U Boat VII kit in 1/48 scale

[falo]

Just for the records here and those who want to assemble a type seven (full hull) in 1/48 scale:

http://www.u96-bauen.de

You have to buy a subscription of the magazine which provides you issue for issue with parts. According to the publisher there will be more than 100 magazines (one per week) to collect before your boat is finished. Interesting to me seems that Amati developed the model kit. Maybe in future time they will sell a complete model of that subscription boat?

At a glance the details (deck, hull, 8,8 cm gun and conning tower) looks good but there are no rivets, the inner sections are a little bit on the sparse side and the figures appear like toy soldiers to me. But at all maybe a good super detailing canvas for high skilled modelers.

If I'am not mistaken you can only purchase a subscription if you live in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg or Germany.

Falo

[NZSnowman]

Very Cool!!

[Capt Kremin]

Not to put anybody off, but
150 parts
1@ €1
1@ €3.99
148@ €6.99
total € 1039.51
 
Regards
Jon

[tore]

Just for the records here and those who want to assemble a type seven (full hull) in 1/48 scale:

http://www.u96-bauen.de

You have to buy a subscription of the magazine which provides you issue for issue with parts. According to the publisher there will be more than 100 magazines (one per week) to collect before your boat is finished. Interesting to me seems that Amati developed the model kit. Maybe in future time they will sell a complete model of that subscription boat?

At a glance the details (deck, hull, 8,8 cm gun and conning tower) looks good but there are no rivets, the inner sections are a little bit on the sparse side and the figures appear like toy soldiers to me. But at all maybe a good super detailing canvas for high skilled modelers.

If I'm not mistaken you can only purchase a subscription if you live in Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg or Germany.

Falo

Very interesting, however at this scale it is a challenge to get the squeezed in details correct. Looking at the photo I presume the model represent the U 96 as delivered from the yard. The netcutters indicate this, as they probably were removed in 1941. However if you look into the engine room you`ll see up front port side they have put in an odd horizontal pump which which is shown on engineroom photos from U 995, most probably being the freshwaterpump for the galley installed by the Norwegians after the war as discussed in my mailbox earlier. Further in 1941 the engineroom up front, port it should be a significant luboil purifier installation, removed on most of the VIIC including U 995 as latter part of 1943. However U 96 most certainly had this plant when commissioned. I guess there are limits what you are able to cramp into a scale 1: 42 model, piping is almost impossible. With a lot of work and further research you might be able to build a "museummodel".
Tore

[falo]

Here is another quarter scaler. This one is a RC-optimized version of a typeseven/41. Again a possible canvas for super detailer with high skills. AFAIK Tamiya offers in 1/48 scale the flakvierling and other kits which are waiting for to be exploited. Tin can effect and riveting seems to be essential to give this smooth RC a wheatered and used look.

Once again the boat isn't cheap 748,00 EUR (approx. 1,011.00 USD) but therefor this model works in water

https://shop.graupner.de/webuerp/servlet/AI?ARTN=2059&PIC=4

and with more detailed (zoom-in) photos:

http://www.der-schweighofer.at/artikel/105614/sb_u-boot_typ_vii_premium_line_artr


@ tore
As I have learned - not least from this forum - it's a question of modeling skills, time and good research to super detail such kit into museum quality (to put the ever lasting budget money questions/decisions aside). Visiting the U995 in Laboe once, I was confused following all the pipes, valves and so on in the inner sections. It was a stunning and frustrating impression all at once in a modelers point of view. All these details!!! I admire the schematic drawings of snowman doing all this technical details - assisted by your experience with the real thing and advice. But I think if a modeler would even try to equip a built with all that details he is going to far. I think he should work e.g. built more like a draughtsman who sketch (for example) a head of a woman: the illustrator would not draw every single hair to get the impression of a hairstyle. He would abstract and reduce details but the impression of hair would always be pictured.


