HMS Prince of Wales off Newfoundland for the Atlantic Charter meeting, 1941
I hope there's a better picture of her camo scheme than this one 🙂
Interesting shot in comparison to the US destroyer
I'm planning on one of these overhead
And one of these somewhere nearby
That is a lot of stuff - I think I'll start with the smaller dio bits
Painted the "interior" of the Short Sunderland - hopefully I hit all of the spots that would show through the various windows
After day 1, the general lines of the Fairmile have transitioned from D to B, as planned.
Next is figuring out what bits from my parts bin best approximates the 300lb depth charges she would have mounted (cut the ends off of life raft canisters?)...or if I'll have to cut them from stretched sprue
Next is figuring out what bits from my parts bin best approximates the 300lb depth charges she would have mounted (cut the ends off of life raft canisters?)...or if I'll have to cut them from stretched sprue
I've realized that seams are my least favorite thing about models 🙁
Note the life raft canisters that will eventually become the 12 depth charges and the replacement life rafts for the ones I scraped off the sides of the wheel house
Note the life raft canisters that will eventually become the 12 depth charges and the replacement life rafts for the ones I scraped off the sides of the wheel house
They definitely don't build them like this any more
Flyhawk kits are a pleasure to build, but the amount of detail requires quite a bit of planning in terms of glue/paint order, not to mention glue selection
Let's not mention the separate PE instruction sheet that you have to reference before placing any of the finer plastic pieces in case there is a PE replacement 😛
Let's not mention the separate PE instruction sheet that you have to reference before placing any of the finer plastic pieces in case there is a PE replacement 😛
Everything in pics 9-11 are just dry fit as I try to figure out how I'm going to get walkways painted on this complicated bridge structure - it's currently in 4 parts, and I think it's going to stay that way until I get the decks done and masked, then I can work on getting rid of the visible seams at the front of the structure. I need to check what railings/ladders that I need to put on prior to priming the decks though...
Incremental updates - some more details added to the superstructures - prepped the stacks for PE grids and generally trying to get the structural and railing work done prior to priming and deck painting.
Also cleaned up the Short Sunderland and Fairmile to prep them for priming
Also cleaned up the Short Sunderland and Fairmile to prep them for priming
Superstructures on deck - need to plan out how I'm going to show the Supermarine Walrus seaplane - maybe deploy the crane and have it lifting it out of the water? I think I'm going to have the ship anchored so I can add small craft and ladders around the ship
This little bit of PE instruction briefly took my breath away thinking about it - top pic is the Type 271 molded radar structure to be removed (lighthouse looking structure), and the instructions below show what is supposed to replace it. I think I can do it, but I feel like its a bit much to presume success with this evolution 😛
Fairmile almost ready for priming
Sunderland put together with some experimental rigging that came out much messier than I hoped - may just end up taking it off
Cranes - the one on the left suffered from a fly-away on one of the cable winches - I swear I spend more time on the floor with a flashlight than on assembling the model, but I'll do one more search before attempting any scratch builds
More dry fitting after putting PE on the smokestacks
Happy with the PE, but not all of the details are on them yet - a little bit at a time...
In response to comment from bughunter - I couldn't do 1:700 without doing half of the work with my nose glued to this magnifying lamp 🙂
Made some depth charges last night
May have discovered a new least favorite part of scale modeling - drilling out holes for brass replacement barrels
I need a better drill bit, but 11 out of 12 barrels were pretty centered and true
I have to admit, the brass barrels look better
OK, I was worried about the 5.25" guns after the difficulties with the 14" guns, but it turns out there was a good method for turning those out...
Grabbed an old airbrush needle (can't remember what size, sorry 🙁) and used it to make the necessary holes to fit the 5.25" guns
The requisite nightly dry fitting and progress check
Still need to finish the details on the cranes, but they look pretty nice in place
Was not expecting to work on guns today, but the main turrets needed their pom-poms
Main and secondary gun barrels set up for painting
It doesn't look like much changed, but trust me, there are dozens of storage lockers where there weren't before
OK, taking the plunge on "detailing" the Type 271 radar...
Wasn't as bad as I thought it would be - not sure how it will look after priming and painting, but it's nice and shiny now 🙂
Size comparison, and yes, there is a tiny radar antenna in that cage, and no, I don't know how/when that sailor was super-glued onto the 1 cent piece
Progress
Heavy PE day - a few tiny parts for each pom-pom
Not sure why the Royal Navy had a single quad mount pom-pom on the Prince of Wales, but here it is
The Walrus all put together
Just missing the machine gun in the rear - I'm certain that would end up sacrificed to the fly-away gods if I put that on now, so it will need to wait for after painting
Still of two minds on the use of the PE to represent the rigging...
Broke up the PE work with some priming.
Fairmile missing guns, but depth charges on board.
Fairmile missing guns, but depth charges on board.
Main turrets with railing
Ships ladders added where I didn't think I'd knock them off and where they would be a pain to install after paint makes all openings too small to fit fiddly bits 😉
Added some greeblies (not sure if that term is correct for non-sci-fi-related models, but I like the term) to dress up the inside of the open hangar
Not sure if it's truly sane to consider this process fun - not sure why I do this to myself...
Not perfectly symmetrical, but the superglue is set, and I know that any attempts to correct at this stage would end up with mangled bits...
Deck colors on - time to set aside for a couple days prior to masking
Before and after shots of PE "upgrades" to the Type 282 radars - not completely convinced that it's an improvement in my hands...now I have to do the other 3...
