This is my first ship. I started it about year and a half ago, puttering mostly. I was inspired by some photos I saw on the net by a modeller named Dargies while I was looking for some info on a particular aircraft, and felt that I just had to do it. I used three CMK interior kits, the Eduard PE, Yankee Modelworks PE, a resin figure set, lots of scratchbuilding, replaced all of the weld lines and most of the rivets using the Archer set, Archer Flag set. I opened up all the flood slots and added a support behind each rivet line(can only see when held at the right angle, with the right light), added to the saddle tanks to allow opening of the central drainage area with supports, oil canned the hull, textured the pressure hull, fabricated the upper pressure hull and added some piping that can be seen if held the right way. I was going to add the wood deck, but changed my mind due to the cost. Here are some photos of the entire build.
Thanks for the great comments! A lot of weathering detail did not show up in my pics, like the scum line, salt marks etc. I’ve got the 1/72 HMCS Snowberry and S-boot to do to complete the series, and also the 1/200 Arizona, but mentally I can’t handle another big project for some time. My shelf is full of planes and tanks that I need to get done.
I only worked on the build. I usually put in 30 min to an hour at most a couple days a week. Sometimesore, sometimes less. Sometimes I got so sick of working on it I’d leave it for a couple of weeks. I moved in the summer., so I didn’t touch it for almost 2 months. Each interior section took over a month to do. The oil canning, hull texturing took a few months. Rivit and weld seams took a few months. It all adds up.
I have seen a few of these built and they all seem to take about a year or so. When i start on mine i was thinking of working on it between other builds, maybe a couple of weeks at a time. But then i don’t have an interior for mine so don’t have that to worry about.
You’ve been planning this build for some time- I remember you asking about aftermarket parts early in my build. Do you have an estimated start time? Are you going to do the U552 or another?
Ye, i have a bit. I am currently a bit short on space, i don’t have room to display my current builds, let alone anything this size. I am hopeing to get a new model room built in the garden this year. If that comes off, then i plan on makeing a start on my U-Boat later this year. Ye, i am going to build the U-552. I have all the AM i wanted for it now, so its all ready to go.
Love the use of the crew figures. Iwas thinking about putting some of them in modified poses inside to add a bit of life and a feeling of the cramped space inside the boat.
Thanks! I plan at some point in the future to do the same. When I get a couple more kits done and off the to do shelf, I may come back and finish her off .
