by Build Mon$ter » Sun Jan 03, 2016 3:33 pm
Ok, so I am finally ready to debut my 1st attempt at a 1/350 Graf Zeppelin, this is a project I've been wanting to do for quite some time and I'd been hoping that some model company would come out with a kit but alas no such luck yet, so I decided to give it a go.
I started with some research online for pictures and blue prints and found a book that has some nice pictures and drawings, but on some further searches I found a book by Siegfried Breyer, encyclopedia 42 that's in Polish and English that has some large 1/400 foldout line drawings that are perfect for this build, I had several 1/1 copies made so the originals don't get damaged during the build and so I can write notes on them.
My next dilemma was do I scratch build a hull or modify one I already have, luckily there was a defective hull in the Revell 1/350 Battleship Bismarck that I had just acquired, Revell was very helpful in sending me a replacement. I replaced my 1/350 Tamiya Bismarck which had been bothering me for years and after some research I found that the Revell kit is worlds better, I will show my progress on this kit in a later post.
So I was off, I needs to modify the hull, lengthen it and had to widen several inches (cm) of the bow, for those of you who are familiar with the ship I have made one error, I did not widen he stern which is noticeable with a narrower flight deck at the stern, I'm thinking of revisiting and correcting this which would mean remaking the stern half of the flight deck.
As for the flight deck so far I etched it to simulate wood planking, time consuming, but I think it came out rather well. Everything else on the ship except for some parts salvaged from my Tamiya Bismarck kit is scratch built, I am at the same point the real ship was when they stopped working on it.
My biggest challenge coming up will be the aircraft, I have found some 3D printed ones online but to put a decent airwing on board this would get to pricey. So if I can make a relatively accurate model of the aircraft I'll make my own molds to mass produce them and maybe make them available for sale.
I will post more updates and completed pics once I get there, so for now I look forward to your comments and suggestions.
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Ok, so I am finally ready to debut my 1st attempt at a 1/350 Graf Zeppelin, this is a project I've been wanting to do for quite some time and I'd been hoping that some model company would come out with a kit but alas no such luck yet, so I decided to give it a go.
I started with some research online for pictures and blue prints and found a book that has some nice pictures and drawings, but on some further searches I found a book by Siegfried Breyer, encyclopedia 42 that's in Polish and English that has some large 1/400 foldout line drawings that are perfect for this build, I had several 1/1 copies made so the originals don't get damaged during the build and so I can write notes on them.
My next dilemma was do I scratch build a hull or modify one I already have, luckily there was a defective hull in the Revell 1/350 Battleship Bismarck that I had just acquired, Revell was very helpful in sending me a replacement. I replaced my 1/350 Tamiya Bismarck which had been bothering me for years and after some research I found that the Revell kit is worlds better, I will show my progress on this kit in a later post.
So I was off, I needs to modify the hull, lengthen it and had to widen several inches (cm) of the bow, for those of you who are familiar with the ship I have made one error, I did not widen he stern which is noticeable with a narrower flight deck at the stern, I'm thinking of revisiting and correcting this which would mean remaking the stern half of the flight deck.
As for the flight deck so far I etched it to simulate wood planking, time consuming, but I think it came out rather well. Everything else on the ship except for some parts salvaged from my Tamiya Bismarck kit is scratch built, I am at the same point the real ship was when they stopped working on it.
My biggest challenge coming up will be the aircraft, I have found some 3D printed ones online but to put a decent airwing on board this would get to pricey. So if I can make a relatively accurate model of the aircraft I'll make my own molds to mass produce them and maybe make them available for sale.
I will post more updates and completed pics once I get there, so for now I look forward to your comments and suggestions.