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Sink the Bismarck! HMS Ark Royal, 26 May 1941


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13 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

A little more progress with the Stringbag masks.

Masking at a new level! Love it. I always find that when I start to mask, it feels like the most tedious and time consuming part of modelling, then when you are all down and the great reveal occurs, it can be one of the most rewarding parts. And in this example, as you say, a good checklist for things that can get missed.

 

Mask on!

 

Terry

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13 hours ago, Courageous said:

...better you than me

I know it seems bonkers (what, moi?), but since I’m producing these masks via computer on a single piece of masking sheet, it’s probably no more time-consuming (and potentially a lot less confusing) than hand-painting 15 Swordfish against a checklist of their differences.  

 

There are many variables: 2 cabs with long range tanks and two (different) cabs with ASV [neither of which affect the masking as such]; 3 squadrons, with at least 3 different interpretations of S1E (high straight demarkation; mid straight-ish demarkation; low wobbly demarkation), and also variations within squadrons as airframes were replaced, so 3 or 4 with the TSS scheme, but also possibly some with a half-way house scheme (S1E with locally-produced “Sky”).  Then factor in the fact that the 3 squadrons didn’t have aircraft serials and/or roundels in the same place on the fuselage.

 

It would be really easy to get lost in that and end up with errors and re-paints.  This way I get to work it all out on paper / screen first, and only commit to print (let alone paint!) when I’m confident I have things right.  As so often with large masking jobs, the actual painting process will only take a few minutes!

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Time for an update.  Firstly, I’ve been progressing the island - the compass platform inside has now been fully restored, and the external wind-deflectors are coming along nicely.  I am especially happy with those WEM duck boards.

48828908231_dff1b82b77_b.jpg

 

Externally I have completely re-worked both sides of the island.  There is still plenty to do here - ladders, drains and voicepipes - but I do at least have scuttles in roughly the right places.  Not for the first time I curse the unforgiving dust-detecting macro photo!  First starboard / outboard:

48828907721_b7ea40487e_b.jpg

 

...and then port / inboard / flight deck side (even messier!):

48829068887_66e7963f22_b.jpg

 

Apart from that, I’ve been progressing the hull scuttles, filling the gap between bow and Carley Floats.  The lower two decks are now done (glue still wet here):

48828536188_bab226676a_b.jpg

 

Same area from closer in:

48828911466_ae80053615_b.jpg

 

Happy with the progress.  And soon I really will clean all this dust and excess glue away - but there seems little point until I’ve finished adding to it!

 

More soon

 

Crisp

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I have to agree those duckboards are excellent!

 

As for the scuttles, there are indeed scuttles ............. scuttles.......... scuttles............ and more scuttles!

 

Terry

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Stuart has obviously spent too much time below the surface, and is prone to SSDS I suspect .................... Submariners Scuttles Deficiency Syndrome .... 🤣

 

Terry

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End of the week update.  It might look as though not much as happened, but I’ve spent almost two hours cleaning up excess glue, polishing etc.  The front half of the starboard side is now all but done; all that remains is the top two decks of scuttles between the for’d 4.5” sponson and the fo’c’s’le openings.  When I came to look at them in detail there were some real alignment issues, so a fair few have been filled - re-drilling in better alignment next week.

 

Other than that, all done, so I’ve posed it with the insert in place to see how it looks.  Next week I’ll be working abaft the seaplane crane for the first time in ages - probably ⅓ still to go (maybe less).  

 

I am pretty pleased with how it’s coming together - as so often, a bit more prep and then a coat of primer and it will be transformed.

 

48838567268_3379b38777_b.jpg

 

Til next week

 

Crisp

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That island is really starting to sing and pop visually now Crisp but I just don't know where you get the patience from for all that scuttling. 

 

Have you already mentioned what material you're intending to use for the varieties of masking on the aircraft? 

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4 hours ago, TheBaron said:

 

Have you already mentioned what material you're intending to use for the varieties of masking on the aircraft? 

The eventual plan is to print the masks onto a sheet of Tamiya masking paper and then cut them out with a fresh scalpel blade or three (not being in possession of one of your fancy cutting machines, that is).  

 

I was working on them over the weekend and found some fairly major anomalies in otherwise authoritative-looking profiles; I don’t have the pictures to hand, but basically there were several places where they were internally inconsistent - e.g. EDSG on the port side of the nose when seen from above, but not when viewed from port. It was starting to make my brain hurt by the end.

