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  1. This is Revell's original issue Type VIIc U-boat in 1/144. I replaced the ladders and tower handrails with brass wire, thinned the kit winter garden and hull handrails, detailed the guns, and removed the round sockets that were molded on for the winter garden rails. Thanks for looking, Colin Here's the Type VIIC with my recently completed Type IXb ...
  2. ... or, beating my head against the wall! I've always liked the submarine kits available in 1/144 scale, especially the U-Boats. Almost every class is available, the Type II, VIIc, VIIc/41, XXI, XXIII, even the Walter Type XVIIb. The only major class missing is the Type IX. In a perfect world, the Academy 1/150 Type IXb would fill the gap. This is NOT a perfect world! While reasonably accurate in outline and scale, the kit was, unfortunately, engineered as a pool toy, motorized with a single vinyl prop and rudder, and rigged to dive and surface, and covered with large holes for switches, levers, and a huge stern keel to house the motor. Only a mad man would attempt to make a display model out of this, that's where I come in. The conning tower is barren, and features a large slot in the back and deck for a lever to control the stern planes. That had to be filled with .180" of plasticard and shaped, air intakes routed out on the sides, many details added (not finished yet) Before: After: (work ongoing) The stern had a single screw and rudder, and a huge square keel for the motor: The ugly parts were cut off, and filled with .060" card, and sections of a 1/48 P-38 drop tank (right shape and radius!), and shafts, props, diving planes and rudders from a discarded Revell 1/125 Type VII kit were resized, reshaped and fit ... All the holes in the hull and deck were also filled with .060" card (the white line along the hull is also plasticard, as the kit had a rubber gasket along there) I don't know how long this is going to take, but I've convinced myself that it is, at least, feasible! ... like I said, beating my head against a wall!
  3. Hello All, I normally do not venture into the briny side of modelling but made an exception as a 'no pressure try out some more weathering techniques" build. The kit appealed as It is a rapid build snap together kit that has very good fit and engineering. Anyway it was fun to do as something very different for me. Thanks for looking, Happy Modelling, oh by the way, some exceptional stuff here on this thread..... Might have to have a bit of a further go these briny things. Ian
  4. A very, very slow build of the Academy 1-150 scale Type IXB U-Boat The build started in October ‎2020, so, its been going on a while, but not as long as @simmerit wokka Being a motorized kit, did mean it had some holes to fill here and there, such as underneath where the screw holes were The gaps in the sides needed filling with various amounts of plastic card, putty and anything else that came to hand
  5. German Submarine Type XXI (05177) 1:144 Carrera Revell The Type XXI U-Boat was an advanced ocean-going submarine that mercifully for the Allies, arrived too late to see meaningful service in World War II. It featured several important innovations including a super-streamlined hull, a snorkel for the diesel engines that allowed it to run submerged for extended periods, and a huge battery capacity that endowed it with unprecedented underwater speed and endurance. Facilities for the crew were also much improved over the previous generation of boats, with individual showers and freezers for storing food amongst the home comforts available, setting the standards for post-war submarines once the war was over. One example of the type, U2540 was launched in early 1945 but never actually made it as far as a combat patrol due to fuel shortages. Instead, she was scuttled in May 1945, only a few months after her launch. Some 12 years later, U2540 was salvaged and returned to service with the Bundesmarine as the Wilhelm Bauer. Following retirement from service in 1982, she was put on display as a museum ship at Bremerhaven, where she remains to this day. The Kit This is a reboxing of the 1990s era kit of the Willhelm Bauer, but with the cut-away option removed, leaving it with a much shorter parts list and possibly wider appeal, as not everyone wants to spend the time building the interior of a kit. It arrives in a long end-opening box, and within are just two large sprues in grey styrene, a small sheet of decals, folded-up old-skool Revell instruction booklet printed on rough paper in black and white, and obligatory safety sheet. Regardless of its era, the exterior detail is crisp and consists of both engraved and raised details, and there is little in the way of flash to be seen anywhere, which bodes well for the completed model. Construction begins with the dive planes, which are assembled on a platform that uses two rods and a cam to allow the planes to move in synchronisation once installed in the slots on the sides of the hull. Two more slots at the bow are filled with inserts to represent the torpedo tube recesses, and at the rear the aft planes that mount the screws are each made from two halves, a tip with deep sink-marks in both sides, and the propulsion screw, slotted into the respective side of the hull before closure, which is next. The two halves are brought together, trapping the central rudder at the rear, and the two deck plates between the tops of the