Author Topic: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)  (Read 30807 times)

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Offline conus00

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[WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« on: 20 Dec , 2008, 00:20 »
Hi guys,
I thought I would share with you the process of building the Type XXI u-boat. I am aware that Revell's kit is far from being an accurate representation of WW2 Type XXI but I believe that with a little bit of skills and some scratchbuilding I can get as close as possible.
There is no photo-etched set for this kit on the market so I decided to use some parts from Eduard's Type VIID. I also got machined periscopes from Schatton Modelbau.

Now the build.
I have decided to build U-2536 based on this photo:


This is the only picture of real U-2536 I have so with the rest of the build I intend to follow "general" pictures of Type XXI.
Based on this picture I have created a mock-up so I believe that the boat looked something like this:


The Revell kit completely lacks any interior in the conning tower so I decided to scratchbuild it. Along with UZO stand and access hatch.
I also created alcoves for the radar and the schnorchel which on the original model were too shallow and looked very unrealistic:












After I put everything together I decided to fix the front of the conning tower toward the front flak. This is probably the biggest mistake Revell made making this kit because the model is based on U-2540 (aka Wilhelm Bauer) and W.B. had both flaks removed and replaced with windowed bridge. When W.B. was restored back to become U-2540 again, the builders, during the restoration, just simply cut away the bridge and placed the flak guns back on without bothering to restore the tower back to original. There is also another very visible mistake: the rim at the front of the tower is being to "squarish" instead of being rounded. While making all those changes I also decided to "sink" the positioning lights into the tower and shave off the ugly rungs:






After I took all those pictures I realized that the side lookout doors and the trim on the front one are way too thick and look unrealistic so I shaved them off and also decided that the railing running around the tower had too go too:




Now comes the best part of the build (detailing and scratchbuilding): :)




Here is the list of modifications and detailing to the conning tower I've made so far:

1 rounded nose of the tower
2 aerial hook and whatever that hole is (?) :D
3 replaced barrels and created supressors
4 hinges
5 interior with UZO stand, access hatch, RDF loop opening
6 sky periscope assembly, thin lookout doors with hinges
7 radar and scnorchel alcoves, KM flag and the commissioning pennant holes
8 elongated conning tower fin
9 door hinges
10 ladder rungs
11 recessed positioning lights
12 proper tower transition
13 railing

TBC...
« Last Edit: 09 Aug , 2009, 02:50 by conus00 »
On the workbench:
Trumpeter 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type IIb U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
Revell 1/144 Type VIID U-boat
Minicraft 1/700 USS Ticonderoga CG-47
Collecting materials:
(scratchbuild) 1/144 Type XVII-B Walther U-bo

Offline Siara

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #1 on: 20 Dec , 2008, 01:42 »
Good going Conus00!
Ill be following your build with interest.

Offline billp51d

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #2 on: 20 Dec , 2008, 06:23 »
           Connus00,  Excellant photo presentation..top quallity detailing on your work..Bill

Offline conus00

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #3 on: 28 Dec , 2008, 21:46 »
First update guys. Didn't have much time during Christmas to work on my modeling projects but I have managed to put a first coat on the sail. I opted for filling the flooding/draining holes with flat black to simulate "openings". I believe that after detailed touch-ups the result will be satisfactory.

Note: this is just a first coat so all the imperfections will be (hopefully) fixed by the second coat...  :D





« Last Edit: 09 Aug , 2009, 02:53 by conus00 »
On the workbench:
Trumpeter 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type IIb U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
Revell 1/144 Type VIID U-boat
Minicraft 1/700 USS Ticonderoga CG-47
Collecting materials:
(scratchbuild) 1/144 Type XVII-B Walther U-bo

Offline Rokket

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #4 on: 31 Dec , 2008, 15:36 »
A lot of detail..she looks very nice
AMP - Accurate Model Parts - http://amp.rokket.biz

Cezar

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #5 on: 11 Jan , 2009, 17:46 »
Conus00.

Great job man, this is looking great.
And it

Offline conus00

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #6 on: 19 Jan , 2009, 15:05 »
Guys, thanks for your kind replies. I found them very encouraging. I will get back to working on the model as soon as I have some more time. My new year started really sad: my girlfriend's Dad passed away on the January 3rd and we have been trying to take care of it ever since. Us living in Ohio and him in Louisiana just complicates things a lot.

