A plank-on-frame construction model kit to build the Hermione, a French sailing frigate of 1780. Laser cut keel, frame and deck sections are assembled to form a sturdy structure to which the planks are pinned. Detail parts including canon, ships boats and fittings are supplied as castings. Pre-stitched sails and thread for ropes and rigging are included. A booklet of step-by-step colour illustratations is suplemented by simple written instructions describe the process of construction.

Length 750mm 29½in), Beam 290mm (11½in), Height 596mm (23½in)

On the 21st of March 1780 the young Maques de La Fayette embarked on the Hermione, setting sail for America to fight alongside the American insurgents in the struggle for their independance.

Two years earlier, at the Rochefort Arsenal, in a building berch close to the Corderie Royale, work had begun on the Hermione, a light 120pounder frigate, over 65 metres long, weighing in at more than 1,200 tonnes and with a sail surface of over 1,500 square metres. spread on three masts. The Hermione was built from plans drawn up by the engineer-shipbuilder Chevillard l'Aine.

In 1997, under the auspices of the Hermione-La Fayette Association, work got underway at the same site on the reconstruction of La Fayette's famous frigate. There, and in full public view, the workmen, carpenters and smith, carry out their task of bringing this historic vessel back to life.