Revell 1/495 SS Oriana H-376:298

At 40,000 tons the new Oriana is by far the largest ship ever to be built for the orient line and, as with all well designed ships, her speed and size are closely linked.

The orient line had been thinking about Oriana even before Orsova, her immediate predecessor, had sailed on her maiden voyage in 1954. It was thoght that the new ship would have a service speed faster than orsovas 22.5 knots, and it was soon apparent that 27.5 knots was the next speed which could maintain a suitable time-table.

Vickers armstrong, who were to build the ship, advisised that the smallest ship to acheive this speed economically must have a length of about 800 feet and a shaft horsepower of 80.000.

In desigining and building a ship as exciting as the Oriana an enormous amount of research and experiment is necessary. For example, no less than sixteen different types of hulls models were run by vickers armstrong in their experimental tank before the final design was determined.