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Here I show the construction of my Bismarck model from the Trumpeter brand in the scale 1:200. The Pontos Detail Up Set “Advanced” is used for optimal detailing of the model. Various Veteran Models sets and all sorts of other aftermarket accessories do the rest. Not to mention a bunch of styrene profiles for scratch building and the famous leftovers box. I’m trying to create a model that shows the period from April 1941 to about 80% historically correct. I worked on the model for almost two and a half years and it was finished in October last year. I ended up here with you through a friend and will enter some pictures of the construction here during the days. This is the start The torso needs my attention first. Portholes have to be built up and the cooling water intakes have to be added. The original kit is missing the sacrificial anodes on the shaft pants. I had decided to apply the Baltik camouflage scheme. She simply looks her best this way. But I didn't know what work there would be on the superstructure. The wooden deck of Pontos simply looks authentic. Then comes the swastika in the aircraft identification, which is banned in Germany. Naturally painted, no decal. This way you can better see the grain of the wood. Then the first fine details of Pontos come onto the lower superstructure. A close-up of this fan shows the depth Pontos brings to the model. And the rear superstructure. And then the ship comes onto its final stand, as the superstructure is glued to the deck next. Camouflage stripes painted and on the deck. Now I continued at the bow and laid anchor. Note the double bridge chains. With an aftermarket product as expensive as Pontos', you'd think they'd be included. But far from it, only normal jewelry chains are included. At the end of the first part, my self-created paravans for the companionways. I made them out of diluted wood glue and tissue. Jölle

Two posts, in one day, that is not standard practice. But here goes nothing. While closing the Mikuma build I have already been doing some small works on the next buil. After much deliberation I have decided to make the bismarck first. This has a simple reason, after that I wan't to solely focus on the IJN. The long term many decades ahead goal is to build one ship of every class of destroyers, cruisers, carriers and battleships in the Imperial navy. So bismarck first, so It can keep Hood company. If I come to it I may also build the Eugen to get a Denmark straight trio in my display cabinet (I don't care for POW). A few important things first, The kit: Revell Bismarck 1/350 The extras: Pontos Set Bismarck 1941 The paintscheme Here stuff gets a little interesting. I want the scheme to be accurate in the sense of what colors went were etc. She is supposed to be shown in early rheinubung colors as in the picture This gives some dynamism to the ship without making it too, I do not know how to put it in english but I might wanna say lively or too imposing, I rather have a subtle painscheme. For that purpose I may employ a little bit of artistic creativity and Remove the blackwhite sidestrips as if the crew was working to paint them over. This would also make the paintjob a lot easier compared to the official setup. I have debated using colorcoats and asked around for some issues that would arise, but in the end I have decided to stick with my current set of tamiya colors. The codes I will use are as follows Hull red: XF 9 Hull red(4 parts) + XF 7 Red (2 parts) + XF 10 Brown(1 part) Bootstrap: XF 69 NATO BLACK (not certain but probably as this is not 100% but a tad less Turret Roofs and fake bow / aft: XF 24 or XF 63 Freeboard: XF 66 Superstructure: XF 19 Anyway I have already done some works, Glued the hull, removed a few pieces, found some parts to be damaged (tip of the bow was broken off) so I have been busy sanding and applying putty, yay, kit had been dormant in stash for over a year so no refund for the damage sadly. Ship is huge and the pontos set is even worse. But I really like to see this ship come together, German ships are very nice in looks so lets not screw this one up. It needs a lot more sanding so I have ordered more sandpaper and also the missing paints (24, 69). My glue is gone cause i mix the putty with glue to make it thin so I need to wait a week until it all arrives.

Hello all, Firstly, my apologies for disappearing off the ship scene for so long. I’m really an aircraft modeller that caught the ship bug some time ago but, although I was pleased with what I produced, I was always disappointed with my rigging at the end. I could never really get it to the same standard as the rest of the build. I’m also a perfectionist - that doesn’t mean I build perfectly - just I’m always disappointed at the end of a project! Anyway, it left me falling out of love with naval subjects and my FlyHawk Bismarck and Scharnhorst kits were left gathering dust in the stash. However, I recently saw a link for the upcoming FlyHawk HMS Hood and that re piqued my interest as the whole ‘Hunt the Bismarck’ story has always fascinated me - then I saw the recent build on here of the FlyHawk Bismarck by Haneto. I was super impressed by the rigging! Anyway, I’ve suddenly got my Naval mojo back and I’ve dragged the Bismarck out of the stash! And here she is - FlyHawk 1/700 FH1132S Deluxe edition: I wanted to finish her in the Hood encounter scheme, but when I got the kit originally I had some masks made up for the deck swastikas and I really want to use these (love a bit of bling), so I think I will have to build her as the ‘Operation Rheinübung’ version with the Hull stripes. Another reason to build is the imminent arrival of a display cabinet. I’ve never had that before and all my previous builds end up in a box, then the bin, but I’m now determined to actually keep my finished models, dust free(ish) and on display. As ships are so susceptible to handling damage it will be nice to know all the effort expended in building will actually have some meaning for once (well that’s the plan anyway 😀). With previous builds I made them waterline, but I think this will be fully hulled for the cabinet. I’ve got a Blue Wox deck… And the usual heavy tomes of slightly daunting instructions.. massively complicated by the PE! These FlyHawk kits are real modelling gems aren’t they? I have brass stands but, on reflection, I think these are too big for this scale, so I may just sit the finished model on a simple black Perspex base, luckily it’s flat bottomed. Here’s the intended colour scheme… And I’ve found a nice set of computer generated images online that show lovely detail and colour…. Any pitfalls I should be looking for? When is the Hood deluxe model available and from where? I did email Mike at Starling Models but had no reply? Any tips, criticism welcome, I always want to improve my modelling - I’m not proud! Can’t wait to get stuck in! I hope you’ll have me back 🥴 Thanks for looking in, Guy