hull, then adding the steering vanes behind the outboard screws, slipping their axles into the holes in the hull. A four-part base is included on the sprue, and that’s of use now because otherwise your model will roll all over your workbench. Even if you plan on putting a more attractive base on your model later, this may be useful whilst building the model. The conning tower, or sail if you prefer is the next to be built, starting with an insert added to an opening in the port half, then bringing the two halves together, and inserting the two turreted guns in the holes fore and aft of the tower, securing them with styrene washers that you glue to the peg on which they rotate. The 20mm anti-aircraft guns are separate from the turrets, so can be left to pivot if you so wish. The base for the forest of masts in the centre of the sail also has the three crew recesses moulded-in, and a plate that glues under it to provide a base. There are a total of four tubular masts with various equipment at the top, two of which are joined together near the tip, and these are joined by a pair of short whip aerials, square and circular aerials, after which the sail is glued onto its location near the centre of the boat. The final step is likely to be carried out after main painting, and includes a quantity of scratch-style work. You are advised to make up thirty-eight vertical railings of 7mm in length and 0.5mm diameter from stretched sprue, although I’d be making mine from wire for strength. Then you are shown how to link them together in two overlapping runs with thread or wire, plus another two aerials that are strung between the ends of the deck and the sail, as per the accompanying diagrams. Markings There is only one set of diagrams for the main hull printed in greyscale, but there are five decal options for the modeller to choose from, all with a pair of scrap diagrams for the sides of the sail, which is where they differed for the most part. From the box you can build one of the following: U3504 Commissioned 23rd September 1944, scuttled 5th May 1945, Wilhelmshaven U2502 Commissioned 19th July 1944, sunk 1st January 1946 in Operation Deadlight U2514 Commissioned 19th October 1944, sunk 88th April 1945 at Hamburg by bombs U2540 Commissioned 19th October 1944, scuttled 4th May 1945 near the Flensburg lightship U3501 Commissioned 19th October 1944, scuttled 4th May 1945 at Wesermünde Decals are by Zanchetti, which is a guarantee of good registration, sharpness, and colour density, with a thin matt carrier film cut close to the printed areas. You should note that the decal for the Kriegsmarine flag is printed without the swastika in the centre. Each decal option has a plaque at the centre of the decal sheet, tailored for application to the supplied stand. Conclusion This is an interesting update of a nice model. At just over 53cm (21”) long, it’s an impressive size, and time has been kind to the moulds, so the build should be straight forward. Highly recommended. Carrera Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit or
  6. It’s time to start another U-boat build. Revell 1/72 U-boat (Atlantic version). This kit gives you several build options, decals to support those U-boats, and information pertaining to those boats such as when the hull was laid, commission dates, commanders, successes, and when, where, and how it was sunk. I am still deciding on which boat to represent. I do like the box art color paint scheme. If I’m not mistaken that boat was the U-997. Laid down: Dec. 7, 1942. commissioned: September 23, 1943. Commander: Oblt. Hans Lehmann. Successes: 7 patrols, 2 ships sunk, 1 ship damaged. Sunk on December 13, 1945 by aircraft in Operation Deadlight.
  7. Hi, people. This is my first work that I will post as I make the model, one U-boat Type VII C, in 1/100 scale. The others modelings that I have int he forun are ready, and IO go posting the pictures that I have in computer. This model has been starting now. Its an old dream, and now I realize him! 😍. However my wife call me mad, I go on! In Brazil we say "I will not teach the priest to pray", when we know that the other people knows what is being talked about. (I hope that is clear... 🙄). So I dont explain about the u-boat. Lets go to the modeling. First I print a drawing in the correct scale. The model will be 67 cm lenght. I cut the deck in cardboard - three pieces was glued each other to give strength. ) Later, I make a reinforcement to the deck, with a thick cardboard (in Brazil we call him "parana paper"). The piece is glued in "V" and attached with a thin cardboard, like the picture. The reinforcement is glued under the deck. Others reinforcements was made and glued. You can see that the line deck isnt straight. The bow is higher than the stern. To attache the hull pieces I make lots of cardboard reinforcements. Them will glued in the border of under surface deck. The reinforcements was glued, but the photo is bad. But we have a comparison with my keyboard and mouse. Its so big! Now I make the strutural reinforcement - in portuguese we call him ship caves; I dont know the real name in english. With the figure I hope that you will understand. I build the pieces with foam. The pieces in correct local. In this photo we can see better the cardboard reinforcements. Everuthing ready to start the hull. I never build anything so big. Realy its big! I hope my wife doesnt make me choose between the marriage or the model!
