Type VIIC/41 - Work in Progress

[bracco_n]

I started placing the ribs above the saddle tanks. This is the part of the project in which I want to throw everything through the window. Placing this little bastards is so tiring that I only placed 5 today. I believe it will be many days before I finish this most tedious task

[NZSnowman]

(5 - 132 frames) x 2 sides = lots

Keep up the good work. I am sure it will look great when its finish

[billp51d]

      ...You'll find that just when you start having fun ...You'll be all done!  Like some other things in life?

[bracco_n]

All the ribs are in place! it took me some time but I finally did it. Here are some pictures. I know it looks messy but once everythings closed and painted it'll look good.






Now I'll build the ribs for the holes behind the torpedo doors and after those are in place I will glue the two halves together. Then I'll detail the p-hull and will place the ribs for the limber holes.

[Greif]

Well done Bracco!  The ribs look great!

[bracco_n]

Small update. All the ribs are in place. Today I started detailing the P-hull. Using part from different sprues I built the piping, I think it came out nicely. It's a pitty that most of it won't be seen but I'll know it is there! Some little extra things will be added to the p-hull, then it'll be ready to paint! The pipes aren't glued yet, just "dry fit"








I hope you like it!

[Rokket]

Wow, going all out!

[bracco_n]

Both Hull halves were glued together. It looks nice. When I dry fitted the deck, the central part was wrong. The ribs above the saddletanks were placed to far out so I had to remove them all and glue them farther back. Silly mistake. My nice-looking ribs are thing of the past, now they look awefull, damn. I'll try to make them look as better as I can.

[Rokket]

They only have to look like thin little things partially visible in the long slot, so don't knock yourself out! In fact, as lovely as your piping is (and it is), other than a vague darkness, it won't show...(unless you use a torch/flashlight!). I put in the gun mounts, and continued the Tower p-hull below, but really a simple blob would do, they just slightly block the light.

[Greif]

I wouldn't worry too much bracco.  As Wink said, once the uboat is finished there won't be much of the ribs visible.  The piping looks great by the way!

Ernest

[bracco_n]

Work has continued on U-1023. I focused on the deck and conning tower, later will get back to those bloody ribs. This is what has been done:
-both hull halves have been glued together.
-pressure hull in place and painted (nothing visible when the deck is fitted)
-Eduard PE applied to foward and aft parts of the deck.
-Little tube added to the Schnorkel mast so that it fits the pipe on the CG once raised
-Pipe that goes on the stb. bow of the CG built and in place.
-CG prepared to apply PE for the outer surfaces.
-holes for the steps on both sides of the CG have been filled. U-1023 had 3 steps instead of 4.

As you can see I have been working on my boat but didn't have time to take pictures, hope to do so tomorrow. It looks incredibly messy but I'm confident it'll look nice in the end.

[bracco_n]

Pictures arrived.

Schnorkel

PE parts applied to the stern section

PE parts applied to the bow section. I removed the stermonst of 4 watertight containers as U-1023 only carried 3.

Painted P-hull. I didn't put much effort on the painting as nothing of it is visible.

PE parts

The bow. I didn't say anything about the torpedo doors. Look down.


I hope you like how it's coming out. Remember it looks messy now.

[bracco_n]

Question for Greif: did you paint the Schonrkel housing and the Schnorkel itself before fitting it to the deck?

[Rokket]

Torp doors look great!

[bracco_n]

Thanks for your comments Wink!

Hello everybody, small update. I've built the stb water tight container for the life rafts on the back of the conning tower. I used a spare water tight hatch as I only needed 3 on the bow. It looks pretty nice but I still have to sand it smoothly. The problem is that I have no spare hatches to make the port one. Can anybody share a spare hatch with me? Please send me a PM if you can. Now I'll concentrate on the outer CG, then I'll get to the bridge which is the part I fear most!