Hello all, Possibly a slightly premature post, as I haven’t got the said kit yet, but I have lots of questions! I’ve been rambling on about maybe getting a 1/200 kit for a project on my 1/700 Bismarck build thread, and thought I probably ought to give it its own topic as I nearly bought one last night, and may well later today 🥴 Bonkers really, as I’ve nowhere to put it, but once I get a bee in my bonnet, I can’t shake it loose! It didn’t have to be the Bismarck, but in terms of aftermarket and availability, it seems the obvious choice. I would have liked HMS Hood, but a couple of things held me back - no sea plane (I like having an aircraft to model)/ more expensive/ less aftermarket. The aftermarket options are slightly daunting, and here’s where I want some advice. Pontos do a ‘Super Detailed’ set and above that, an ‘Advanced’ set (15 sheets of PE compared to 11 on the SD). Mk.I Models do a deluxe set. Ka do a set, Trumpeter do their own set and the rather unfortunately named ‘I Love ♥️ Kit’ do a set! Not all are easy to source. I have tracked down the ‘I Love Kit’ set 66602 from a UK model shop which seems to be the Pontos set re boxed? (but under the Trumpeter label) But which set it is I don’t know. The above offerings come with wooden decks, but I am rather attracted to the Scaledecks one. I think I’d have to get one from the States if I go down this route. Any thoughts on decks? I know one Scaledeck version comes with swastikas and one plain. I haven’t decided on a scheme yet (if any!). I realise there’s a ton of 3D (expensive!) printed parts out there. Any essentials? As I have no patience at all, I may buy later, but I’d appreciate a quick heads up before I do? I’d be very grateful for any input/ advice/ derision… ASAP! Thanks in advance, Guy ps any links to stellar build threads of the aforementioned kit would be helpful too…

KM Bismarck 1:700 Meng Laid down in July 1936 by Blohm and Voss of Hamburg, the Bismarck was one of the largest and most powerful battleships to see action during the Second World War. She, along with her sister ship Tirpitz, represented the epitome of German warship technology. Weighing in at 50,900 tons deep load, the Bismarck’s design prioritised stability and protection over firepower; her broad beam of 118ft making her a very stable gun platform even in heavy seas. On 21 May 1941, Bismarck left the Kjorsfjord in Norway to embark on her first raiding sortie, accompanied by the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen and three destroyers. Three days later she sighted and engaged the Royal Navy warships HMS Hood and HMS Prince of Wales, sinking the Hood and damaging the Prince of Wales. Having suffered damage herself in the engagement, Bismarck disengaged and attempted to make for St Nazaire. Eventually spotted by a Catalina flying boat, her rudder was then jammed by torpedoes launched from the Swordfish of HMS Ark Royal. Left unable to manoeuvre, she was battered by HMS Rodney and HMS King George V and was soon reduced to a burning hulk by their heavy guns. She was finally sunk by torpedoes from HMS Dorsetshire before she could be scuttled. Pretty much every major manufacturer of warship kits has produced a Bismarck at some point. Aoshima, Revell and Trumpeter have all produced kits of the famous warship in this scale, but none have been as colourful as Meng's new kit. The kit has been moulded from styrene in four different tones, each appropriate to the parts represented. The lower hull is moulded from dark red plastic, the deck is moulded in teak-coloured plastic and the rest of the kit, save for a few parts moulded in black, is moulded from battleship grey plastic. The kit is well packed into a sturdy box adorned with evocative artwork. All of the plastic parts are nicely moulded, but the big difference between this and other kits of the Bismarck is the fact that the parts are all snap-fit. In line with this simplified approach to construction, stickers are included instead of decals. Construction of the kit is fairly conventional, notwithstanding the fact that the parts snap together rather than requiring glue. Bearing this in mind, I would advise against test fitting the parts prior to final construction, as snap together rarely means snap apart again - at least not in the same shape! The build begins with the lower hull and fitting the propeller shafts, propellers and rudders. The hull itself is made up of three parts, although you can omit the lower section if you wish to finish the kit in waterline configuration. Once the hull is complete, construction moves on to the deck. The, er, deck coloured parts fit onto a grey part which contains a number of structural parts such as the bases for the turrets. This means you don't need to worry about painting a lot of fiddly deck features, even if you intend to pain the parts anyway. The decks themselves are nicely detailed, with chains and planking moulded in place. The rest of the build is completely conventional, save for the fact that you don't need to use glue (although I suppose you can if you want to make sure the parts are properly welded together). The superstructures, funnels, masts and rangefinders all look just as good as any other conventional kit of the Bismarck. Perhaps the only compromise is the small calibre weapons, which are pretty basic compared to what you get in a Trumpeter kit. Even the ships boats are good enough to pass muster in this scale. Construction of the main turrets is fairly straightforward. While the eight 15 inch guns are not independently posable,they do at least have blast bags moulded in place. Finishing details include the secondary armament, masts and anchors. The display stand will be handy if you wish to finish your model in full hull configuration, although my personal preference would be for the waterline option. The colour scheme is printed in black and white and shows the ship as she appeared at the time of her engagement in the North Atlantic. AK paints are recommended by Meng, in what appears to be a commercial arrangement (their logo is emblazoned on the side of the box). The aforementioned stickers can be used if desired, but I can't imagine many enthusiast modelles will chose to use them. Conclusion While the level of detail is pretty good and the multi-coloured plastic is appealing, I can't say this is the best kit of the Bismark in this scale. It isn't the cheapest either, which is curious given the snap together nature of the kit. There's no doubt that snap together kits have their place, but they don't normally cost north of £30. It's not that the kit is a bad option for those wanted to build a Bismarck, but I'm struggling to see why it would be a better option than the Trumpeter or Revell kits. Nevertheless it is a nice thing and I'm glad to have had the opportunity to review it. Review sample courtesy of