  8. So, Christmas came and went, and as requested, a new U-Boat kit was left. Good old Santa. I'd completed (debatable) a Revell 05015 1/72 Type VIIc earlier in the year. Despite struggling through the endless painting/weathering, I'd committed to, much to my surprise I wanted more. It was my first plastic model for over 20 years but with a bit of patience, my first attempt at weathering ended to my liking. I'd also added quite a bit of DIY detailing which I particularly enjoyed. So, on to the Type IX. It's a big un at 1063mm (nearly 43") long. I wanted to go to town on the detail with this one so I bought most of RCSubs.cz photo etch sets including the 105mm deck gun. I didn't buy the hand rail kit as I prefer the DIY approach with these with copper and brass wire. This is the first time I've even seen PE so I was quite surprised just how thin it is. I was equally surprised by the small size of some of the hundreds of parts. The deck sections also looked more daunting now that they were on the table. More on that later. Well, that's my project intro. I've taken plenty of pictures so I'll start blogging to bring the build up to date. Please feel free to comment along the way. Be as critical as you like..........your genuine thoughts and advice are valued. Andy.
  9. Having been impressed by the Hobbyboss 1/350 scale Type IXC U-Boat, which features somewhere in the depths of this section, I’ve had a go at their Type VIIC sub to the same scale. This time I’ve made a waterline version using a small ‘Coastal Kits’ base which is about spot on scale wise. The model itself is built OOB and employs the supplied photo etch parts, and again I’ve used human hair for the aerial wires and superglue for the insulators. Overall I’m quite pleased, but the flag leaves a lot to be desired so I’m looking at ways of producing a more scale like item. Two Pence piece gives an idea of size.
  10. German Submarine Type VIIc/41 Eduard 1:350 The Revell 1:350 Type VIIc/41 kit, reviewed HERE, is very nice out of the box, but, as with all things model related it can still benefit from some finer details and who else but Eduard would come to the detail mad modeller? (53228) The single sheet set combines a selection of new and replacement parts to give you U-Boat that extra zing, even in this scale. The sheet contains, new deck sections for the fore peak and right aft, new hatches for the rest of the deck, along with fittings for the foreplanes and propeller shaft A frames. There are new intakes for around the hull, plus propeller guards/aerial supports on the aft deck. The tower receives new decks for the 20mm cannons and winter garden deck for the 37mm cannon. The interior of the conning section receives new boarding on the sides as well as a new DF aerial and a complete replacement for the search radar array. The 20mm and 37 mm cannon also get extra details, some replacing kit details that are rather clunky and some new. The biggest improvement over the kit parts has to be the railings though, both for the tower structure and the hull. Conclusion Eduard just can’t help themselves with providing detail sets for almost every kit that has been released. This small, but perfectly formed set is just perfect though for bringing a finesse that the kit parts can’t hope to emulate. Don’t forget your magnifiers when you start to use the PE though as most are extremely small in this scale. Review sample courtesy of
  11. Hi All, This is my version of U96 completed late last year. Thought it was about time I presented it for inspection. No PE used but all handrails and other additional fine detailing made from soldered copper and brass wire. Free flood vents opened up. Rigging is Dacron. Case constructed from 3mm glass stuck together with black polyurethane sealant and framed with painted aluminium angle. Light weathering and rust. My first attempt at fine scale and weathering. Sits on our lounge mantle piece (for now) Here's a link to my present project.
  12. Type VIIC/41 U-Boat Revell 1:350 Type VIIC/41 was a slightly modified version of the successful VIIC and had basically the same engine layout and power. Armament was the same with 5 torpedo tubes (4 at the bow and one at the stern). The biggest difference was that these boats had a stronger pressure hull giving them more depth to evade attack under (operational 120m and crush depth at 250m against VIIC's 100/200). They also had lighter machinery to compensate for the added steel in the hull making them actually slightly lighter than the VIIC. All the type VIIC/41 boats from U-1271 onwards had the mine fittings deleted. The Model The model comes in the new, glossy, but otherwise standard Revell end opening box with a picture of a submarine at sea on the front. Inside there is one large sprue, one small sprue and the two hull halves and deck, all in a medium grey styrene. The moulding on all parts is nicely done, with the vent holes and other detail on the hulls looking really nice. Being a submarine, construction is pretty simple as can be seen by the number of sprues. The build starts with the two hull halves being joined together followed by the deck. The foreplanes are then attached, as are the prop shafts, with integrally moulded fairing and A frame supports, then the propellers themselves. The sternplanes are then fitted, along with the rudders and rudder frame. The tower is assembled from two halves, the command deck, 20mm gun deck and the 37mm gun deck. The foreward periscope is then fitted, followed by the two piece 37mm cannon, and the two twin 20mm cannon are fitted. The main attack periscope is the attached, along with the railings around the 20mm gun deck and the 37mm bandstand. The tower is then glued to the deck, as are the fore and aft mounted guard rails and the snorkel in the raised position. The model is then affixed to the display stand. Decals The single sheet of decals provides markings for U998 and U1004, which also includes the ensign, (without swastika). The decals are nicely produced win good register and slightly matt. The paint schemes though, shows them with the yellow stripe on the tower depicting that they were being used in the training squadron. Leave this off if you want to depict her as an operational boat. Conclusion This is a very nice model of an late U-Boat from a time when Germany was improving all their U-Boat forces. The diminutive size of the completed model means it won’t take up much space in the cabinet. Revell model kits are available from all good toy and model retailers. For further information visit
