Kit HM Badger 1777

Explore the seas with HM Badger, the first ship commanded by Horatio Nelson.

Refined details and precision in every single component make this model a faithful reproduction of a vessel built to sail the roughest seas.

The HM Badger was a small yet significant vessel of the Royal Navy during the 18th century, belonging to the class of light ships used for patrol duties, convoy escort, and coastal operations. Despite her modest size, vessels like the Badger played a vital role in maintaining control of the seas during an era marked by intense trade, warfare, and piracy.

The Badger is best remembered as the first ship to be entrusted to the command of the young Horatio Nelson in 1777. At just nineteen years of age, Nelson gained one of his first experiences of independent command aboard this vessel, a decisive step in the career of the man who would later become one of history's greatest admirals and the hero of the Battle of Trafalgar.

The name "Badger" symbolically evokes tenacity and determination, qualities that perfectly reflect both the spirit of these small naval vessels and Nelson's own remarkable career. Like many ships of her class, HMS Badger was never involved in major naval battles, nor did she meet a dramatic end. There are no records of her being lost at sea, and it is generally believed that she was simply withdrawn from service and broken up at the end of her operational life.

It is precisely this modest history that makes the Badger so fascinating. She represents all those "unsung" vessels which, far from the glory of the great flagships, made an essential contribution to Britain's maritime supremacy. A humble beginning, yet a decisive one, for the legend of Horatio Nelson.

The kit includes:

• Instruction booklet and 5 detailed construction plans
• Self-adhesive cloth flag
• Laser-cut wooden parts
• Photo-etched brass decorations
• Double planking
• Rigging threads
• MDF display base with two brass pedestals
• Wooden and metal fittings