One can forgive the old Airfix 1/600 scale Bismarck it's inaccuracies as it was produced in a day when all that remained were mostly sea level grainy pictures and remote subs were way off in the future. It's still rather pants though. Would this stop me from building it? If you think that you don't know me vewy well Had this kit in the stash for some years bringing it out from time to time only to put it back as it required too much work. Well, a few weeks back, having been signed off work, I took it back down and began to tinker. The following is the product of two or three weeks of therapeutic plastic adjusting. The box art Some of the parts tree Hull halves and main deck assembled filled and sanded Portholes opened aft and forward Nasty, clunky moulded steps in the wrong place Marked positions for some of the superstructure surface detail Underside strakes added using Mr Dissolved putty masked with tamiya tape. Hatches and portholes added to lower superstructure Turrets re-detailed removing the ranging wings deepening them and moving them to slightly lower down the sides of the turrets. Blanked off ranging wings on A turret. Also added rivet detail using small wheel riveting tool Also tried adding the ladder detail on the sides although it's just a pair of lines each side of each turret so far. And how they used to look More superstructure added with mahoosive gaps filled as best as possible And added porthole detail Turret Barbettes look a little bland A little more busy And forward turret barbettes Weird and fictitious teardrop shaped anchor guides filled And chain guide detail added Just going for a reasonable impression rather than millimetre perfect detail And that's it for now Thanks for looking in. Floaty Phil the cough captain

I almost finished the Bismarck at 1/200 from Trumpeter, it's a big job, started in january 2019. It's was my first plastic ship model tu build since 1975.. Here are some pictures of the assembly progress. For the occasion, I bought two PE improvement kits, MK1 and Eduard. I took the best of the 2 kits. I bought the wooden deck to USA. I have used the probable scheme of the 24 may 1941: Began by the Arado 196 A3 plane. It's small.. I cut the wing. I want to park one in the one hangar. Not the good color, i used later for other one RML72 , RML73 and RML65 The Bismarck was equipped with reconnaissance aircraft, patrol missions and artillery spotting. Four Arado Ar 196 seaplanes were embarked on board the Bismarck, but a maximum number of six could be embarked if necessary. They were very robust, single-engine, heavily armed double float planes. Two aircraft were stored in the double hangar of 120 m² located under the main mast and the other two in single hangars of 60 m² each on both sides of the chimney in the middle of the ship. To save space, their wings could be folded. These aircraft belonged to the 1st Squadron ( 1.Staffel ) of the reconnaissance group 196 ( Bordfliegergruppe 196 ) which had been formed before the war in 1937, and the pilots and technicians were members of the Luftwaffe . The aircraft were launched on a double telescopic catapult, 32 meters long, which could be extended beyond the sides of the ship to a length of 48 meters. This catapult was located in the middle of the ship (section X-XI) between the main mast and the funnel and could be deployed on both sides. After completing a mission, the aircraft would land near one side of the ship and then be craned aboard by one of the large 12-ton cranes. This was always a dangerous manoeuvre, as the sea conditions had to be sufficiently mild to board the vessel. Once out of the water, two more small cranes located under the searchlight platform were used to return the aircraft to its hangar. In the early morning of 27 May 1941, on board Bismarck , they attempted to launch an Arado Ar 196 carrying the ship's war log. Unfortunately, the catapult was damaged and the plane could not be launched. Ar196 A-3 CHARACTERISTICS: - Type: two-seater reconnaissance seaplane. - Dimensions: wingspan 12.4 metres, length 11 metres, height 4.4 metres. - Weight: Empty 2,335 kg, loaded 3,300 kg. - Armament: 2 x 20 mm MG FF (in the wings). 1 x 7.92 mm MG (front). 2 x 7.92 mm MG (twins). 2 x 50 kg bombs of the SC50, SD50 or LC50F types (under the wings). 1) - Engine BMW 132K, 9 cylinders, 960 hp. - Max. speed: 320 km / h. - Range: 497 nm. - Crew: 2 men. 1) On board the Bismarck, there was a stock of 40 SC50 / SD50 and 54 times LC50F bombs, all stored on the upper deck, in section IX (box 91.3-95.55), port side.

80 years since the loss of HMS Hood. Moya McDonald May 6, 2021 NEWS, Online events: Remembering HMS Hood On May 21st it will be exactly 80 years since HMS sailed from Scapa Flow on her final voyage. Three days later she was sunk by the Bismarck in a sequence of events that led to the end of the great German battleship as well. The Hood was so renowned that her loss was a national shock, and story of her life, from construction to the final days, will be told in an programme of events by the group Another Orkney Production on 21-22 May for their annual ‘Celebrating Scapa Flow’. Moya McDonald of AOP outlines the plans and the background...... More here: http://frontiersmagazine.org/80-years-since-the-loss-of-hms-hood/

Hi there, this is my first post in britmodeller so I hope you guys like it. A couple of months ago I came back to the hobby after a long seven years without modelling anything… Since I got into model making I always wanted to build the Bismarck. 13 years ago I purchased Revell’s 1/350 scale kit, back then the best and most complete kit you could it have. Unfortunately soon after I moved across the world to Sydney and I couldn’t bring it with me. Then years later I got Trumpeter’s 1/700 with a bunch of aftermarket detailed sets but then again, after my daughter was born I was not able to build it because of lack of time and I put it aside with the hull and turrets done. But this year when browsing online at my local hobby shop I stumbled upon this AMAZING Flyhawk kit. I got the deluxe FH1132S version which comes with 8 plates of photo etched parts and metal barrels. Because this was my third attempt to build it and motivated to do the best possible I’ve also got a wooden deck and detailed metal mast by infini models. And finally, exactly after a month of working every day I’ve finished. I decided to build it as seen on the 21 of May of 1941 when at the beginning of operation Rheinübung, Bismarck and Prinz Eugen stopped briefly in Grimstadfjord, southwest of Bergen in Norway. The baltic camouflage on the superstructure was no longer there but it is still visible on the hull with the sailor starting to paint it over. And here just a couple of images from the building process: Cheers, Jorge

Hello all, just bought a 1/350 Tamiya Bismarck, I’ve searched the net for a wooden deck kit, Sovereign won’t have one for 8-10 weeks and all the ones on eBay are coming from OZ or Far East, also tried Starling models they only had one for Tirpitz made by wood hunter...any suggestions where I might find one? failing that I’ll go and buy a different model and keep the Bismarck for later! Cheers

I found this photo online during one of my Kriegsmarine searches. It was unidentified as to what it was or where it came from. It appears to be the starboard aft searchlight platform on Bismarck looking towards the bow, and judging from the background it is a very large scale model. The detail on the model is amazing and gorgeous. Does anybody have a link to more photos online?

