized periodicals. The Naval Institute Press, 2062 Generals Highway, Annapolis MD 21401-6780, publishes a wide variety of works on early and modern naval ships and aircraft; their catalog is available on request. Their books can be found in libraries, or can be ordered through any book dealer.

28 March 1996