Tomcat101

Very, very nice. Amazing build. The cockpit is incredible.

Great Dauntless. I love the early war U.S. paint scheme.

Beautifully built Fishbed. Well done.

Nice looking build and said some great added detail. I never knew the wings on the Fulmar were so thick. Enjoy the build.

Nice build. I was always curious what that kit was like. Looks good.

I think it looks great. Superb job. Back in 1998 I had the opportunity to sit in XR-220. It was one of the highlights of my trip to the UK that year. Thank you for the reminder.

Hi Everyone, As promised here is my weekly update on the Bismarck. This week I continued painting the main deck. Once complete, I concentrated on the after section which is intended to represent the battleship at the bottom of the Atlantic. Using a combination of psyllium powder, white glue, water and some Tamiya Brown Wash I created a gooey concoction and proceeded to dab paint the after deck and down the turret barbette. About four coats in total. Between coats I detail painted and weathered the hatches etc. While hard to capture in the photos I quite like the effect. From there I have added the chevron stripes along both sides of the hull. This is primarily for section 3 with the distinctive camouflage scheme. For the after portions of the hull this will be partially obscured by a grey wash. Finally paint work on the upper works has begun. Still a long, long way to go but I feel as though progress is being made. Slowly. That said so much more paint and touch-up to go before I begin the next stage. All comments and suggestions welcome. Kind Regards, Tomcat101

Hi Boaty, I am. It's been a struggle, a challenge, but a rewarding one. I am used to planes. Not being boastful but I know how to build planes, without even thinking. Ships are a completely different animal. Its the mental challenge I didn't expect. I am finding I am thinking about building in new ways and I think that the change is good for me. Perhaps, fingers crossed, it will improve my skills. Thanks for asking. Regards, Tomcat101

Thank you. I agree it is a sobering thought and one worth remembering. I feel when we model we try in a small way to grasp the past to understand and appreciate its significance. Bismarck and her crew had a short but memorable life but the ship needed to be destroyed, the rest is tragedy.

Hi Everyone, Work on the Bismarck continues. Focus for this week was the completion and installation of the hanger area complete with internal damage, debris and the addition of the Arado Ar-96. I also worked on the third turret Caesar complete with torn roof, internal damage and a split barrel. For the first and last turret enclosures I included some extra detail. Next task was scuffing the underside of the hull and painting the deck. This will also help with the demarcation between the evolutionary segments. All comments and suggestions are welcome. Kind Regards, Tomcat101

I think it looks great. Well done. I was always curious what that kit was like. This is the first time I have seen it built.

Hi Boaty, Thank you for the primer. Honestly, I thought 'Quote' was just that, the option to add a quote from someone famous. I did not realize it acted as a link. As I said previously, I am new to all this - but learning. As to the build I agree it is fun to experiment. I do prefer accuracy as a rule but I think each modeller has there own balance between accurate and representative. For example I will not spend the price of a kit to get marginally more accurate seat buckles on a 1/72 scale aircraft. Not knocking those who do to each there own. For me I do not have the time or budget. Kind Regards, Tomcat101

Indeed I am. The end result may not be wholly accurate and instead be more representative but I hope it effectively conveys the evolution of the ship through time. I am enjoying the challenge of trying to depict that progression through time rather than modelling a specific moment.

Never thought of that one. I did consider using a drill but opted not to. The plastic on the hull was extremely thick. The upside was that by using knives and files it let me bore holes at different angles which I think turned out ok.

The Meteor looks great. Well done.

Hi Flashlight, Knives and files were used to make the holes and to do the scoring. There were a lot of snapped blades - safety glasses highly recommended. Kindest Regards, Tomcat 101

Very, very nice.

That is one of the most impressive models I have ever seen. I am in awe and wish I could build half that well. Well done.

Hi Everyone, Thought I would add an update on my progress. This is the first time I have done a thread of a model in progress so I hope the cadence is ok. The ‘hacking’ is almost done. I think I have done enough devastation to the back half of the model. I did reference some photos and drawings but there is also a considerable amount of artistic licence. I have started gluing the decks together which has been an interesting experience for me as I am not used to building ships and I have also been trying to think of shell damage through multiple levels. I have also started trying to add debris between decks and in the hanger. I have just begun paint but there is so much to go. Well that’s enough for now I have enclosed a bunch of photos (too many?). Usually I am a stickler for accuracy but given the odd nature of the build I am taking a lot of artistic licence – so begging the apologies of the purists. Please let me know what you think, thoughts and suggestions welcome. Kind Regards, Tomcat101

Fantastic F-14 Tomcat and display. The detail is amazing especially the jet blast deflector. Well done.

How can you not love a Tomcat? Amazing job. Your build looks right out of Lou Drendal's F-14 Tomcat In Action book from the 1970s. Well done.

Very nice. Clever base too it as it accentuates the long thin lines of the Huey.

That's fantastic. I love it. Great job.

Hi Everyone, Actually I have already begun modifying one of the two Arado Ar-96 floatplanes into a makeshift Fairey Swordfish. I do intend to include it into the battle portion of the ship. Fingers crossed it will work out. Thank you again for all the kind words and support. I appreciate them. Kindest Regards, Tomcat101

Hi Everyone, Thank you for the kind words and support. I really appreciate them. I did wonder when I considered 'hacking' this kit that it would be seen as a desecration rather than a build. There's a long way to go, so the jury is still out on the final result. I haven't been able to get a good photo but I used pill bottles to serve as the barbette for the 15 inch turrets Anton (furthest forward) and Dora (furthest aft). I then lined the Anton turret with ball bearings (actually beads) at the base. The idea (fingers crossed) is to have the Anton turret being suspended by a crane above the barbette in the final build. We'll see. As to the demarcations I have roughed them in with green tape as depicted in the photos below. My thinking is that by using angled cuts I have more options in what I want to depict and makes for a more interesting look. Regards, Tomcat101