Hello all. I am building Trumpeter's 1/200 Bismarck, and have several questions. I'll post them one at a time. First, the bridge decks. Bismarck had three bridges, using the terms in "Anatomy of the Ship" (please correct me if there is a more accurate term), the Admiral's Bridge (high one), the Lower Mast Deck Bridge (surrounding the armored conning tower) and the Bridge Deck (lowest of the three). The lower two bridges are shown in most models as having a wooden grating covering them, but I can only find one picture showing a wooden grating. Two other photos show them as dark grey paint on steel. The wreck photos also show steel decking. The area is not burnt as the paint still exists on the bulkheads. I am modeling her as she was when she left Norway on 21 May 1941. Any answers would be appreciated.

Hello Again All, I'm continuing work on my 1/32 Trumpeter Swordfish, and am now ready to begin painting. I would like to model the aircraft that got the rudder hit on Bismarck. I understand that the aircraft commonly identified as the one that scored the hit may or may not be correct, but I have a few questions regarding the painting. Any pointers on a corrected aircraft for the hit would be appreciated. I'd love to hear the other side. 1. From things I have read (mainly Mark Horan's article on the kBismarck website and other published stories), the plane is Swordfish 5C from 818 Squadron, s/n L9726 flown by S-Lt John Moffat. 2. I have ordered IANG's Fleet Air Arm book from Amazon, but it will be several weeks until it gets here. I am assuming the paint scheme is the S.1.E. scheme of 5 colors, although I have no idea where two of the five colors go. Hopefully the book will answer that question! 3. In an older post I read awhile ago IANG mentioned that there were some photos of the Ark Royal's planes including a partial shot of 5C. Those photo links are no longer functional. Would it be possible to repost them please? 4. The bottom color is still Sky-S I assume. How high does it go on the airplane? Drawings I have seen show it going to a point two thirds of the way up the fuselage basically to the demarcation line between metal and fabric below the cockpit. 5. For this time period I understand the 5C would have been moved from the vertical stabilizer to the fuselage just forward of the Royal Navy marking. 6. Is the demarcation between the colors on the wing tops a hard line (masked) or a soft line (oversprayed)? 7. In line with what I've seen in photos, I painted the front of the Pegasus engine all black, with silver highlights (faint) on the cooling fins, and an overall brush of wet gunmetal pigment, to give it a metallic sheen. I assume the inside of the cowling is painted in Sky? Any comments on what I have posted would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Hi All I have the old Tamiya 350th Bismarck plus PE and barrels which I intend to start work on later this year. Haven't been able to find anything definitive about the aerial rigging for Bismarck, but did find this book (available as a Kindle download, which would suit my purposes) :- Just wanted to know if it has reasonable drawings showing the rigging (all I really need the book for) and is therefore worth the purchase price of just under a tenner? Failing that, any suggestions as to a good source for the rigging layout would be appreciated. Many Thanks Kev

Just started my latest big Project: Trumpeter 1/200 Bismarck, before was the infamous Trumpeter 1/16 KT. I've wanted to build this model as it's a masterpiece in this scale and I've been very inspired by the impressive Bismarck and her history. Lots of people have already done some very nice builds. But here goes..... My first attempt at Naval, as everything before has been AFV, SCi-FI and Aircraft. Dry fit only....fit of parts is fantastic. More to come shortly.............

The latest from the innovative South Korean company Infini Model has arrived in the UK. The sets include the thinnest wooden decks ever made, at 0.1mm thick using materials and techniques developed by Infini Model for small scale ship models. Also included is a set of turned brass masts to replace what are usually overly thick and chunky looking injection moulded items in 1/700 scale. They come with a small sheet of photo etched brass containing the essentials for using the headline parts, which includes replacement breakwaters and so on. A nice touch is the inclusion of extremely fine anchor chain to replace the grossly over-scale moulded on representations found on most kit parts. As per usual with Infini Model, a nice set of full colour illustrated instructions has come to be expected and they do not disappoint. Get 'em while they're hot: https://www.sovereignhobbies.co.uk/collections/1-700