@ Cezar to answer your questions: there is not an aftermarket PE set for this boat I know of so you are pretty much depending on your scratch building skills. Also I have absoulutely no problem with you using my build as a reference but you might do some of the research about 2513 under US flag because there might be some differences to 2536.
On the workbench:
Trumpeter 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type IIb U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
Revell 1/144 Type VIID U-boat
Minicraft 1/700 USS Ticonderoga CG-47
Collecting materials:
(scratchbuild) 1/144 Type XVII-B Walther U-bo

Cezar

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #7 on: 19 Jan , 2009, 19:45 »
Darn it, all the photos are gone before i saved them... but i just bought "Anatomy Of the Boat" for Type XXI.  ;)
By the way, you are in Ohio ? I live in suburbs of Cleveland. Small world.
Cezar.

Bingo, i can see the pictures again.... all saved now.
C
« Last Edit: 20 Jan , 2009, 05:20 by Cezar »

Offline conus00

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #8 on: 22 Jan , 2009, 10:46 »
Hi guys,
finally got back to working on the boat. After a careful consideration I decided to replace the 20mm twin flaks with smaller diameter wire. I think that the result is much more satisfactory. Also I have decided to scratch build RDF loop and the radar array because I didn't like the original ones: they were too bulky and unproportionate.
Here is the comparison to the originals:


I also decided to make some serious changes to the snort, because the original from the kit is not very accurate. I based the new one on this picture:


You can decide how close I got to the original:


I have glued all the pieces of the conning tower together, installed the Schatton's machined periscopes and the whole sail was painted second coat and weathered. I am gonna set it aside for now because I consider it done and start working on the hull (drilling holes).
Here are some pictures of the conning tower (BTW the flash and the proximity of the camera make the colors too sharp and the rust too flat. I real life the sail looks much MUCH better):

« Last Edit: 09 Aug , 2009, 02:57 by conus00 »
On the workbench:
Trumpeter 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type IIb U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
Revell 1/144 Type VIID U-boat
Minicraft 1/700 USS Ticonderoga CG-47
Collecting materials:
(scratchbuild) 1/144 Type XVII-B Walther U-bo

Mr.Mox

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #9 on: 22 Jan , 2009, 13:28 »
Nice, and definately relevant, update - your scratchbuild are way better than the kit parts.

If on someone made a XXI in 1:72 ...  ;D

Offline conus00

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #10 on: 22 Jan , 2009, 13:52 »
Thanks Jan,
if they made this boat in 1/72 I'd have to move to bigger place, mate.  ;D

I have been eyeballing Revell's 1/72 VIIC (both versions) for a while but I am very restricted by space.
So far it is gonna be only 1/144 u-boats in my dockyard (working on this one and having VIIC, VIID, XXIII and IXC (1/150 close enough) in the stash).
On the workbench:
Trumpeter 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type IIb U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
Revell 1/144 Type VIID U-boat
Minicraft 1/700 USS Ticonderoga CG-47
Collecting materials:
(scratchbuild) 1/144 Type XVII-B Walther U-bo

Offline Greif

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #11 on: 24 Jan , 2009, 14:24 »
Hi Conus, your build is looking great.  I really like your painting!

Offline conus00

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #12 on: 27 Jan , 2009, 14:44 »
Thanks, mate. As I said before you should see it in real life: it is much more subtle.
Quick update (this time without pictures): Started drilling out holes in the hull. I have decided to cut out just the rows of the "big ones" on the sides and (again) fill the smaller ones with flat black to simulate openings. I kinda like the way turm turned out.

Also I would like to ask for help here: Does anyone have a close-up of the main drain holes in the hull? I have gone through my whole archive of XXI pics (electronic and books) and this is the only picture I have found:


It seems to me that they were split in a halves with a small splitter inside? Also I need to find out if there were any sort of "ribs" between each one of them.
Any help here would be really appreciated.
Thanks!
« Last Edit: 09 Aug , 2009, 02:59 by conus00 »
On the workbench:
Trumpeter 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type IIb U-boat
ICM 1/144 Type XXIII U-boat
Revell 1/144 Type VIID U-boat
Minicraft 1/700 USS Ticonderoga CG-47
Collecting materials:
(scratchbuild) 1/144 Type XVII-B Walther U-bo

Offline NZSnowman

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #13 on: 27 Jan , 2009, 18:52 »
You have PM.

Cezar

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Re: [WIP] Revell's 1/144 Type XXI (my way)
« Reply #14 on: 28 Jan , 2009, 15:28 »
OK, not a picture but quick snap from the drawings i have.

Looks like only three holes had a spliter in them, the ones circled in red.
HTH,
Cezar.