The Ship Model Forum

Hello

I am starting a scratch built WIP the not so famous PLAN Type 053H3 Frigate. I don't know how i did come up with this idea, i just found some detailed drawings online and said to myself "why not just give it a chance, its just a waterline model how bad this can look like?"

My big ally apart from my quite moderate scratch built skills is an anycubic Mono 4K printer and some general stock PE unless i find something more specific.

Thanks David, i am looking for some reference pics on the quarterdeck below helicopter landing area, any help will appreciated

This is the hull after a few hours of work. A plastic sheet was glued as a main deck. I need to work on details and give the bow the right shape.

i am planning to put a 3d printed heli flight deck with the supports. The reason i did this is because i engraved the white circle to make it easier for later paint

By the way do you know if there are any torpedo tubes? Some sites claim 2 triple launchers but i dont see any on plans unless they are on rear quarter deck


PS: PM was sent by mistake,

The work on the hull is almost done.

The bow looks like Virginia Class nuclear cruisers. Rounded at the upper half, tighter and more straight lower. I was thinking to shape it by sanding. But I am a better butcher than a surgeon. I simply cut the lower part of the hull and replaced with a triangle one. The shaping effort now was tremendously less

Now that the hull is almost done time to move upwards for the main deck area. I printed the front area of it with satisfactory result, you can see comparing to a single brush hair

I continued building in the same way. Some 3d printing and some scratch work. All in all, the main silhouette of the ship is complete. Helicopter deck must be added but before this, all detail work on quarter deck beneath it must be done as well as painting.

I have basically completed the main body of the ship. Also did the painting minus some details to be corrected.

Im pleased with result as well with the speed of the progress because the armament is also ready and will be shown in the next post




upload

same

The front two edges of the funnel are lightly curved while rear ones are sharp. That is what I concluded from studying 3d models and pics.


Armament.

Type 79 4" Gun. This is the improved second stealth version thus the complex shape. I took a Mk38 5" gun file and modify it. Although proved too complex for my skills it turned close enough to the real thing. Barrels shape was also good and conical
Next was the YJ 83 SSM Launch boxes. I made them a bit wider to make sure that every detail would be printed. I was happy to see that the base was printed with good accuracy so no PE parts would be needed
Next was the HQ 7 short range SAM. This is replaced by HQ 10 a RAM style weapon. Easy to design and print.
Air defence provided also by Type 76 37mm twin gun. Its elliptical shape proved too much for my design skills. After a week of trouble I printed a hemisphere shape and sanded it down with 600 grit sand paper. I replaced barrels with 0.4mm sterile needles and you can see the difference.
Finally the 3200 ASW Rockets. Printed in 2 pieces. Plan was to fit 6 individual needles at the holder but holes proved to fragile. Not for my skill. I reprinted in one piece then printed again 15% bigger to have a better detailed quality. Hard to achieve accuracy without some over scale, thats why model companies can't avoid it I guess

on the 3d models looks more squared.
Anyway i was trying to remove it as it as wrongly positioned on deck but due to CA glue a mess was made so i need to repaid deck and reprint the funnel with shape improvements and some extra details

meanwhile there are few extra photos of the ship in a chinese site
http://www.moxing.net/2021/1105/11512_2.html

Fitting doesn't lie. Hangar proved too long thus space between this and funnel wasn't enough for the SSMs to be fitted. I had to shorten it by whole 5mm. Funnel had to be repositioned as well. Not easy process when deal with CA glue and resin. Plastic deck broke and had to be repaired. Funnel was re printed with added details, hand ladder and grills. Also SSM boxes were reprinted 1mm narrower. The base is a separate piece very delicate, almost transparent. Its shorter, to give a correct lower firing angle. Also secondary AA was given a haircut by one mm. Finally their type 345 radar was fitted as well as the 347G radar for the main gun, at the very top of the superstructure.

Because I work with resin therefore o use CA this makes a mess on painted decks. This gives me an idea of how special resin kits must be treated.

After making some paint corrections with brush I added more details, like bollards, anchor chain and machinery as well as secondary antennas over hangar. What left is 4 ladders and railings. Then I have to deal of how to make the main radar mast as well as the unusual shape of rear type 517 radar



photo uploading site

Apart from some minor paint improvement with 000 brush the progress of the day was the addition of barrel liferafts and the stairs behind the superstructure

I almost done railings today. More work than I estimated. Fortunately there won't be any in my next project. After installing them I had to check carefully for shiny brass spots and repaint them over with tiny brush.

I also printed the rear type 517 radar but it will be placed upon completion since it looks quite fragile.

While looking for the mast , railings were done and I printed some life ring which were put in place

small update on the main mast as the last part was added. In a larger scale it could be a model its self with such complexity. In 1/700 is much simpler. I need to add the main radar. The most similar item in my stash is the SPS 40 but proved too big to fit on the platform. So I look for alternative.

Side by side with a Typhoon 3d printed in 1/950

I added some final details, rigging, flags etc.


The 527 number is also homemade, if you want to know how just watch this at 2:40

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7xo8epS ... =emb_title

Now let's see if a simple sea base can look as good as a more complicated one

I took a piece of water ripples transparent sheet and glued to a wood base. The first attempt with Titebond failed then I used adhesive glue and worked fine


After priming the naylon surface I sprayed it with dark ocean blue

I am a making a sea bed using a water ripple sheet glued to wood with adhesive glue. Then painted, formed waves and wakes and covered the whole area with Vallejo water gel

Gel dried. I applied some alcydic varnish for extra gloss and a Matt varnish sealed the ship.

Final touch was a helicopter 3d printed which I added photoetched details and a bit of painting with a single hair brush. It is done.