The “Bismarck” was the first of two Bismarck-class battleships built for Nazi Germany's Kriegsmarine. Named after Chancellor Otto von Bismarck, the primary force behind theunification of Germany in 1871, the ship was laid down at the Blohm & Voss shipyard in Hamburg in July 1936 and launched in February 1939. Work was completed in August 1940, when she was commissioned into the German fleet. Bismarck and her sister ship Tirpitz were the largest battleships ever built by Germany, and two of the largest built by any European power. In the course of the warship's eight-month career under its sole commanding officer, Capt. Ernst Lindemann, Bismarck conducted only one offensive operation, in May 1941, codenamed Rheinübung. The ship, along with the heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen, was to break into the Atlantic Ocean and raid Allied shipping from North America to Great Britain. The two ships were detected several times off Scandinavia, and British naval units were deployed to block their route. At the Battle of the Denmark Strait, Bismarck engaged and destroyed the battlecruiser HMS Hood, the pride of the Royal Navy, and forced the battleship HMS Prince of Wales to retreat; Bismarck was hit three times and suffered an oil leak from a ruptured tank. The destruction of Hood spurred a relentless pursuit by the Royal Navy involving dozens of warships. Two days later, while heading for the relative safety of occupied France,Bismarck was attacked by obsolescent Fairey Swordfish biplane torpedo bombers from the aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal; one scored a hit that rendered the battleship's steering gear inoperable. In her final battle the following morning, Bismarck was neutralised by a sustained bombardment from a British fleet, was scuttled by her crew, and sank with heavy loss of life. Most experts agree that the battle damage would have caused her to sink eventually. The wreck was located in June 1989 by Robert Ballard, and has since been further surveyed by several other expeditions. (source: www.wikipedia.com) 1/200 - Trumpeter's big Bismarck Several time ago, Trumpeter released the Bismarck as 2nd kit in their big 1/200 scale series (after the USS Arizona). Later, several more kits were released until today, and more future kits were expected. The kit of the Bismarck consists of more then 1.700 parts, 13 plates of PE-parts. The total length will be about 125cm. I already built one of the big Trumpeter kits with the additional parts by KA Models / MK.1 design (and more) several time ago. This time… I will do it in a different way.... First of all… what parts will be used to build the Bismarck as detailed as possible? This time… I will use the big “Advanced set” by Pontos Models which includes a lasered wooden deck, 318 turned brass parts, turned gun barrels for all guns on deck, 15 plates of PE-Parts, 27 resin parts, 25 life rings, dry transfer decals. Additionally used are some resin parts by CMK which were very high detailed. Further PE-Parts by Modellschlachtschiffe.de (which I still have on my stock from last Bismarck project). Fabric flags and EZ-line for rigging, decals for the big markings on the deck by Blue Ridge Models, and the wonderful 3D figues by North Star Models. Brass lamp risers for the display of the kit are ordered and needed before starting the project finally. Right now I am waiting for these to start the project. The painting of the kit will be done mostly with colors by Lifecolor in the camouflage 1941 scheme with the white/black stripes and the painted waves at the bow/stern. Weathering will be done with several oil colors, pigments, and other stuff. I hope that you would like this new project and that it will be of interest for you! Starting soon, as soon as the parts for the display arrived! I think it will become a long lasting project again..... and a lot of patience Cheers. Michael

DKM Battleship Bismarck detail sets 1:200 White Ensign Models Since the release of the big 1:200 Trumpeter DKM Bismarck many companies have released detail sets for it. Now, White Ensign Models have released their Ultimate set. The set actually comprises of eight smaller sets, each of which can be purchased separately, depending on how much detail the modeller wishes to add, so it’s the equivalent of Eduards Big Ed sets. Railings- (PE-2010) which, as the title describes is a medium sized sheet of railings. Since the kit comes with suitable railings for he main deck, this set just provides the railings for the upper deck and superstructures. I say just, but there are an awful lot of individual railings pre sized to fit their particular position. Naturally though the railings will need to be bent and folded to shape before fitting. Also included on the sheet are the foot and hand rails for around the funnel and around the turmmast tower. Boat Fittings (PE-2012). This is the largest of all the sheets available and provides parts for a comprehensive upgrade for all the ships boats. The 11m launches all receive new bench seat tops, bollard clusters, bench seat sides, steering wheel, canopy frames, canopy side frames, helmsmans seat, forward deck hatch, engine bay hatch, safety rails, well deck assembly, propeller and main deck, complete with gunwhales. The 11m and 9m Captains gig, receive new well deck and cabin sides, safety rails, forward box seats, cabin canopy, helmsmans seat, steering wheel, windscreen, bollard cluster, engine bay hatch, bench seat sides and top, well deck steps life belt, propeller and main deck. The 8m and 6m long boats are fitted with new thwarts, decking boards and rudders, plus a full complement of oars. All the boats are also fitted out with retainer straps, with and without buckles, boat tie down eyes and boat lifting eyes. Aircraft Handling Gear – (PE-2013). Once again the sheet description covers it, but this sheet, although one of the smallest of the set, is filled with detail. Firstly the catapults are fitted out with nue walkways and platforms fitted to each end along with the support stays over the main deck. The catapults are also fitted with new cable wheels, again at each end, whilst the aircraft launch cradles are also replaced with new PE items. Now the aircraft parts are where it gets really interesting. Not only do they get new deck handling trolleys, which look really nice and will certainly enhance the deck diorama, but they also receive a complete interior. Yes, you read that right, and interior for these 1:200 aircraft, although they should be a tad easier than trying to fit the 1:350 interiors WEM have released previously. The interior for the Arados include the fuselage internal framework, the central bulkhead with separate radioman/gunners radio sets, which, due to the thinness of the attachment point may need to have a bit of support from underneath. The pilot is provided with a new seat, control column and instrument panel, complete with rudder pedals, whilst the gunner is also given a new seat. The cockpit is finished off with the provision of the etched canopy framework, although the instructions are unclear whether this is meant to replace the kit canopy completely, or compliment it. Lastly the aircraft are fitted out it the access ladder prongs for the front struts and the main strut support braces. Radars – (PE-2014). You should know how this goes by now. This single sheet set contains the various radars Bismarck carried throughout her relatively short life. Each radar is a masterpiece on its own, when added to the model they will look pretty darn special. The types of radar provided include the following:- FuMo 23 FuMo 26 FuMo 27 FuMb 4 FuMb 7 FuMo 21 Each radar array comes some with items such as front and rear faces, individual dipoles, mounting rails, Sensor side bars, mounting brackets, antenna screens. Each antenna has been etched in such a way as to have all of its constituent parts in the same area, so there is no need to hunt around the sheet for each individual part. The instructions are nice and clearly written with information on when each array was fitted. AA Guns (PE-2015). Now the title of this set is a bit of a misnomer as although it provides parts to superdetail the ships 20mm, 37mm and 105mm guns there are also plenty of parts to add to the main and secondary turrets. Each main turret receives new rangefinder sight doors and lenses, turret sliding hatches and comms loop wires; just ensure that you use the correct wires for each turret. The secondary turrets also have their rangefinder doors, lenses and sliding hatches provided. The 105mm heavy AA mounts receive new breech plates, comms loop wires, and fuse setters. The 37mm and 20mm light AA weapons receive new mount fittings, pedestal mount fittings, and flak vierling fittings. The sheet also includes a number of spare grab handles and breach plates should the carpet monster grabs some. Doors and Hatches (PE-2016). This sheet provides a wide selection of doors and hatches for use throughout the model, (naturally). Each door and hatches is made up of a multi element folding parts which not only gives them a bit of depth, but allows them to be posed open or closed. There are a selection of vent grilles, oval access hatches of differing sizes, four types of watertight doors along with ammunition locker doors, storage locker doors, door opening bars, fire hose baskets and even lengths of fire hose, which although made of brass, once coiled up should look quite effective). Sea Chest Intake Grilles (PE-2017). Most, if not all detail sets for ship models concentrate on the superstructure and topsides. This is the first one I’ve seen, other than for large scale submarines, that provides parts exclusively for the underwater section of the hull. Some of the grilles can be fitted directly to the surface of the hull whereas with others the kit detail needs to be removed before adding the etched part. The instructions clearly show where and how to do this as well as parts placement. Platforms and extensions (PE-2018). The parts on this sheet are to replace the kit parts where a platform or catwalk is generally made of see through mesh. Due to the nature of injection moulding it is very difficult, if not impossible to replicate the mesh, even in this scale. At least with this set you will get a much nicer scale effect, (just try not to clog up the mesh with paint). The main items provided are the crane platform and support frame, funnel catwalk, catwalk underframe, AA gun deck overhangs, crane support brackets, funnel platforms, foremast platform, bridge wings, barbette catwalks, crane jib rests, hanger roof peak catwalks, as well as crane operators hand wheels and funnel platform hatches. Conclusion With the Ultimate set, it’s pretty safe to say that it’s possible to produce a museum quality model, even though WEM provide what they think is really needed. Which should mean you won’t have too much, if any spare parts left over and unlike some other sets where parts are replaced for the sake of it. Of course you don’t have to buy the ultimate set, as each of its constituent parts are available separately and you can pick and choose how much you want to add. Whatever you choose enjoy the experience as these sets look particularly easy to work with. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of John at