Regards
falo

[tore]

Hi falo.
You are rising an interesting point and I like your interest in trying to follow the pipes during the visit to my old boat. Your remarks put me back some 60 years returning from UK, stuffed with knowledge about the various RN subs. only to try to get the KNM Kaura (U 995) running. Quite a few drawings and manuals were non existent, in fact you find probably more details on paper in this forum than available to me at that time. Knowing the details of the pipingsystems is vital for safe operation of a submarine, it is indeed a matter of life and death, not only to know the normal operation of the systems but being conversant with all the emergency alternatives and able to implement same in a stress situation, that make the difference of the qualities of an operational submarine. I spent weeks following pipelines and making sketches before I felt competent to take the job as chief engineer in spite of almost 6 months of submarine training on beforehand. The pipesystems are the veines of a submarine and the crew has to see to it that your boat don`t get a heartinfarct and/or get a bypass if needed. It is  great fun to work with a skilled draughtsman like Simon and to see the amazing results and accuracy in his drawings.There are no better references for a modeller, but I agree with you, it would be too much details for an average modeller to implement, use the drawings as a reference for the details you want to show.
Tore

[falo]

Hi Tore,

Thank you very much for your remarks. I like the picture you paint with words: "veins" and "bypass" or "heart attack" and they got me back when I was teenager and my favorite uncle told me nearly the same as you describe above. He was employee at the Howaldtswerke Kiel/Germany and worked in the construction department - if I'am not mistaken after all this time. He was on board of the subs (Bundesmarine) during test drives. And he explained to us (his childs, nieces and nephews) that a submarine is like a living organism. Than he depicts all the noises like "bubble", "gurgle" and "fez" to mention only a few of this "organism tune".

I agree with you: Is beyond debate that Simons work is outstanding and the best resource for any modeler planning to build the typseven. I buyed two inner sections (scale 1/72) from cmk as a gift for a friend and the plan was to provide him also with photos from the real thing. But as mentioned above is was too much especially for that scale. Maybe in future times all the drawings from Simon will be food for a 3-d-printer and that will be the ultimate typeseven model in 1/48 or 1/72? Who knows? Just dreaming.

Regards
Falo

P.S.: Do you have plans visiting your old flame in Laboe?

[tore]

Hi Falo.
I have no immediate plans to visit my old lady at Laboe. But during the period of 1970 -1980 I saw her regularly as I was in charge of the engines on M/S Kronprins Harald  and M/S Prinsesse Ragnhild on the ferry connection Oslo- Kiel saluting her from the bridge everytime I was passing Laboe. I worked with Kieler Howaldtswerke as well, as these two vessels were built there.
Tore

[falo]

Hi Tore,

these two ferries belong in former days to Kiels silhouette like the "Kieler Sprotten" (a kind of regional fish delicacy) as you will well known.


Regards
falo

[tore]

Hi falo!
Good to hear. As a curiousity I can mention the chief electrician onboard the first Kronpins Harald was my chief electrician on KNM Kaura ex U 995 for several years.
Tore

[falo]

Hi Tore,


thanks for the information, so I was in very good hands.


falo

[falo]

Back to to the main issue of this thread. Here is a guy in a german forum who is building this "Subscription-Sub". I suppose the pictures explain the progress of the assembly very well. So we have to wait for years till the typeseven will be ready.




http://www.modellboard.net/index.php?PHPSESSID=debqn8fnjjbjj0e41fflt6k1j1&topic=47837.225


Regards
Falo

[SG]

Hehehe, it's gonna take forever, but sensibly less than my U-48 build though! 

[42rocker]

On MSB there is a model ship builder doing the same type of idea on a monthly. His build is moving a long at a nice pace. There was also one of these ideas for a different ship up for sale on MSW at about 40% of what the husband paid for it, his wife was selling it, interesting.
Need to remember (as pointed out in above post) the total cost of the project.

Later Tim

[SG]

Here's another (pricey) one:
www.arkmodel.com/product_info.php?cPath=21&products_id=421&language=en