Made to Measure Acrylic Display Cases for Ship Models

Acrylic display case manufactory in Germany for over 20 years

Ship models are long, tall and extremely sensitive to dust – and they often stand in the same place for years. Sora makes the matching made to measure acrylic display case: up to 100 cm as a standard case, beyond that as an oversize case or as a two-part split case up to about 220 cm. Screwed together and demountable, so that even very long cases arrive safely.

Configure your display case now → See typical model dimensions More about the made to measure display case

Measure the model · enter the inside dimensions · choose the base · order — in about 3 minutes

Extra lengths up to about 220 cm Demountable & spare parts available Made in Germany
Historic sailing ship model protected from dust under a long made to measure acrylic display case

Why ship models in particular belong under a display case

No other collecting field combines so many fine, unreachable details across so much surface: shrouds, ratlines, yards, railings, lifeboats, flag halyards. That is exactly where dust settles – and exactly where no brush will ever reach again.

On a full-rigged ship with standing and running rigging, dusting is practically impossible without damaging the rigging. Whatever ends up caught in the rigging stays there. A closed display case solves the problem once and for all – and it also protects against the second major risk: the accidental knock that costs a yard or a mast.

The second reason is the build time. A static model often holds hundreds of hours of work; restoration is more demanding than with any other model. Set against those hours, the extra cost of a made to measure display case hardly counts.

The third point is length: ship models are almost always considerably longer than they are wide. That is precisely what our two-part split display case is made for – it arrives in two parcels and is screwed together in the middle on site.

Which ship models benefit most from a display case

Six typical cases – from the small waterline model to the large static model.

Historic sailing ship model with full rigging under a tall acrylic display case

Historic sailing ships & static models

Full-rigged ships with standing and running rigging are the classic case: rigging simply cannot be dusted. A tall display case over the whole model, ideally with a black base.

Battleship model in 1/350 scale under a long flat acrylic display case

Plastic kits 1/700 and 1/350

Battleships and carriers in the common kit scales: 1/700 stays compact, in 1/350 a model quickly reaches 70 to 80 cm in length – both are feasible as a standard case.

Very long ocean liner model under a two-part split acrylic display case

Ocean liners in 1/200

Titanic, Queen Mary and the like in 1/200 go well beyond a metre. The two-part split display case is made for them – up to about 220 cm in total length.

Radio-controlled ship model under a removable acrylic display case without a base

RC models between outings

Radio-controlled ships spend most of their time on the shelf. A display case without a base is simply placed over the model and lifted off on sailing day.

Collection of small waterline ship models in a display cabinet with shallow compartments

Waterline and fleet models

Collections in 1/1250 or 1/1200 consist of many small models. They are best kept in a made to measure display cabinet with shallow compartments – or tiered under a single shared display case.

Ship half model in an acrylic display box mounted on a wall

Half models & wall mounting

Half hull models and boat models on the wall: for these there is the closed made to measure display box – the only version with wall mounting.

Typical model dimensions & the matching display case

Reference values for the common scales – calculated from well-known originals. What counts is your own model: bowsprit, jib boom and flagstaff belong to the length, the masts to the height.

Model / scale Typical dimensions (L × W × H) Matching display case Direct link
Waterline model 1/1250 approx. 15–22 cm long Made to measure display cabinet with shallow compartments Display Cabinet
Battleship 1/700 (Bismarck, for example) approx. 36 × 5 × 12 cm Standard made to measure case, inside dimensions approx. 40 × 12 × 16 cm Made to Measure
Cruiser / destroyer 1/350 approx. 45 × 6 × 15 cm Standard made to measure case, inside dimensions approx. 50 × 14 × 20 cm Made to Measure
Battleship 1/350 (Bismarck, for example) approx. 72 × 10 × 22 cm Standard made to measure case (one dimension may exceed 50 cm) Made to Measure
Medium sailing ship model approx. 70 × 20 × 60 cm Oversize display case (two dimensions above 50 cm) – shipping within Germany only Oversize
Large sailing ship (full-rigged) approx. 100 × 30 × 80 cm Oversize display case – shipping within Germany only Oversize
Ocean liner 1/200 (Titanic, for example) approx. 135 × 15 × 35 cm Split display case, two-part Split Case
RC model 1/72 to 1/100 approx. 80–130 cm long Split display case or oversize, usually without a base – shipping within Germany only Split Case
Very long and very tall over 150 × 50 × 50 cm Split display case in oversize – shipping within Germany only Split Oversize
Half model for the wall approx. 60 × 8 × 25 cm Made to measure display box with wall mounting Display Box

