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Revell 1/1200th Queen Mary 2


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Hi all, as a change from my usual warships I was asked by Airfix Model World to build something a bit orf piste, (well for me anyway) namely Revells diminutive 1/1200th QM2. When the editor asked me to do this for last months issue as a last minute job, I was thinking along the lines of the 1/400th behemoth and cleared the bench pending its arrival. Imagine my horror when a box measuring 0" x 0" fell through the letterbox and clattered across the floor almost snapped up by the ever hungry hound! Upon opening the blighter I was immediately impressed and dismayed in equal order The mouldings were excellent but the soft, oversized detail was going to need some severe elbow grease. Luckily a thoroughly decent gent, Bill Gilpin who resides on the wonderful Isle of Cumbrae kindly sent me a set of his fantastic 1/1200th scale Clydeside Models ships railings, (opened and covered) which replaced the kit's solid plastic 'walls' that wouldn't have looked out of place at the Grand National. The model represents the original ship's design prior to the 2016 refit.

 

Stephen Payne, the real ship's designer got in touch with the magazine and wrote a piece on her history and specs...a very interesting, knowledgeable chap and keen modeller so we had everything we needed directly from the horse's mouth!

 

Modifications made to the kit included:

To simplify deck painting appropriately shaped strips of 0.5mm Plastic card were cut and shaped, airbrushed and then fitted over the moulded parts (similar to commercially available pre-cut wooden decking). 

All aerials and arrays were replaced with scratch build parts,

Satellite comms 'balls' were replaced with ball bearings as the kit parts were misshapen and oversized.

Portholes and viewing windows were opened up with a square micro-file.

Wall-like 'railings', and pool surrounds were replaced with PE.

The orange lifeboat tops were replaced with plastic card and appropriate details added.

Rear lower pool deck light poles were replaced with pinheads.

Small pieces of Black Solar film was used to replicate the library/stateroom windows and spare PE used for the bridge roof.

Scratch-built cranes, (kits are just 'blobs') and air conditioning plant stacks added, (the kits are too short) and an anchor added, between the cranes, courtesy of the spares bin.

Forward mast scratch built and heated 'sprue' used for aerial arrays.

The four lower hull stabilisers added from Contrail aerofoil rod.

 

In all the model took about a week to complete due to the additional work needed.

 

Paints were supplied by Lifecolor and Mission Models.

 

This kit was a lot of fun, just what this modelling lark is all about!

 

Thanks for looking and cheers :cheers:

 

Melchie

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Edited by general melchett
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30 minutes ago, general melchett said:

All portholes and viewing windows were opened up with a square micro-file.

 

In 1/1200th Andy? You nutter....!! :)

 

Cracking model, beautiful work as always, but I can't honestly say I get excited by cruise ships....

 

Pray tell, where did you get 1/1200 p.e. railings from? I was looking for some a couple of years back & couldn't find any (I did find a build in 1/1200th where the modeller had cut 1/600th railings in half....)

 

Keith

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Hi Keith, thanks old fella, I totally agree, not something I'd normally have a go at either but the editor wanted one done sharpish and what the 'eck it's all modelling. Strained the old Mk1's a bit though! :hypnotised:

 

The railings came from a chap called Bill Gilpin, who runs Clydeside models...he produces two sets (CM1 and CM2), different lengths. They are tiny but very workable,

 

Bill does some pretty remarkable stuff as you can see here..,

 

Clydeside Flotilla

 

Cheers

 

 

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This was a great read in the magazine, and it looks even better here. You have also given some great tips on how to improve ships like this, and I am going to try the Solar Film trick for the windows soon - I have a couple of Mauretanias to do, along with an almost finished RMS Queen Elizabeth.

 

I hope you do not mind me saying that I have always found your aircraft build inspiring (your Overstrand especially), but your ships seem to go to the next level in the magazine, and I am looking forward to more!

 

All the best,

 

Ray

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Thanks Ray, that's very kind of you and much appreciated. I must admit the real reason I do the magazine work is just to try and impart a bit of knowledge to other like-minded modellers like yourself and show with a bit of imagination and forward planning most things can be done. Look forward to seeing what you do with the Mauretanias and QE2. Fond memories of the former as a Christmas present back in the mid 60's. I think I built most of the Airfix and Revell ships back then. Oddly I only started building ships again a couple of years ago at the request of the editor as there weren't any shipbuilders in the contributor team, so I said I'd have a go...

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 I am looking forward to more!

Well, funnily enough Ray I have another ship build in this months issue, Hasegawa's 1/700th IJN Furataka heavy cruiser...great little kit, hope you enjoy the article. There are several more on the bench at the moment included a couple of real 'biguns' (or should that be big-guns).

 

Talking of the Overstrand I really must get it finished!

 

Cheers

 

Melch

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🎵 "Row, row, Melchie's boat, gently down the stream, Belts off trousers down, isn't life a scream?" 🎵

 

Enjoyed the article in the magazine General.

 

Martian 👽

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Ah ha, all hail Martian! Yes, I was going to enter the thing at Henley this year, (George as skipper of course, Slackbladder in charge of caustic comments and euphemisms, Baldrick manning the bilges and Darling, rightfully in the pump house) but was told at the last minute some stuff and nonsense about it not fitting the moorings down by the Old Swan!...oh well I suppose it's back to the Somme baths for a spot of 'over the top' and tally-ho not to mention a healthy dose of zing zang spilip... 

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Enjoyed the article in the magazine General.

Thanks for that old fella, appreciated as ever...

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Thanks fellow fettlers, glad you liked the article, makes it all worthwhile. 

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Not a model I could do,too small for chubby paws like mine.

I bet you could celt, not as daunting as it seems. A good magnifier, proper lighting and a glass of single malt will always see you through!

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sure to inspire a few more into maritime modelling Melchie!

 

 Well, I hope so Steve, it's a great side of modelling and not nearly the black art some would have you believe, especially the rigging... I find it quite relaxing, to be honest, just, sit back, chill out, put on a bit of Bach, Judas Priest or Slayer and away you go...... :jump_fire:

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Thanks Hitc, funnily enough, it's actually bigger than many of the 1/700th warships I've built recently but being 1/1200th means everything has to be scaled down further, including the paint fade effect which is a bit more challenging.

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Pray tell, do you write for Airfix only or would I have to buy a library of mags to read your articles ?

I only write for AMW, (and the odd article for Flypast) at the moment as they give me a lot of work and free range in the subject matter, which is a big bonus. Being the lead magazine in its field, by some margin, (official ABC figures prove that), I don't really feel the need to work for any others right now, (though I've been repeatedly asked and am extremely grateful for that), time's a big factor too...besides the editorial team are good friends and extremely professional so I'm more than happy to work with them. 

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