DKM Bismarck Detail Sets 1:200 CMK The big Trumpeter 1:200 kit of the DKM battleship Bismarck has already seen attention from the big detail set manufacturers. Whilst they all appear excellent sets they sometimes don’t go far enough. This is where CMKs Maritime Line comes in. They have released nine packs of detail parts to provide additional detail to the big sets. There is only minor overlap, but even then CMK have given the modeller a choice on how much or little they would like to add. Each set consist of finely detailed resin parts, with the exception of one, in which there are also some beautifully turned brass barrels for the main guns. The way each set has been moulded means that there is minimal clean up required after the removal from the moulding blocks and for some the modeller doesn’t have to do anything other than paint and fit. Each set comes in either a blister pack or ziplock bag with a card header. The largest of all the sets, the Primary Armament set, (NS019) contains the turned brass barrels mentioned above, which in this scale are really quite impressive. Along with the barrels, the kit also contains the individual blast bags for each gun, with nicely moulded canvas folds, and the six rangefinders which were fitted to Bruno, Caesar, and Dora Turrets. The rangefinders originally fitted to Anton Turret were removed due to damage by heavy seas, so check your references, particularly in relation to the date for which the model is being built. Each rangefinder is deeply indented, allowing the actual rangefinder optical face to be seen. Also included is a small fret of etched nickel which contains the rangefinders protective/armoured doors. If you have turned barrels already, as they are included in a couple of the big detail sets then you might just want to buy the blast bags and/or rangefinders separately. Well, CMK have thought of this, and released two further sets with each of these items, Rangefinders, (NS021) and Blast Bags, (NS012). This also allows the modeller to get hold of the extra pair of rangefinders if an earlier build is attempted, of course you will end up with two pairs for the spares box this way. This set does also include the parts that are required for the two secondary armament turrets though. Again and etched sheet is included for the doors. Talking of the secondary armament, set (NS013) provides the blast bags for each of the twelve 150mm guns fitted to the six turrets. Each is nicely detailed with scale folds and the slight sag that each bag had. Making the whole model even more detailed, it’s the small items that can make the difference. To this end CMK have released two sets that comprise of parts to make up just the ships 2 x 8m, (NS014), and 2 x 6m, (NS015), cutters. Each boat has separate hull and gunwhales/thwarts and there are twenty one separate oars to fit them out with. Unusually the rudders aren’t included, but in the instructions the modeller is advised to use the Trumpeter kit part. In addition to the more obvious items CMK have also included a set of paravanes, (NS016). Each paravane, of which there are eight, is detailed up with etched nickel parts, some of which, even in this scale are very small, so care should be taken when cutting out and handling. As an aside, this set also includes ten liferings, which are moulded integrally with their brackets and just require painting before being fitted into position. The last of the ships sets, (NS017), contains nine hose drums with covers, 5 small and 4 large. The drum supports are made of etched nickel with the smaller drums supports being bipods whilst the large are tripod style. The covers are, as per the blast bags, nicely creased, and as such, suitable shading with really make them stand out. The last set is probably going to be the most popular as it contains the parts for two Arado 196 floatplanes. Each resin fuselage comes with separate outer wings, allowing them to be displayed folded, thus being able to be fitted in the hangers. The wings have the appropriate flaps and trailing edge sections moulded in the folded positions. The set also includes clear resin canopies, but, perhaps fortunately, no interiors, which, given these “models” will be displayed in the hanger may not be so important. The windscreens, floats, struts etc all come from the kit parts. Even though the blister pack gives the parts quite a lot of protection, the rudder on one of the review samples had broken off, but since it’s a clean break it will be pretty easy to repair. Conclusion CMK have done a fair few items for the maritime modeller and it’s great to see them release these sets, especially as they given even more options to the big Bismarck builder. The mouldings are very well mastered and will look great painted up and suitably weathered/shaded. Used in conjunction with the big etched sets they will be like adding the cherry on top of an already fabulous cake. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Bismarck Barrel Sets Master Barrels 1:200 Just arrived at BM Towers are these three sets for the huge Trumpeter 1:200 Bismarck. As is usual the stand of manufacture is superb with even the smallest barrel detailed with various strengthening rings etc. The sets provide enough barrels to arm the complete model. You get eight 15” in set SM-200-006, twelve 5.9”, sixteen 105mm in set SM-200-007 and sixteen 37mm, twelve 20mm C/30, 8 20mm C/38 in set SM-200-008. Both the 15” and 5.9” barrels are produced in turned aluminium making them surprisingly light which won’t strain the glue attaching them to their respective barrels. The smaller barrels are all done in turned brass and really do bring a finesse that injection moulding cannot hope to reproduce. Conclusion You really can’t go wrong with using these barrels for such a wonderful kit. Although some might say that the kits 15” barrels are already good enough, there is something about have a metal barrel that seems to give a model a lift in the detail stakes. Of course you don’t have to buy all three sets which is why Master Models have released them separately to give the modeller a choice. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of Piotr at