The figures are rounded reference values calculated from well-known originals – please always measure your own model. Rule of thumb: one dimension above 50 cm = standard case, two or more dimensions above 50 cm = oversize – shipping within Germany only, very long models = two-part split case up to about 220 cm.
The material thickness is always the same: 4 mm clear acrylic glass, a back panel in black or reflective acrylic 3 mm.

Configure a display case for my ship model →

How to configure your ship model display case in 3 minutes

The online configurator guides you step by step – no data sheet, no queries needed.

Measure the model

Length overall (including bowsprit and flagstaff), greatest width (the yards!) and height up to the masthead.

The length of the ship is the width of the display case!

Enter the inside dimensions

Enter the measurements plus clearance as inside dimensions – that is the room for your model together with its stand or plinth.

Do not forget the stand and the plinth!

Base & back panel

With a plinth, usually without a base. A black base makes the hull and rigging stand out more strongly.

Order

Price in real time. Delivery in about 8 working days – assembly in a few minutes.

Bowsprit, yards, flagstaff: the overhangs are what catch people out

The most common mistake with ship models is to measure only the hull. The length includes the bowsprit and the flagstaff, the width includes the yards, the height includes the masthead with its pennant. The figures are always inside dimensions; the outside dimensions come out slightly larger because of the material thickness and the plug-and-screw system:

outside width = inside width + 14 mm outside depth = inside depth + 8 mm outside height (without base) = inside height + 7 mm

Tip: allow 2 to 3 cm of clearance all round. Lowering a display case over rigging needs room to manoeuvre – measured too tightly, you will brush the shrouds the very first time.

When is it oversize, when is it a split case?

In the standard configurator at most one of the three dimensions may exceed 50 cm – which is ample for most kit models up to 1/350. As soon as two dimensions exceed 50 cm (typical for a large sailing ship: long and tall), use the oversize display case. For very long but flat models the two-part split display case is the better choice – it goes up to about 220 cm and ships to all our delivery countries. The oversize case is the exception: Shipping to delivery addresses in Germany only, with an automatic shipping surcharge.

Plinth, stand and base plate

If the model sits on keel blocks or a wooden plinth, this is measured along with it – the display case encloses both. To lift the presentation, place an acrylic panel cut to your size in black or reflective acrylic under the model.

Material: always 4 mm – there is nothing to choose

The transparent acrylic glass is always 4 mm thick – even on very large cases. Only a back panel in black or reflective acrylic is 3 mm thick. On oversize and split cases the plug-and-screw system provides the necessary rigidity.

Open the configurator now →

Material and quality

We work exclusively with high-grade PMMA acrylic glass of industrial quality – crystal clear, lightfast and in the lasting Sora quality.

4 mmclear acrylic glass
3 mmback panel in black & reflective
> 92 %light transmission
approx. 8working days delivery time

Lightfastness and UV behaviour

The acrylic glass we use does not yellow and does not become brittle even after years in direct sunlight. Important: the acrylic glass itself is UV-stable, but it offers no UV protection for the collectable on display. Sailcloth, rigging thread and wood stains react particularly sensitively to sunlight – a static model next to a south-facing window visibly loses colour within a few years.

The Sora plug-and-screw system: nothing glued, fully demountable

We neither glue nor mould in one piece; we supply the display case as a construction kit with small screws and nuts. For ship models this matters twice over: a glued case 1.50 m long could neither be shipped safely nor ever be moved again – taken apart, it travels flat and undamaged.

