Airfix: Great Western in 1:180

The SS Great Western was a British passenger ship from the mid-19th century. Its keel was laid in 1836, it was launched in July 1837, and entered service in 1838. The ship measured 71.6 meters in length and 17.6 meters in width at launch. Its maximum speed reached approximately 8–9 knots, and the crew consisted of 60 people.

The SS Great Western was designed by the famous English engineer Isambard K. Brunel, and construction took place at William Patterson Shipbuilding in Bristol, United Kingdom. The vessel was built from oak wood and featured a hybrid steam-and-sail propulsion system. It did not have a propeller but was powered by two large side paddle wheels.

From the beginning, it was intended for cross-Atlantic voyages on the Bristol–New York route, and at the time, the SS Great Western was among the first paddle-driven steamships to cross the Atlantic. Initially owned by the Great Western Steamship Company, it was acquired in 1847 by the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company.

Notably, during 1855–1856, it was used to transport troops during the Crimean War. The SS Great Western was dismantled in 1856.