After reading the book...Damned by Destiny ...I decided to test the opinion of one of it's writers. The SS France was really a reconfigured 1930's design named SS Bretagne and modeled on the hull lines of the SS Normandie. I am well aware that Normandie was shorter by 6 ft. and wider by 9 ft. Was this a new 1930's hull design by Vladimir Yourkevitsch? (Wladimir Yorkawitsch) Let me know if you have any evidence to support or discredit this hypothesis via the "contact the artist page".

After several weeks of research I found proof that the SS France was a new design from the late 1950's with eight hull models being created and tank tested over a period of 14 months. The fact that they did not originate from a Yourkevitsch design has not been disproven to date.

All details were taken from actual construction and first season photographs and not artist conceptions. The Normandie did change in appearance after she emerged from a later enlargement refit to keep her the largest Transatlantic Liner after the launch of Cunard's Queen Mary.

Click on the photos to see a larger image and read details.

 

As we can plainly see the hull form is very similiar and the superstructure fits nicely though it overhangs more than the original Normandie. I have resurrected the SS France using the 1/450 glenco kit while building Normandie as a comparison of the two ships. Needing less reconfiguring the France kit went smoother and much faster but still required over 180 hours of modifications to make it resemble the real France.

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This site last updated February 10, 2012