By the way: our plug-and-screw system is no passing fashion – we developed it ourselves more than 20 years ago and had it officially registered as a utility model. View the original document as a PDF ↗

Safe shipping Even large display cases arrive undamaged, because they travel flat.
Easy to move house with Unscrew, pack up, reassemble.
Spare parts If something breaks, simply reorder the single part.
Made in Germany Over 20 years of manufactory experience.
Close-up of the Sora plug-and-screw system with small screws in the corner of the acrylic glass

What you should know after delivery

Don’t be alarmed: the protective film

When your parcel arrives, the acrylic parts will probably look blue, green, white or even scratched. That is the protective film covering every part on both sides to prevent scratches during production and shipping (reflective elements are filmed on the front only).

Simply lift the film at one corner with your fingernail – acrylic cannot be scratched by a fingernail. Underneath, crystal-clear, flawless acrylic glass comes to light.

Protective film being peeled off an acrylic panel, crystal-clear acrylic visible underneath

More than the display case: further solutions for ship modellers

For fleet collections, wall mounting and your own model building.

Split display case for extra lengths

A two-part case up to about 220 cm in total length – for ocean liners, RC models and long hull models. It travels in two parcels and is screwed together on site.

Configure a split display case ↗

Made to measure display cabinet

For waterline fleets and small models: a cabinet with shallow compartments, columns and dimensions freely chosen.

Configure a display cabinet ↗

Made to measure display box – also for the wall

An acrylic box closed on all sides with a lid (listed in the shop as a donation box). It is the only version that is wall mountable – ideal for half models and small boats.

Configure a display box ↗

Acrylic cut to size as a base plate

A rectangular panel in your size – black, reflective or clear. As a stage under the model or as a water surface in a diorama.

Configure a cut to size panel ↗

Frequently asked questions about display cases for ship models

How long may a display case for a ship model be?

As a one-piece case, up to about 100 cm; one of the three dimensions may exceed 50 cm. If two dimensions exceed 50 cm, it becomes an oversize case. For very long models there is the two-part split display case up to a total length of about 220 cm. Oversize cases: Shipping to delivery addresses in Germany only.

How do I measure a sailing ship model correctly?

Length overall – from the tip of the bowsprit to the flagstaff at the stern. Width at the widest point, which is almost always the yards, not the hull. Height up to the masthead including the pennant. The stand or plinth belongs to it. Add 2 to 3 cm of clearance all round.

Do I need a base under the model?

Not necessarily. If the model sits on a wooden plinth of its own, the case is usually made without a base and simply placed over it. A black acrylic base makes the hull and rigging stand out more clearly; a reflective base looks like a water surface with waterline models.

Is a case that large still stable enough?

Yes. The acrylic glass is always 4 mm thick, and the plug-and-screw system additionally stiffens the edges – unlike glued cases there is no glue seam that can give way. Very long cases are made in two parts as a split case and screwed together in the middle.

Does the case protect the rigging from fading?

Only from dust and from being touched. The acrylic glass itself does not yellow, but it does not filter UV light. Sailcloth, rigging thread and stained wood still fade in direct sunlight – so do not place the model next to a south-facing window.

How is a case that large delivered?

Taken apart and packed flat, with screws and nuts for self-assembly. That is the reason why we can ship cases two metres long as well. Assembly takes a few minutes; peel off the protective film only afterwards.

Real customer photos of ship models under Sora display cases

No renderings: this is how Sora customers really protect their ship models. A selection from the photos that customers send us after delivery.

Customer photo: Titanic ship model with LED lighting under a Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: Black Pearl sailing ship model under an oversize Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: Bismarck warship model under an oversize Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: historic sailing ship model HMS Victory under a Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: paddle steamer ship model under a Sora acrylic display case
Customer photo: steam tug model Glasgow under a Sora acrylic display case in a living room
See all customer photos →

All photos were provided to us by Sora customers and are published with their consent.

Your ship model is waiting for its display case

3 minutes in the configurator, price in real time, Made in Germany.
Extra lengths up to about 220 cm too – delivered flat, assembled in minutes.

Configure now →