DKM Battleship Bismarck 1:200 Etch sets Eduard Eduard have now released the last of their sets for the big Trumpeter 1:200 Bismarck. These are sets 7 and 8 plus a set of Kriegsmarine officers. Set 7 is in the large format, with the fret being about 210mm x 134mm, whilst the other two are have smaller frets of 140mm x 78mm and 114mm x 70mm. Part 7- (53-086) provides fittings for the ships AA guns, including the 105mm, 37mm, both types of single 20mm and the quad 20mm mounts. The 105mm mounts receive new hand rails all over, new fittings for the fuse setting machine and details for the breech block. The 37mm cannon receive new footplates, traversing and elevating wheels. The amount of detail for the 20mm varies, the single standard 20mm mount receiving replacement pintle magazine rack, expended cartridge basket, hand wheel, sight and shoulder guards, whilst the flak 20mm C/30 style mount has replacement hand holds, hand wheels and ammunition box holder. The quad flakvierling C/38 20mm mounting receives a new gun shield, cross bracing on the top and a new gun sight. The set also includes crew for each gun with the exception of the quad 20mm, the majority being for the 37mm guns with two men manning the mount whilst two men carry shells to load the guns. The single 20mm guns each get an operator and there is a spotter with a pair of binoculars. Part 8 – (53-090), this set consists of just one of the larger format sheets and provides all the railings for use on the superstructure for the upper deck and above. Some are plain whilst others have a canvas dodger fitted. They up to the usual high standard that Eduard seem to consistently achieve and will add greatly to the look of the completed model. Kriegsmarine Officers (53-087), is another small fret of pre-painted self adhesive figures which will help with populating the ship along with the deck crew set. They still look very odd on the fret, but once they are folded and stuck, at least they will have some scale thickness, although as mentioned with the deck crew set I still not convinced of their effectiveness. Conclusion With these sets Eduard have now completed the releases for detailing and manning the mighty Bismarck kit. How much the modeller uses is entirely up to them, although you will need to buy at least three or four sets for a reasonable job. I may be a bit cynical with the way Eduard have approached this in releasing so many sets, none of which can do the job on their own. I would have liked to have seen more targeted and fewer sets, which may have been larger, but the modeller would only have needed to buy one set to achieve their desired level of detail. They may do this in the Big Ed series. I can still recommend them highly as they are really well produced and will make quite a difference to the completed model, even though the workload will go up exponentially. Review sample courtesy of

DKM Battleship Bismarck Kagero Top Drawings There is not much I can add to the story of the Bismarck as it’s been so thoroughly documented. Yet is seems there can never be enough detail for the modeller to use in their build of this great battleship. To cater for this Kagero have released this book in their Top Drawing series. The softback book has twenty three pages, or sheets as Kagero put it, of line drawings covering the whole ships from stem to stern. Each sheet has a main part of the ship drawn with additional detail of various items around it. Each drawing is beautifully done with some fine detail that would normally have been missed is other titles. The drawings have obviously been done from some excellent references which have resulted in a very useful book for the detail nut. In addition to the ship the last sheet is dedicated to the Arado 196 floatplane. The centre page spread is in full colour showing the Bismarck as it was when sunk. There are also two A1 pullout sheets with renderings of the ship from above, bow, stern and three quarter views. When unfolded the two sheets can be joined together to give a very large poster, in fact it looks like it’s in 1:200 scale even though no scale information is provided, so could be very useful for those lucky modellers who have managed to get their hands on the the new Trumpeter kit. Conclusion Although there is no history or career information, this isn’t the raison d’être for this book. The drawings are so well done they include details that no photograph could capture and it is for this reason that it will be a superb resource for the maritime modeller. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