  13. Lots of extras, check out build thread below. Build thread!
  14. Hello maritime builders. I’ve been slowly getting back into this hobby this year and this is my very first attempt at maritime modelling so I know there’ll be plenty of mistakes, but I wanted to do it to learn new skills and techniques. As described in the ‘Work in progress’ thread, this Hobbyboss kit is really excellent for its size and cost and is a very quick build. The kit has been built OOTB with the only exception being the VLF aerials. These were added because they’re a prominent feature on the full size craft, although finding a suitable scale size medium proved a bit troublesome. In the end my darling partner came to the rescue and donated some of her very fine hair which happened to be near enough scale in thickness. The hair was fixed in place with medium CA glue and the insulators were simply blobs of thick CA. The hair was painted in German Grey and the insulators in Red Brown. I’m fairly happy with the end result and I had intended to place the sub on a ‘North Sea’ diorama, but chickened out as making dioramas is a whole new skill that I need to learn at a later date. Anyway, modelling at this scale with Mr. Magoo eyes and sausage fingers has tested my patience somewhat (especially the PE and aerial wires), but it’s certainly kept me entertained! BTW, as ever, constructive criticism is more than welcome and I must say a big thank you to Tobby on this forum as it was his U-boat presentation that inspired me to have a go.
  15. Having been inspired by Tobby the Hun’s 1/350 U-Boat diorama I decided to have a go myself as I’ve always had a keen interest in Wolfpack subs. As the title suggests I’ve bought the Hobbyboss type IX (it cost less than a tenner!) and when it arrived on my building board I immediately realised that I should have bought a larger scale because a 1/350 sub is very small (less than 9” long!) for my ageing, arthritic, sausage fingers, but never mind, I like a challenge. Either that or I’m mad! The parts are extremely well detailed considering it’s diminutive size and I wonder why some of the larger AFV’s seem so crude by comparison. Cost I suppose? Anyway, I didn’t take any pictures of the sprues and PE as there really aren’t many parts to show so I’ve waited until the two main structures have been assembled and primed. The PE parts for the various hand rails were a real challenge to shape and adhere in place, but so far I think I’ve managed to do a half decent job. Next task is the basic colour scheme and marrying the conning tower to the sub. Small details like the guns, antennae and aerial wires will be assembled afterwards. To assist in handling during painting I’ve tack glued some scrap sprue to the two main parts as the PE is very fragile and vulnerable to being clobbered. BTW, this is my first sea going craft since I built the little Airfix Mayflower when I was a youngster back in the 60’s so it’s long overdue! To be continued.....