Masts 80% done and nothing particularly horrible has occurred yet
Took some time and started the base, including the positioning of the major players
5.25" guns assembled, now to figuring out how the camo is represented on each one
Masts now 100% done (excepting rigging, that is a separate headache) and awaiting priming.
These will definitely go on last as part of final assembly, but unfortunately before rigging 😛
These will definitely go on last as part of final assembly, but unfortunately before rigging 😛
Lots of tiny little pieces of tape
Tape...
Lots of tape...
Little radar sets
Even littler radar sets
Superstructures coming together and deck touch-up completed
Base plane camos done, but now I can't remember how I mixed the green, so I need to color match 😛
Camo going on freehand - after staring at the scheme for a while, didn't see the benefit of trying to mask, so we'll see if I thinned my paints enough to avoid brushstrokes
Dry fit onto unmasked deck - you can see that I need to match up some camo patches better
Next up, railings? Or wait until everything is placed on the base to do railings? This shot emphasizes the need to get the ships boats done...
First dry-fit on the base with Fairmile and Short Sunderland in position.
Still debating what altitude to display the Short Sunderland
Still debating what altitude to display the Short Sunderland
You can see some fiddly bits that will be stored away for a bit longer until final assembly
All shiny for weathering
Also shiny for decals and weathering
Still missing the primary railings and some ladders, as well as the fiddly bits and rigging...more to come 🙂
Started on the railings and small bitz from higher elevations on down...
Still need to work on the ships boats
Most of the superstructure done, just haven't added in the towers and cranes - everything looks a bit too clean prior to pinwashing and general weathering 🙂
Still needs the main ship railings and a few other bits - eg lifeboats, vents, etc
Main railings and cranes installed
Masts positioned - now I have to be a little more careful around the "airspace" above the ship 🙂
Ship's boats also in position - they really need a wash, but I'll wait until a few other pieces are in place to do the "final" wash
Ship's boats also in position - they really need a wash, but I'll wait until a few other pieces are in place to do the "final" wash
The Fairmile in position - still needs washing, rigging, and wake effects
If you look closely, you can still see the little holes in the deck for the rest of the vents
Wake added to the Fairmile, and ladder added to allow disembarkation - will add a small boat (not from the ship's complement)
You can also just see the Walrus waiting to the suspended from the deployed crane
You can also just see the Walrus waiting to the suspended from the deployed crane
Vents and supports in place - almost done with the fiddly bits, just need to work on water effects and weathering 🙂
Also, decided to have the Short Sunderland coming in for a landing - having it floating there just seemed too boring...
Also, decided to have the Short Sunderland coming in for a landing - having it floating there just seemed too boring...
After a bit of a hiatus, lifeboats!
Planes waiting for final positioning and props
Where we are now
Kommentarer
41 12 June 2023, 23:05
bughunterYou 1:700 builders are to be admired, that would really be nothing for me!
16 June 2023, 21:29
Tyson TuThanks all for the likes, and bughunter - see photo 20 for one of my most important 1:700 tools 🙂
21 June 2023, 21:47
bughunterThanks for the pic!
Yes I have also two of them (in my lamps, to have light of both sides) but I can't use such magnifying glass. If I look with both eyes though the same glass my 3D view is lost.
At the moment I work without glasses, but if I need to I will need one with individual eyeglass for each side.
23 June 2023, 17:30
Tyson TuThanks all for the likes, and thanks Dave for the motivational post 🙂
I'm in the midst of a color debate - I have all of the blues, greens, and grays to mix up US Navy WW2 colors, but apparently I'm missing some shades of blue/grey to get the early WW2 Royal Navy colors...what to do???
I bought 4 new shades of gray for my last build (the USS Monterey), do I need 4 more shades of blue for this one 😛
3 July 2023, 20:08
Tyson TuThanks bughunter and Villiers for visiting!
Just finished masking off the deck areas and I got my Intermediate Blue, Dark Sea Blue, and Pastel Blue today, so I should be good for 507A, 507C, B-5, B-6, MS1, and MS3 😛
7 July 2023, 23:37
Tyson TuThanks all for the likes! Still learning as I go - new lesson: brass replacement secondary gun barrels are not as sturdy as the primaries. I must have knocked off one of the 5.25" barrels at least a dozen times 🙁
4 August 2023, 14:51
Album info
Soon after her historic action at the Battle of the Denmark Strait, following repairs, the HMS Prince of Wales sailed across the Atlantic to bring Winston Churchill to a secret meeting with American president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The meeting was held aboard the Prince of Wales and the US cruiser USS Augusta over a few days in August of 1941, and the output from this meeting was the Atlantic Charter - a declaration that would outline proposed US/UK/Allied policies following the end of the war.
After looking at the box cover for the Flyhawk Dec 1941 HMS Prince of Wales kit for a bit, I decided that I didn't want to represent her during her time in the Pacific, so that left the brief period following the action vs the Bismark (represented by the other Flyhawk Prince of Wales kit). Since I also had the Flyhawk Royal Navy seaplane kit, I decided to dress up the battleship with a little motor launch and a Short Sunderland flying patrol over the ship and her important passenger.
Of course, following some research, it turns out that not only am I signing up for a bit of surgery to convert the kit Royal Navy Fairmile D into a Royal Canadian Navy Fairmile B, the Canadian Navy didn't take delivery of the first Fairmile until October of '41. Fortunately, I'm not the type of person to allow a few months' worth of historical inaccuracy to disrupt a fun build, so here we go...
