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For several years I searched for the kit of the HMS Västergötland and finally found one. But I needed two to be able to convert one to the extended submarine as well. Considering how difficult it was to find a kit, I had no great hope of finding a second one so I tried to make a silicone mold of the bow and aft and trying to scratch build the rest. A plastic tube was mounted between the polyester castings and Magic Sculp was used to build up the hull. One year later I was lucky enough to get a second kit so the project started was scrapped and the new kit was cut into two parts instead. This is how far I can go before I found the kit. Having thoughts about scratchbuiling a couple of earlier submarines I have come to the conclusion that I can use parts of my discontinued project for an HMS Sjöormen. I removed the bow and will use the stern with the plastic tube. It will be a minor reshaping of the part but it will probably work even if the polyester part is very hard. Sadly the plastic tube was a little too short for this boat so a piece had to be added giving an extra joint to hide. A new nose in Magic Sculp has been started. It is a bit sad that there is a kit of this subarine but it is in 1/700 scale and that is not what I build.

This year, other than a few submarines early on, my focus was on military vehicles - mostly small scale as well. As per usual activity was sporadic due to work commitments, but in the end a surprisingly productive year. All brush painted using acrylics (typically Tamiya, but also MIG Ammo and Italeri). Cheers! Mirage 1:72 M3 Stuart completed as an Australian example in New Guinea Tamiya 1:35 Centaur Mk IV (my first 1:35 AFV) Bronco 1:48 Staghound Mk 1 Armoured Car - NW Europe 1944/45 Bronco 1:35 Comet Mk 1 - Germany 1945 Bronco 1:350 HMS Vanguard (S28) SSBN Bronco 1:350 USS Seawolf SSN-21 Hobbyboss 1:700 Typhoon SSBN Masterbox 1:72 British Armoured Car Austin Mk IV - France 1918 IBG 1:72 Crusader Mk III - Polish Forces in the West, UK 1942 Takom 1:72 Chieftain Mk II - West Germany, 1980s Airfix 1:72 Sherman Firefly Vc - Normandy, August 1944 Masterbox 1:72 HMLS Kia-Ora, Mk 1 “Female” tank - Gaza, April 1917 IBG 1:72 Crusader AA Tank Mk III - Normandy, June 1944 Roden 1:72 Rolls Royce Armoured Car - Iraq, 1941 Dragon 1:72 Australian Bushmaster Protected Mobility Vehicle - Iraq, 2005-2006 JB Models 1:76 Saladin Mk 2 - Brunei, 1964

Two more submarines finished. A Type 214 submarine from Wolfpack. A manufacturer that was new to me. It turned out to be a very nice kit. I finished it straight out of the box as Son Won-iL from the Republic of Korea. Next was Airfix Trafalgar class built in the experimental camouflage tried on HMS Trenchant. Together wid my HMS Swiftsure

My friends I want to give you a way to make a scratch submarine with balsa First we choose the plan. I use the blueprints plans and I prefer there are three views of sub f.e Then I analyzed how make it. I seperate to the main submarine corp and the turret. I save the plan as foto and go to open with painture I zoom the foto in dimensions I want. ( Because I use leaves of balsa 1000mmX100mmX10mm the dimensions must be less from the Balsa) To make a sub 70 cm we want 8-9 pieces of balsa I fix them with cyanoacrylic glue and not with wood(water)glues because the woodglue will warp the balsa. Be carefull because the cyanoacrylic glue when comes in contact with balsa makes temperature and gas. You must me very hurry to fix the pieces I have a piece of balsa 1mX 80mm (if I use 8 pieces)X 100mm. That for the main corp. I calculate the turret and make the same with smallest pieces of balsa. Then I take a piece of paper and design the plan (all the lines) of corp from the zoomed foto. The same for turret, Cut the paper plan of sub and design it on balsa Then design the plan from upper side of sub (deck) Cut the paper Do the same design on balsa piece upper side. Be careful the lines to be on correct position in 3 dimensions We leave always a small piece of balsa and cut the balsa to the small around black lines.If do nt do that the sub with the sand paper work will have smallest dimensions . then with a sand paper on sand paper driver begin to scratch the balsa until lines We must have in our mind the geometry , symmetry and stereometry. The same do for the turret Be careful The external lines of plan are the real dimensions on 2 dimensions. The 3d dimensions give us the interior lines. In that level we use and the front and back plan to see the angles and curves. In that level the balsa "speak " to us. We see the scheme to construct and always must make small steps because the wrong difficult repairing. When we make the corp ....... we paint with wood varnish , dry well and with a sand paper smooth it. That for three time. The sand paper must be light Then paint with acrylic varnish ( I have nt foto of type 214 with acrylic varnish) We paint the acrylic colur 2 hands or more We fix the turret on corp. (the turret paint with the same way) For antenas etc I use plastic sprue, tooth peaks, and wires. For propeller make it from a piece of metal in scale For other accesories of sub I use interior pieces of mobile. You will discover a modelling microcosmos in an old mobile. (Barrels for machine guns are good and the lighters gas tubes) I am happy to answer your questions

A friend who lives in Plymouth took the photo's below of HMS Ambush whilst entering and leaving Plymouth Dockyard last week. I am hoping he will send more as there are some nice detail views for anyone modelling the kit of this boat. Mike HMS Ambush approaching Devonport Dockyard, Plymouth on 16/01/2016 - All photo's courtesy of Jeff Stevenson. HMS Ambush leaving Devonport on 22/01/2016

Having attended SMW last Sunday i noticed a number of submarine models lacking in some aspects to the trained eye of a submarine modeller. And before any one starts having a go, its a personal observation, i fully respect OOB builders and artistic license. So heres what i observed; 1) Apart from my own builds i have not seen a modern submarine model with the non slip walkway detailed on the upper deck, in photos it is clearly visible being matt black generally against the satin black of the anechoic tiles. (see photo) 2) In the competition area there was a heavily weathered u-boat, the likes of watch you would probably have never seen as their life expectancy was not great, with the majority of surviving u-boats being sunk after the war, except for a handful split among the allies. The model even depicted rust to the wooden upper decking and below the waterline. 3) There was a type XXI u-boat, nicely built depicted underwater with the snorkel and mast above water, with the handrail in the up position. One of the innovations on the type was a retractable handrail post to reduce underwater drag, a twist/turn and drop arrangement. So the type was streamlined for underwater running, a system used today on most modern submarines. (see photo type XXI at sea) All the best Chris