  16. German 88mm Submarine Main Gun 1:48 Eduard Brassin 648-327 Having made resin aftermarket guns for the big Revell 1:72 submarines, Eduard-Brassin have started to release a scaled up version of the 88mm main gun for the huge Trumpeter 1:48 Type VIIc U-Boat. The set is contained in the standard cardboard box used by Brassin, with the parts well protected by foam blocks. The guns parts, even in this scale are quite small, but are really well detailed with plenty of small fragile parts, so take care when removing from the moulding blocks and cleaning them up. U-Boat 88mm gun - [648327]. Unlike some sets where only the barrel of a gun is changed, this pack contains not only the barrel, but the whole mounting. The resin parts include the pedestal, mount, breech bock, barrel mounted rangefinder and optical sights, elevation quadrant, elevation and turning wheel fittings, the elevation and traversing wheels, fittings for the rangefinder, and the prominent crew waist supports. There is a tampion and clamp to be fitted to the muzzle, which is missing the cable that could be seen attached to the tampion and wrapped around the barrel and connected to the gun mounting, although the instructions do give you the length and size of the wire required to make it and how it is wrapped around the barrel. The same is done for the breech cover and what looks like a telephone cable attached to the mounting. As always, check your references as from June 1943 the Atlantic-boats had landed the deck gun. Only in the Mediterranean and the Northern Sea boats kept their guns for a few months longer. In July 1944 some of the VIIc boats from the 8th Flotilla in Konigsberg got their guns back for the patrols in the Baltic Sea against the Russians. A number of Captains were also allowed to re-fit the deck gun when operating in the Indian Ocean. From the quick bit of research I have done, it looks like U-552 kept the gun long after it should have been landed. Conclusion This is a fabulous model in its own right. The detail is superb, as we have come to expect from Brassin and It’s great to see this prominent gun being released as it gives modellers the chance to improve on the kit details, The resin is superbly moulded with some very fine detail and will look great mounted on this impressive submarine kit, or even on its own as a vignette. Review sample courtesy of
  17. German Submarine Flags Eduard 1:72 and 1:48 Quite a few maritime kits these days provide a selection of flags and pennants that are printed on paper. These can look ok, but generally always have a tired well worn look, like they’ve been left in the sun for a few months. Eduard have now added to their collection of etched flags with these two sets in pre-painted steel, which seems to have superseded the etched brass previously used for these sort of things. 53196 – 1:48 U-Boat Flags. This set only contains one ensign, handily printed on both sides, but a good selection of pennants, twenty eight in total for U552. Each pennant has a different number on it; each number depicts the tonnage the submarine sunk on that cruise. The flag and pennants each have an eyelet on the top and bottom corner for you to thread your rigging line through. 53198 – 1:72 U-Boat Flags. This set is similar to the 1/48 scale, in that it too is made from etched steel and the flags printed on either side. This does include two ensigns, one red pennant showing an aircraft having been shot down, one black pennant with the number of ships sunk, four pennants with different tonnages on them and one white pennant with Tanker written on it. There are also five Admirals flags, each depicting the different Admirals of the submarines home Division. Conclusion These are very nice and easy to use sets which would add a dash of colour on your big submarines. How you get the wavy flapping effect is entirely up to you, but it may take a bit of experimentation to get the desired effect. Fortunately the steel used is thin enough to manipulate and get a good effect. Review sample courtesy of
  18. German Type VIIc U-Boat Etch sets 1:48 Eduard Having updated the Revell 1:72 Type VIIc U-Boats, Eduard have now turned their sights onto the huge Trumpeter 1:48 kit, releasing three sets of etched brass, to update the conning tower, upper and lower hull. The hull sets in particular will require quite a bit of surgery to be carried out on the kit to allow the etched parts to fit, but with plenty of care and patience they will make quite a difference to the finished model. 53191 – Part 1, Upper Hull: This large single sheet set contains parts of the main deck, namely the quarterdeck and extreme foredeck. Each deck is fitted out with numerous hatches with separate hinge plates, bollard covers, rear wire spreaders have new support feet, hawse pipes front and rear, new gun mount foot plates, bow mounted wire cutter and support feet, although the rear support arm needs to be made of 56mm x 1.5mm rod. The handrails have new clamps and the guard rails new cable eyes. The main 88mm gun is fitted with a whole load of new fittings. There are a lot more fittings on the sheet, but there doesn’t appear to be any mention of them on the instructions, which is rather bizarre. 53192 Part 2, Conning Tower: Although the easiest to use, this single sheet set definitely has the most parts, contained in the smaller, glued sleeve, the set is used to add detail, not only to the tower, but also the AA weapons. The single 20mm Flak 38 gun receives new fittings for the mount as well as the guns itself, with new sights, supports, traversing wheels, brackets and spent casing bags. The decks of the tower are provided with new opening panels. The shelving/seating around the inside of the tower are replaced, as is the housing containing the DF array, whilst the lifering has a new holder. The set also includes the footrests that are fitted to the lower parts of the guardrails. There are numerous hatches for both the inside and outside of the tower, plus the access hatch is fitted with a new locking wheel and latch handle. All the hand rails are provided with new attachment points 53195 – Part 3 Lower Hull: Comes in a zip lock bag with one sheet of etched brass. This set contains two replacement free flooding and venting areas for the aft lower hull between the propeller shafts. Rather than just scabbing the panels onto the kit, it’ll be better to remove the areas, using the etched panels as a guide, thinning down the edges then fitting the panels from the outside. The set also includes quite a selection of hull vents and intakes, which once again will need the areas of the kit to be removed, plus access hatches on the ballast tanks. There are also additional plates to be fitted on the dive planes, rudder and proper A frames. Conclusion Whilst the huge Type VIIc is an amazing kit there are some things that really can’t be moulded using standard techniques, even in this scale, and it this is where the etched brass comes in. The finesse it provides to a finished model can really make it shine. These sets can, when used correctly do just that for this stunning model, just be careful with the cutting out of the kit parts. Review sample courtesy of
  19. My first diorama... after 10 months, I am calling this done. Lol, starting to wonder if they are ever really done. This is my interpretation of U-505 transiting from Kiel to Lorient in January of 1942. Question or criticism welcome.
