Author Topic: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale  (Read 30248 times)

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Offline Greif

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DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« on: 07 Feb , 2010, 12:24 »
Barring a last gasp surge from one of the other contenders, it looks like the Bismarck is going to win.  Leaning forward a bit, I'm starting a build thread.  As I mentioned in the voting thread, I plan to build mostly OOB.  The only aftermarket stuff I have bought are metal barrels for all the guns, from the monster 38cm main guns, down to the 2.0 cm AA guns.  I also brought Eduard's Railing and Turret detail set.  The only other change is to make my own wooden display base like I did for my U228 build.  It should be a fun ride!

Ernest     

Offline dougie47

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #1 on: 07 Feb , 2010, 13:46 »
Hi Ernest,

Glad to hear the Bismarck won out in the end! You will have seen this site, I'm sure. But just in case -

http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/bismarck_menu.html

There are loads of photos and other info on this site.

Cheers,

Dougie

Offline Rokket

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #2 on: 07 Feb , 2010, 23:48 »
You've made the right choice. And one day you will get thru that whole list of other models...of course you'll also add as you go, but..
AMP - Accurate Model Parts - http://amp.rokket.biz

Offline Greif

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #3 on: 08 Feb , 2010, 11:50 »
And construction begins!  The two attached photos show the box and the parts trees spread around the hull halves and desk.  There are alot of parts, though 60 some are not used in the build. 

I have joined the hull halves (pictures tomorrow) and the first that jumped out at me was the beam; this is one wide ship! 

Ernest

Offline Rokket

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #4 on: 09 Feb , 2010, 03:59 »
The box is open..!
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Offline Greif

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #5 on: 10 Feb , 2010, 14:27 »
I've only made slight progress as I have been doing alot of research.  Good thing to as the Bismarck went through a couple of weapon reconfigurations, a radar change on A turret and several paint schemes in her short service life.  I have decided to model the Bismarck as she appeared in Norway a few days before she departed for her first and only combat mission.  This time frame allows me to use all the weapons in the kit and I like the hull camo scheme; the one she arrived in Norway with.

The pictures show the hull as I am working through puttying, my least favorite modelling activity.  I have drilled the two holes for attaching the brass pedestals which the ship will be mounted with when finished.  The pictures don't show it, but I drilled two small hole in the stern above the waterline.  They are located where the exhausts for the smoke generator was on the actual ship. 

The next couple of shots are of the Arado Floatplanes before final cleaning up, and without the rear-firing gun and canopy.  I decided to show one of the aircraft with folded wings for a little variation.  Surprisingly, there was a good deal of flash on the floats and supporting structure, and one of the parts was way to thick needing some sanding to make it fit.

The final pictures are of two of the main gun turrets during the dry fitting of the metal barrels.  The barrels are very high quality and replacing the kit parts was as simple as cutting off the plastic barrel, drilling a hole in the mounting part, inserting the barrel and attaching the assembly to the trunion part. 

Hope you enjoy the pictures,
Ernest     

Offline Greif

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #6 on: 10 Feb , 2010, 14:29 »
Thank you for the link Dougie, I have been doing ALOT of reading there and it was been very helpful.

Ernest

Hi Ernest,

Glad to hear the Bismarck won out in the end! You will have seen this site, I'm sure. But just in case -

http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/bismarck_menu.html

There are loads of photos and other info on this site.

Cheers,

Dougie

Offline Pat

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #7 on: 10 Feb , 2010, 17:02 »
Greif, nice work so far.  I like the small gun turret with one barrel at a different angle than the other too.  Something you might see during a practice shoot.

Not sure if it's possible to do in the scale you're working at, but wouldn't the winge cross-section in the Arado with the folded wings be hollow with a bunch of connecting rods and cables and hydraulics whatever else might be inside?

Offline Rokket

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #8 on: 11 Feb , 2010, 01:08 »
off to a good start!
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Offline Siara

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #9 on: 11 Feb , 2010, 01:32 »
off to a good start!

Yep- im watching too.

Offline Greif

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #10 on: 11 Feb , 2010, 07:20 »
Hi Pat, you are correct that the Arado wings would have had framing, cables, etc.  It would be nice to replicate them, but to be honest I don't think my modellings skills are up to the task of doing so.

Ernest 

Greif, nice work so far.  I like the small gun turret with one barrel at a different angle than the other too.  Something you might see during a practice shoot.

Not sure if it's possible to do in the scale you're working at, but wouldn't the winge cross-section in the Arado with the folded wings be hollow with a bunch of connecting rods and cables and hydraulics whatever else might be inside?

Offline Greif

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #11 on: 11 Feb , 2010, 07:22 »
Wink and Siara, thanks for the encouraging words guys!

Ernest

Offline Pat

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #12 on: 11 Feb , 2010, 14:55 »
Greif, from what I've seen, I'm sure you've got the skills to do it.  You just haven't come up against something like that before so haven't worked out the methods yet. 