DKM Battleship Bismarck 1:200 Etch sets Continuing their release program of etched set for the huge Trumpeter Bismarck, Eduard have sent us Parts 2, 4, 5, 6 and crew. Three of the sets are in the large format, with the frets being either about 210mm x 134mm to 177mm x 96mm in size. Part 2- (53-081) is designated for the foreward part of the ship with all the parts contained on one of the smaller sized frets. These include the chain deck runners, hawse pipe grating, anchor chain stoppers and their respective deck eyes, and windlass top. To the main turret barbettes the shell handling gear is added whilst there are several deck eyes are fitted to the deck foreward of the breakwater and on the breakwater itself. The hatches can be posed open or closed and if the open option is chosen then this set provides handrails and new fittings for each one. Just aft of the main anchors, on the railings, there are four lifering cradles fitted, two on each side. Parts are provided for the replacement cable reels, consisting of the ends and cradle. The drum must be made up from plastic rod of the correct diameter. The paravanes get new and much finer details for the streaming gear, cradles and brackets. The main gun turrets are provided with new footrails, railings and ladders. The rest of the sheet is taken up with vertical and inclined ladders, separate step fittings, more windlass tops, with very nicely done hand rails, watertight doors, grilles, new fittings for the navigation lights and scuttle details. Part 4 – (53-083), this set consists of two sheets, one of the larger format and one of the smaller and is for the central area. As with the previous set it has detail parts for all the scuttles, along with additional parts for the lifering and fire hose cradles, vertical ladders and watertight doors. In addition to these parts there are new and replacement platforms, platform supports, platform railings, funnel hand and foot rails, bridge deck grating. The foremast has numerous new support webs added along with replacement yardarm walk ropes. Each of the large armoured rangefinders receives new external ladders, handrails and elevation disc. The main armoured rangefinder also has hand rails, ladders, hatches and the large radar box fitted. The small rangefinders are detailed with new hand wheels, and lifting eyes. There are additional details for both the large and small searchlights/signalling lamps, which include hand wheels, focusing grid, elevation mechanism, and lifting eyes for the larger types. Finally there are new walkways, handrails, platforms and ladders for the two boat deckhouses, new platforms and railings for the crane winch houses, and replacement steps for the rear of the 150mm gun turrets. Part 5 (53-084), this single large sheet set, provides parts for the rear section of the ship and, once again has the standard, rangefinder, searchlight, and scuttle details, individual steps for each side of the quarter decks, with a template to get the holes drilled correctly, cable reel parts, life ring and fire hose cradles, more paravanes parts as per Part 2. New replacement items include new platforms above the after 150mm turrets, ventilation grilles and platforms around Caesar turret barbette. The rear main rangefinder also gets a new highly detailed radar unit, handrails, hatches, ladders and individual steps, along with foot ropes for the mast yard. The rear main turrets receive the same items as the fore turrets, with ladders, railings and foot rails. The main mast has new platforms, yard arm foot ropes added whist the after superstructure has new platforms, grilles and access platforms for the ships boats. Part 6 (53-085), is in Eduards standard small fret format and is solely for the ships catapults and aircraft. These include new cable wheels, aircraft access ladders, catapult extensions, which have the individual cable railings and stantions, much like the Railing set reviewed earlier. The aircraft receive a completely new interior, float struts and launching cradle. A nice addition is the transport dolly for the spare Arado which would add nicely to a diorama setting. Eduard have thoughtfully proved a set of pre painted etched handling crew for both the aircraft and catapults with advice on where they are to be used. Now these do look rather odd on the fret, but when folded they should add some life to the ship. Kriegsmarine Deck Crew (53-088), is a small fret of pre-painted self adhesive figures which will help with populating the ship. As with the catapult crew mentioned above they look really odd on the fret, but when folded should give a realistic thickness to the body. The set will require some tools of the trade such as cleaning rods for the main guns to be made up out of plastic rod, which the instructions do provide some guidance on. I’m still not sold on etch crew, particularly at this scale and feel that resin or injection moulding would be better, but for now these will have to do. Conclusion Eduard have really gone to town on these sets, which will go a long way to bringing the completed model up to museum standards. If you think Eduard have finished with the Bismarck after the release of these sets, think again as I have seen that there are two more to go. Expect a big Ed set to be released, as I expect collecting all these sets will get rather expensive and in all honesty may not be absolutely required unless you’re a complete detail junky. At least the modeller can choose which sets will best suit their needs. Very highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Just thought that those members that have bought, or are thinking of buying the Trumpeter 1:200 Bismarck, they would like ot see what you get in the Mk1 Designs DX full option detail set. The above pack includes some great looking wooden decks. Etched barrels for all calibres of weapons. Also included are some 15" shells, and turned 20mm mounts Turned brass masts, yards and booms. Resin bollards, davits and blastbags for the main and secondary armament A small amount of etch, some of it pre-painted. Finally, a complete set of decals for both the ship and the Arado aircraft. Unusually the swastikas are not only oncluded but printed complete, so I guess this set won't be sold in countries where they are banned, As you can see, this is a very comprehensive set which will give hours of fun detailing the mighty Bismarck.

DKM Battleship Bismarck 1:200 Etch sets The release of the 1:200 Bismarck by Trumpeter was both a welcome and disbelieving release. Disbelieving, in the sheer size of the kit, and the amount of detail contained in the box. Suffice it to say that it was bound to become the subject for the aftermarket companies’ attentions. Thusly these sets have been released by Eduard. Strangely Britmodeller have been sent a part one and three, as it appears part two hasn’t been released yet. Being 1:200 the frets and indeed the parts of etched brass are quite large, 210mm x 134mm for each of the frets included in the two sets. Part 1- (53-080) is designed to detail the ships lifeboats and is pretty comprehensive even though it’s all contained on just one sheet. Each of the motor boats, irrespective of their size receives new interior decking, sidewalls, steering wheel, lockers, steersman seat and entrance ladder. Externally there is a new deck, deckhouse, screen, deck hatches, hand rails, hoist points, life ring, replacement prop, and bitts fore and aft. The rowing boats, being less complex craft obviously have less details to add, with only the interior gratings, oars, (folded items to give a better scale thickness), and rudders. Once completed the boats can be fitted to their cradles and their respective tie-downs and shackle eyes can be added from the sheet. The details are very well done and they really make the lifeboats stand out, rather than being overshadowed by the rest of the ship. Part 3 – (53-082), usually the sets of railings come in pre-cut lengths of two or three chain bar railings already made up. Well with this set you can forget all that. The first sheet provides the deck pieces/templates it’s not particularly clear in the instructions, other than a 0.3mm drill is used to drill through the deck pieces. Into the drilled holes the stantions and inserted and glued, followed by support angles every four stantions. Once all the stantions have been fitted the separate chains are inserted in the hooks provided to build up the railings one level at a time until the construction is complete. Conclusion Although these sets only make up a part of the complete build they are a good indication of what is to come with the main, Part 2, instalment. If you’re lucky enough to have one of these huge and wonderful kits, then you will love what Eduard have provided with these sets. The lifeboats will look fantastic with all the extra detail and some careful painting. The railing set may make you lose your sanity, but if taken a length at a time they will build up into some of the most accurate railings around. I quite easily recommend these to all those experienced with the use of etch. Review sample courtesy of