  20. I`ve decided to have a short break from my usual WWI aviation subjects... It`s my second completed maritime subject. Some progress pics: A PS variation of the pics: The finished model:
  21. Type IX U-Boat Conversion Set 1:72 CMK This is the second of two sets to be released by CMK for use with the Revell Type IXc U-Boat. Rather than just another weapon set, this contains parts to backdate the kit to a time when the Type IX’s were armed with a single 105mm cannon and a quad 20mm Flak Vierling. As with the previous set, each mounting is made from grey resin, twenty parts for the 105mm and thirty one parts for the quad 20mm mount, the gun barrels themselves are, once again, made of turned brass, which really does help with the look. There is also a sheet of etch brass that provides items such as the hand wheels and support brackets. N72020 – The build begins with the 105mm cannon with the pedestal fitted to the deck mounting plate, followed by the three piece breech section and the metal barrel. The sight fixture and ballistic controls are then attached to the upper breech section, whilst the locking jack is fitted between the underside of the breech section and the inner pedestal, this can be left off if you are using the gun crew in a diorama display. The port and starboard hand controls are attached and fitted with the PE hand wheels. Lastly the port and starboard gun crew rests and their respective supports are fitted. The quad 20mm Flak Vierling build also begins with the deck plate, spare ammunition cartridge storage racks and central pedestal. The centrally positioned controls are fitted to the rear of the pedestal, along with the seat supports and seats. Each side of the mounting is made up of the rotating part, two gun breeches, two metal barrels and two ammunition cartridges. When both are assembled they are fitted to their respective sides of the pedestal, followed by the spare cartridges in their racks and the foot pedals used for firing. The three piece gun shield is then attached and strengthened with a piece of 0.4mm wire that the modeller has to provide. Conclusion This set should give the Revell Type IXc kit a real boost, as any submarine modeller will need to have at least two to build an early and late marquee. As usual the moulding quality is superb, and what flash there si si really fined and will mostly come off without use of a blade. Once assembled and painted they will really look good on the completed submarine. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  22. Type IX U-Boat Weapons Set 1:72 CMK Having released a selection of U-Boat interiors for the Revell Type IX U-Boat, CMK have now released a pair of weapons sets. The first of these is to replace the kit weapons and consists of two twin 20mm cannon and a single 37mm cannon. Each mounting is made from grey resin, eight parts for the 37mm and ten parts for each 20mm mount, but, unlike some other sets, the gun barrels themselves are made of turned brass, which is an excellent move in my view. There is also a sheet of etch brass that provides items such as the hand wheels and support brackets, plus a micro saw to cut the resin parts from their moulding blocks.. N72018 – Each mounting is made up from multiple parts and in this scale, some of them are really rather small. The single 37mm cannon construction begins with the assembly of the mounting, where the base fixing is fitted with the pedestal, which, in turn, is fitted with the seat support structure, training hand wheel on the port side, and the two seat mounts. The starboard side is fitted with a second control beam with another training hand wheel and an elevation hand wheel. The trunnion mount is then fitted to the top of the pedestal, followed by the trunnion cover and two sights. The cannon is made up from a resin breech section, into which the brass barrel is fitted. The breech is then fitted with the ammunition chute and expended cartridges chute. The completed cannon assembly is then fitted to the trunnion mount and finished off with the attachment of the gun shield. With the two 20mm cannon mounts, assembly begins with the twin breech section being fitted with the brass barrels, ammunition cartridges, expended cartridge bag, shoulder harness, trunnion and a PE fitting to the starboard gun. The single piece pedestal is fitted with the training hand wheel and spare cartridge cradle, complete with spare cartridges. The cannon mounting is fitted with the counter weight assembly before the gun assembly is attached and the whole lot fitted to the pedestal. Conclusion It’s great to see CMK releasing more items for the Type IX U-Boat, and these weapons are so much more detailed than the kit parts they really are a must have for the serious modeller. Very highly recommended. Review samples courtesy of