I'm guessing that the wing thickness you have to work with is perhaps 1 or 2 mm?  that's more than enough.  I made slots in my 20mm Flak guns for the magazines that can't be much different in size.  (you don't have mag blanks to put in them along with that barrel do you?)

The size will be so small and dark inside that you won't have to do much detail to make it look right.

First off, if you can find out what it looks like inside, great.  But my guess is finding a pic of the inside of an Arado wing is next to impossible.

So, instead, find out what the inside of some other folding wings of the period look like.  There's bound to be a pic of a Corsair, Dauntless or something else with the wings folded.  That will give you an idea of what do do, and you can extrapolate from wheel position where the hydraulics go, and the cables for ailerons etc. should be self-evident.

Then, using a series of drills, starting from smallest to largest that will fit, drill straight into the wing until you have it hollowed out perhaps a mm or two in.  Paint the inside of this slot flat black perhaps mixed with a tinge of that awful green that they use for the inside of aircraft parts (or grey if it turns out that that's what the Germans used)

Then, use a sliver of paper paper cut to shape to fit the inside of your slot in the wing, drill holes into it to represent the holes in the wing chord (frame part) and for the cables/lines to go into.  You might want to make two of these paper frames for each wing, one to put as far inside as you drilled and the other to put right at the outer edge.  don't worry about the paper being soft, once painted and CA's, the paper will be as stiff as if it was brass.

Use bits of wire, stretched sprue, or maybe even the ends of cat's whiskers, whatever it takes to glue little stubs in the probable position of the cables etc., with some stubs sticking out to match up with corresponding holes and stubs in the fuselage.

Now, paint as required.  Keeping mind that the initial black/green/dark grey inside will give apparent depth to the construction but at the same time hide the fact that it's only a few mm deep.

The wing breaks are so small that nobody will be able to see far inside, especially past the outer frame bit of paper.  Therefore, it doesn't have to be extremely detailed, since just having the suggestion of detail will make people think it's there (just like the U-boat interiors I've been seeing built on this site)

Just the hint that such detail exists in the model will make people assume such detail is everywhere.

You DID ask for help and suggestions, right?

Offline Greif

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #13 on: 12 Feb , 2010, 02:11 »
Hi Pat, thanks for the detailed description!  I'll take a look and see what I can come up with.

Regarding the 2.0cm mags, let me look at my spare parts box.  I may have a few PE ones laying around that I can send along with the barrel.  Again, just give me a PM on the site here with your address, and I will get them on the way to you.

Ernest

Greif, from what I've seen, I'm sure you've got the skills to do it.  You just haven't come up against something like that before so haven't worked out the methods yet. 

I'm guessing that the wing thickness you have to work with is perhaps 1 or 2 mm?  that's more than enough.  I made slots in my 20mm Flak guns for the magazines that can't be much different in size.  (you don't have mag blanks to put in them along with that barrel do you?)

The size will be so small and dark inside that you won't have to do much detail to make it look right.

First off, if you can find out what it looks like inside, great.  But my guess is finding a pic of the inside of an Arado wing is next to impossible.

So, instead, find out what the inside of some other folding wings of the period look like.  There's bound to be a pic of a Corsair, Dauntless or something else with the wings folded.  That will give you an idea of what do do, and you can extrapolate from wheel position where the hydraulics go, and the cables for ailerons etc. should be self-evident.

Then, using a series of drills, starting from smallest to largest that will fit, drill straight into the wing until you have it hollowed out perhaps a mm or two in.  Paint the inside of this slot flat black perhaps mixed with a tinge of that awful green that they use for the inside of aircraft parts (or grey if it turns out that that's what the Germans used)

Then, use a sliver of paper paper cut to shape to fit the inside of your slot in the wing, drill holes into it to represent the holes in the wing chord (frame part) and for the cables/lines to go into.  You might want to make two of these paper frames for each wing, one to put as far inside as you drilled and the other to put right at the outer edge.  don't worry about the paper being soft, once painted and CA's, the paper will be as stiff as if it was brass.

Use bits of wire, stretched sprue, or maybe even the ends of cat's whiskers, whatever it takes to glue little stubs in the probable position of the cables etc., with some stubs sticking out to match up with corresponding holes and stubs in the fuselage.

Now, paint as required.  Keeping mind that the initial black/green/dark grey inside will give apparent depth to the construction but at the same time hide the fact that it's only a few mm deep.

The wing breaks are so small that nobody will be able to see far inside, especially past the outer frame bit of paper.  Therefore, it doesn't have to be extremely detailed, since just having the suggestion of detail will make people think it's there (just like the U-boat interiors I've been seeing built on this site)

Just the hint that such detail exists in the model will make people assume such detail is everywhere.

You DID ask for help and suggestions, right?


Offline Greif

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Re: DKM Bismarck in 1/350 Scale
« Reply #14 on: 22 Feb , 2010, 13:55 »
Hull painting is finished.  Also I have included a shot of the Bruno turret barbette.

Ernest