Flankerman Posted August 8, 2015 Share Posted August 8, 2015 (edited) The last few of the K-Class subs had their hulls lengthened by 4m - from 103 to 107 metres - that's 114mm in 1/350 scale. I only have a small side profile drawing to work from - but I'd like to have a go at making HMS K26 - the only lengthened K to enter service. As well as a lengthened hull, she also has a raised, longer casing with a taller bridge and a raised bow (different from the 'Swan Bows' fitted to her shorter sisters) with six torpedo tubes and will look very distinctive next to Mikro-Mir's K4. Using the outline drawing as a guide, I cut the hull into front and rear halves - just in front of the beam torpedo tubes.... This does unfortunately mean that there will be a parallel section on the curving hull - but I wanted to preserve the torpedo mouldings, which are in the same place on both hulls. I also removed the casing - it will be replaced with a taller scratch-built version. I re-joined the hull halves using strips of plastic card glued inside the hull - the gaps on the outside will be filled with further strips of card. This photo shows the plastic card strips inside the hull..... This is progress so far - all very Heath-Robinsonish - but nothing that Milliput can't put right...... I'm sure that Mikro-Mir will re-issue the kit as a short-hull K with a Swan Bow - but I'm not sure if they will go so far as to make a K26. Anyway, I'm enjoying my conversion...... making it up as I go along....... Ken Edited August 8, 2015 by Flankerman 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 A bit more progress..... lots of filling and sanding.... looks like this so far....... It still needs more work to make the joints seamless, While the filler was setting I tackled the new raised casing - made from square section plastic rod.... I have incorporated the kit moulding of the funnel hatches. Trial fit of the casing onto the hull..... Off to do more filling and sanding - then make the raised bows (not 'Swan' on K-26)........ Ken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jessica Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 I just love this section of the Wikipedia article: "The superstructure was modified to improve the protection of the funnels and uptakes, and almost cured the unfortunate tendency of water entering down the funnels putting the boiler fires out in bad weather." "Almost cured". That's like "The crime was almost solved" or "the flood was almost prevented". Steam engines on a submarine, almost as good as screen doors! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Macnaughton Posted August 10, 2015 Share Posted August 10, 2015 Great work Ken Where are you getting this kit from? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 10, 2015 Author Share Posted August 10, 2015 (edited) I was very kindly sent two copies by Mikro-Mir - because I had provided the drawings for them. I built the first as HMS K4 - and I am modifying the second - the plastic of which is very brittle, so may be 3D printed or is in a different plastic to the 'production' kit. It is certainly harder to work that the first example - which was a doddle to build. I shall be purchasing more of the same when they finally appear at the usual sources - though they seem to be taking a bit of time to be distributed??? Ken Edited August 10, 2015 by Flankerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 11, 2015 Share Posted August 11, 2015 Very tidy conversion work! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 More progress..... I added thick plastic card to get the side profile of the new raised bow....... .... and added the first rough application of Milliput......smoothed down with a wet finger.. Once it is set, it will be sanded to shape by eye (or, rather by emery paper- but you know what I mean).... Ken 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 11, 2015 Author Share Posted August 11, 2015 Great work Ken Where are you getting this kit from? Francis, Hobby Terra now shows it as being 'In Stock'........ http://hobbyterra.com/search.php?&manufacturers_id=5 Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Whilst waiting for the Milliput to cure I tackled the bride - which on later K-Boats had an open, raised section on top of the existing closed-in bridge. I stuck the two halves of the kit bridge together and added a plastic card 'roof' in place of the kit etched item. I wrapped paper around this bridge and penciled in the 'scalloped' shape of the raised bridge, transferred this to thin plastic card...... The thin card was wrapped and glued onto the kit part and tidied up - I added the 'lip' from some 0.5mm Plastruct square rod.... Here's the finished bridge temporarily in place on the new casing..... It means that my bridge is now too big - by the thickness of the plastic card - but I can live with that...... Meanwhile..... a first sanding of the cure Milliput reveals that I haven't got the cross-section shape quite right - it should be more bulged... So... it's out with the Milliput again...... Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfqweofekwpeweiop4 Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 The last few of the K-Class subs had their hulls lengthened by 4m - from 103 to 107 metres - that's 114mm in 1/350 scale. I only have a small side profile drawing to work from - but I'd like to have a go at making HMS K26 - the only lengthened K to enter service. As well as a lengthened hull, she also has a raised, longer casing with a taller bridge and a raised bow (different from the 'Swan Bows' fitted to her shorter sisters) with six torpedo tubes and will look very distinctive next to Mikro-Mir's K4. Using the outline drawing as a guide, I cut the hull into front and rear halves - just in front of the beam torpedo tubes.... This does unfortunately mean that there will be a parallel section on the curving hull - but I wanted to preserve the torpedo mouldings, which are in the same place on both hulls. I also removed the casing - it will be replaced with a taller scratch-built version. I re-joined the hull halves using strips of plastic card glued inside the hull - the gaps on the outside will be filled with further strips of card. This photo shows the plastic card strips inside the hull..... This is progress so far - all very Heath-Robinsonish - but nothing that Milliput can't put right...... I'm sure that Mikro-Mir will re-issue the kit as a short-hull K with a Swan Bow - but I'm not sure if they will go so far as to make a K26. Anyway, I'm enjoying my conversion...... making it up as I go along....... Ken Hi Ken Is it not 11.4mm extra? thanks Mike Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 12, 2015 Author Share Posted August 12, 2015 Hi Ken Is it not 11.4mm extra? thanks Mike Don't do that Mike - I nearly had a heart attack thinking I'd made it too long !! You are correct - it is of course 11.4mm. I scaled up the side profile drawing to have an overall scale length of 30.57cm (107m / 350) - the resultant difference in length between K26 and the K4 kit is 1.14cm - or 11.4mm Phew.......... Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Macnaughton Posted August 12, 2015 Share Posted August 12, 2015 Hobby Terra now shows it as being 'In Stock'........ http://hobbyterra.com/search.php?&manufacturers_id=5 Thanks Ken, I'll wait for a European supplier I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 13, 2015 Author Share Posted August 13, 2015 .... and there's more....... (in an Irish accent - remember Jiminy Cricket?)..... I've slapped on another layer of Milliput - to 'bulge out' the top sides of the raised bows. I have also added plastic card to represent the six forward torpedo tubes fitted to K-26.... According to the scale drawing, the 'fin' (what is the fixed part of the rudder called on a boat?) - is bigger, so I've made a new one from plastic card.... I'll use the kit rudder - but re-shaped... I'm now much happier with the new bow shape - almost ready for a first primer coat... I added doors (?) and railings to the sides of the casing - and used the kit 'roof' as a placement ledge for the new bridge. I have also revised the rear of the bridge after studying more photos.... Bridge temporarily in place - ready for a primer coat. Ken 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Macnaughton Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 (what is the fixed part of the rudder called on a boat?). Skeg is the yoho word! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 13, 2015 Author Share Posted August 13, 2015 (edited) Much obliged me 'arty..... (in a Robert Newton voice). ....and them there 'doors'...... What be they called ??? Edited August 13, 2015 by Flankerman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 This is turning into a master class of good old fashioned conversion work, excellent! Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Macnaughton Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 ....and them there 'doors'...... What be they called ??? Funnily enough "doors" was the word even on steam powered submarines! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 13, 2015 Author Share Posted August 13, 2015 Doh! :doh: Ever since you first posted, Francis, I've been wracking my brains thinking 'Where have I heard that name before?' * Are you the very same Francis McNaughton who used to attend the Avon Scale Model Society meets ?? If so, nice to catch up with you - see you at Yeovilton in October?? Regards Ken * It's an age thing........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Francis Macnaughton Posted August 13, 2015 Share Posted August 13, 2015 If so, nice to catch up with you - see you at Yeovilton in October?? That's me - doing my best to sneak over for the show if I can. If you have contacts with Micro Mir Ken, perhaps you could suggest they do HMS/M X1 next? It would make a good addition to the collection. Francis Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 13, 2015 Author Share Posted August 13, 2015 That's me - doing my best to sneak over for the show if I can. If you have contacts with Micro Mir Ken, perhaps you could suggest they do HMS/M X1 next? It would make a good addition to the collection. Francis I suggested that as well as the M-Class. They are enthusiastic - but need decent drawings - particularly cross-sections. I provided them with K-Class drawings from the Submarine Museum - hence the kit 12 months later. If you know of any decent drawings ??? Ken PS - Sergei of MM posts on here as Praded Dembelya - also in the manufacturers section :- http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/forum/490-mikromir/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 I'm attempting to make the gun emplacements - which on K-26 are in barbettes (is that the right term??) Anyway - a sort of 'bathtub' with a sloping front - and an open(?) rear end. I shaped a piece of square section plastic rod to make a template - then wrapped paper around it to get roughly the curved shape - which was then transferred to a very thin piece of plastic card. The card is wrapped around the template - and the shaped 'floor' is cemented in place. The tub can then be carefully removed from the template and the whole thing trimmed to shape. It's all a bit empirical - but it seems to work..... This is what the final result looks like..... All I have to do now is make 2 more !! Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 14, 2015 Author Share Posted August 14, 2015 May I pose a couple of questions ?? Is the rear of the barbette(?) open? - it is difficult to make out from the few photos of K-26. What about colours ?? - I was going to try and make is like this and this - but the drop-shadow pennant numbers are going to be difficult - plus the photo calibration(?) markings. I might try this - lighter colours, but still drop-shadow! (I think the decking and funnels are the wrong colours though ?) Here's another one - in Malta ? I found one shot with just plain black pennant numbers. This one looks like it has a white band around the forward funnel. As for colours - light grey vertical surfaces with black/V Dark grey horizontals ?? I'd be grateful for any input..... Ken 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
whitestar12chris Posted August 14, 2015 Share Posted August 14, 2015 Ken in answer to your question re gun barbette, photo in book K-boats, of K-26 clearly shows them open as you have made them, spot on. Your first two photos are of K-26 on trials, your third is her commissioned colours as is the fourth. With regards to the colour image it seems correct with the exception of a lighter colour to the top of the front funnel, maybe white? So it has a possibly white cap with a white stripe, front funnel only. the rear funnel is a darker colour, same as the rest of the front funnel. Hope this helps , best i can do from black and white photos i have. All the best Chris Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flankerman Posted August 15, 2015 Author Share Posted August 15, 2015 Doh! - and Double-Doh!.... :doh: Thanks Chris..... I have gathered as many photos of K-26 as I could find on't t'interweb - and completely forgot about the K-Boats book - which is sitting on my shelf as I write ! That photo is exactly what I want - K-26 in Valetta Harbour on her Far-Eastern tour in, presumably, China Station colours of white uppers and black horizontals - with 'K 26' in plain black. Both funnels are 'black' - with the forward one having a white(?) band and (presumably?) a white canvas cover. I think I'll go with off-white a dark grey for 'scale effect'. Thanks once again. Ken Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now