  23. U-Boat Crew Revell 1:72 First included in the second release of the 1:72 Type VIIc “Wolfpack” this set of vinyl figures will make a nice addition to any 1:72 vessel, whether it be a U-Boat or S-Boat. The real problem lies in the fact that they are moulded in blue vinyl. This makes the detail on the figures quite soft and not as sharp as a resin or injection moulded figure would be. The other problem is that the vinyl really doesn’t take paint well. The modeller will need to give them a really good wash in warm soapy water to remove any mould release agent, and then give them a coat of acrylic primer before adding the top coat and detail paints. Although you get fifty crew figures in the pack, there are only fifteen different poses. This will limit the number you can add to your model to either those on patrol, or those returning from patrol. Admittedly if your are building a diorama, a lot more of the pack can be utilised. One very minor point is that one group of officers are moulded with their collars open, this was generally only a privilege given to senior staff officers, not their subordinates. Overall though a useful set, just a shame they used an awful material to paint easily. or
  24. German Type IXc/40 U-Boat 1:72 Revell History The Type IX U-boat was designed by Germany in 1935 and 1936 as a large ocean-going submarine for sustained operations far from the home support facilities. Type IX boats were briefly used for patrols off the eastern United States in an attempt to disrupt the stream of troops and supplies bound for Europe. The extended range came at the cost of longer dive times and decreased manoeuvrability, which is why the smaller Type VII was produced in greater numbers and used for the bulk of operations. To improve the dive times some Type IXc/40s had their foredeck cut down, whether this was actually successful is open to debate. Another innovation included on this sub-type, was the installation of a snorkel mast, allowing the boat to run its diesel engines to charge the batteries whilst the boat was at periscope depth. German Type IXc/40 submarines were slightly larger than the original Type IXc. U-190 had a displacement of 1,144 tonnes (1,126 long tons) when at the surface and 1,257 tonnes (1,237 long tons) while submerged. The U-boat had a total length of 76.76 m (251 ft 10 in), a pressure hull length of 58.75 m (192 ft 9 in), a beam of 6.86 m (22 ft 6 in), a height of 9.60 m (31 ft 6 in), and a draught of 4.67 m (15 ft 4 in). The submarine was powered by two MAN M 9 V 40/46 supercharged four-stroke, nine-cylinder diesel engines producing a total of 4,400 metric horsepower (3,240 kW; 4,340 shp) for use while surfaced, two Siemens-Schuckert 2 GU 345/34 double-acting electric motors producing a total of 1,000 shaft horsepower (1,010 PS; 750 kW) for use while submerged. She had two shafts and two 1.92 m (6 ft) propellers. The boat was capable of operating at depths of up to 230 metres (750 ft). The submarine had a maximum surface speed of 18.3 knots (33.9 km/h; 21.1 mph) and a maximum submerged speed of 7.3 knots (13.5 km/h; 8.4 mph). When submerged, it could operate for 63 nautical miles (117 km; 72 mi) at 4 knots (7.4 km/h; 4.6 mph); when surfaced, she could travel 13,850 nautical miles (25,650 km; 15,940 mi) at 10 knots (19 km/h; 12 mph). U-190 was fitted with six 53.3 cm (21 in) torpedo tubes (four fitted at the bow and two at the stern), 22 torpedoes, one 10.5 cm (4.13 in) SK C/32 naval gun, 180 rounds, and a 3.7 cm (1.5 in) as well as a 2 cm (0.79 in) anti-aircraft gun. The boat had a complement of forty-eight. The Model As with Revells earlier kit of the Type IXc/40 this kit comes in a large, sturdy top opening box with an artistic impression of U-190 under the surface being depth charged. Inside, under a cardboard shelf there are the four parts that make up the hull and a poly bag containing seven sprues of light grey styrene and 3 deck pieces. There is also a small decal sheet, and a reel of black cotton included. The new style instruction booklet is very nice and overdue change from Revell. Printed in colour on better stock than previous, seemingly recycled stuff, they are nice and clear, with the added benefit that the print doesn't come off onto your hands. The moulding of all parts is pretty clean, although there is evidence of flash around some parts, albeit minimal and only a few moulding pips. Detail looks to be very well done with the associated hull openings shown as quite deep indentations and plenty of rivets for even the most fastidious modeller to count. It is a shame that the flood vents and openings in the hull haven’t been moulded open and a representative pressure hull included, but this may be due to the fact that the kit isn’t aimed at just the “professional” modeller, but all levels, thus some shortcuts have been taken. That said I’m sure that the aftermarket companies will come up with something that will really enhance the finished model and for the more experienced to go to town on it. That said, the details on all the parts does look really good and with some careful painting and weathering it should be made into a great and certainly impressively large model. The only real difficulty to be seen is the attachment of the stern section to the main hull section as the break isn’t on a natural hull line, although the dry fitting does show that it shouldn’t require too much filler, just be careful not to remove the rivets and plate lines when sanding. Construction begins with the assembly of the foreward tubes out of the main bulkhead with the tube openings, three sub-decks and two longitudinal bulkheads. The aft tubes are constructed from the tube bulkhead, a two part internal bulkhead and the deckhead. The foreward tubes are then sandwiched between the main hull halves along with two strengthening bulkheads about one third and two thirds of the length and the snorkel mast trough. The aft tubes are then fitted between the two aft hull parts with a bulkhead near the hull joint position. The two hull sections are then joined together and the seam carefully filled and sanded. At this point the snorkel mast sub-assembly is also built up. This consists of two halves for the mast with the filter/float fitted to the top. There is a long stand which can be assembled at this point to help with the rest of the build. With the hull turned upside down the three piece sonar dome is attached to the front of the keel whilst the two piece foreplanes, bow doors, which can be posed either open or closed and the boats anchor are fitted. Moving aft, a pair of two part prop shaft fairings are fitted, one per side adjacent to the rear of the keel, followed by the prop shafts, A frame supports and props. The stern torpedo doors can then be attached, again either open or closed. The two piece stern planes are then attached, with the two rudders and their support frame being the last to be fitted. With the hull upright the three deck sections are fitted and the joins carefully filled and sanded to prevent any loss of detail, although they are fitted at natural joins this time so there shouldn’t be too much to do. The two 20mm cannon mounts are then assembled out of the base, two part pedestal and traversing hand wheel. The cannon themselves are then built up with the twin barrels, ammunition cartridges, gun mount, elevating mount, shoulder rests and pintle attached. Next in the sequence is the assembly of the twin 37mm mounting. This consists of the two barrels, two piece pedestal/base, splinter shield and associated mounting beams, two seat mounts, seats and two pairs of hand wheels, making up a nicely detailed unit. The build then moves onto the large tower. The upper tower halves are joined together and a panel fitted to the starboard side. The command deck and 37mm mounting deck are fitted to the two piece lower tower section. The upper tower can then be fitted to the lower and the upper and lower winter garden decks attached. There are a number of panels to be fitted to the inside of the forward upper tower, including the radar stowage and compass shelf. Further details such as the conning tower hatch, with locking wheel and the voice tubes and spray coaming are added forward whilst the rear deck supports are added aft. Staying aft of the tower there are five racks fitted each containing a life raft, along with two access ladders and the individual ladder rungs up the starboard side of the tower. Two sections of handrail are attached around the 20mm gun deck and three sections of guardrail are fitted around the 37mm gun deck, with the flag staff in the centre of the upper tower railing. The tower is completed with the fitting of the two piece periscope housing, into which the two periscopes are slotted and between which there is a two piece lookout rail. The radar, with individual di-poles is fitted to the housing on the port side, a number of smaller items and finally, the three gun mounts assembled earlier in the build. The whole assembly is then affixed into position on the main deck. Construction of the sub is completed with the fitting of the hand rails around the tower on the main deck, the fore and aft deck hatches, access panels, bollards, engine exhausts and rear aerial supports. The aerials are to be made out of the cotton provided, but it may be better to use something that doesn’t look quite so furry. Fortunately in this kit Revell have provided the isolation fixings for the aerials foreward where it splits from one to three. Decals The single smallish decal sheet has markings for U-190 from before she was captured with the Kriegsmarine ensign and after, with the Canadian Ensign. There are also identification decals for the stand which fit into their respective indentations. The decals look like they have been printed by Cartograph, if my knowledge of serial letter is anything to go by. They are very nicely printed and quite thin, especially when compared with previous Revell printed sheets. Whilst there is a fair amount of carrier film between the letters it is thin enough that should allow them to sit well once your favourite softening and setting solutions have been used. Conclusion Revell have quite a collection of large scale submarines and this version of the Type IX fits in perfectly. It is a well designed and fairly easy kit to put together, with the only problem being its sheer size. Whilst not perfect, it will make a good base for those that wish to super detail their kits and the likes of Master Barrels, Eduard and even Pontos will soon have update sets for it. Now Revell, how about some British boats in this scale? Very highly recommended. or
  25. U-534 As on display at the Woodside Ferry Terminl at Birkenhead. She is one of only four WWII U-Boats left in the world. Pics thanks to Panzer Vor.
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