 

But resolving that kind of issue was kind of the point of working them out on the computer first, so no great problem; I’ll get there in the end.

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To be fair Crisp that sort of issue is endemic even on kit instructions isn't it, I've lost count of the number of times a sheet of instruction should show say,a grey panel running on from a green one on WW2 camouflage paint scheme schematics when what they often show is a green panel back as far as the grey behind the cockpit, say on a Spitfire starboard side view

 

One of the reasons I lost interest in brown and green* airyplanes a while back

 

Working it out the way you are is a beautiful plan, might it be prudent to ask if you will show the WW2 FAA fans the results of your planning?

 

Might save others from the pain

 

 

*my own nickname for ww2 models

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4 hours ago, perdu said:

To be fair Crisp that sort of issue is endemic even on kit instructions isn't it, I've lost count of the number of times a sheet of instruction should show say,a grey panel running on from a green one on WW2 camouflage paint scheme schematics when what they often show is a green panel back as far as the grey behind the cockpit, say on a Spitfire starboard side view

 

One of the reasons I lost interest in brown and green* airyplanes a while back

 

Working it out the way you are is a beautiful plan, might it be prudent to ask if you will show the WW2 FAA fans the results of your planning?

 

Might save others from the pain

 

 

*my own nickname for ww2 models

I’ll definitely share the outputs when I’ve got them to a decent place - there are so many variables that it will always be worth running things through the Plausibility Checker of people who have really studied this action; the @iang et al of this world.  Besides, the ethos of sharing is one of the things I most love about BM; on countless occasions I’ve seen people freely give their expertise to others without expecting anything in return, so it seems the least I can do to follow suit.  I try to make my own minor contributions with the bits I can remember of my rotary wing training, but in comparison with some I’m positively secretive!

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The for’d scuttles are complete (shock!).  Not a great photo, I’m afraid, and the assorted pencil marks and filled incorrect molding and/or my own drilling errors also make it harder to see what’s going on... but all the scuttles really are in place.  The series of pencil squares are to mark a very visible series of grilles which now need to be counter-sunk and added.

48862126092_bbe2c1f02a_b.jpg

 

While all that lot cured, I moved further aft to the sponson / platform midships which supports the seaplane crane and several of the larger boats; it’s been in position for a while, but I haven’t yet added the 20+ supporting brackets... so now I have started [sorry - another rubbish photo]:

48861403948_37305ffe22_b.jpg

 

Incidentally, the grey stain is a patch of Halfords grey rattle can primer used a while ago to test the seam on the upper side of the crane platform. 

 

The parallax from an iPhone close-up make some of these look mis-aligned, but I assure you that they’re not.  10 done, about another 15 to go.

 

More tomorrow

 

Crisp

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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I get the parallax thing just peering out from behind my reading glasses, so I understand the out of kilter look

 

A look which LOOKS fine to me

All the work this model is getting promises a treasure at the end

 

(I think it was looking at, then into, big ship models as a kid which turned me into a modeller, there was a beautiful large ship model in Birmingham Science Museum which was so heart breakingly gorgeous I looked into its spaces and decks for hours any time I visited the museum, now sadly long gone)

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Crisp, is this a competition between you and Tony to see who's gonna use more brass? :gobsmacked:  I just scrolled through the last pics and boy, what a job! :worthy:  Ships aren't really my thing, but I agree with Bill, this is going to look amazing :clap: 

 

Ciao

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Giorgio, you ain’t seen nothing yet: the weapons will be almost 100% brass, and the only styrene element of the island is the basic shape and possibly the mast.  

 

But thanks!  As you know, I love building aircraft, but at the moment I am very much in a ships phase - they are a totally different challenge, but I’m loving this build (despite relatively few references of some important areas).

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I managed to get quite a lot done today, which is pleasing - but more of the same, if you’re looking for variety!

 

First up, I added the other dozen supports under the boat / seaplane crane sponson.  Then I added 15 new rectangular (and - gasp - styrene!) doors / deadlights, which means they’re now all done on the starboard side (some only visible in the second photo).  I drilled a few (6 or 7) missing scuttles identified from photos & Kagero plans.  Added three brass gallery strips at 2 deck level.  And finally I added 24 more scuttles, thus moving quite a lot further aft.

48866929066_3f7af39623_b.jpg

 

Here is a view from further back, showing the aft half of the starboard side.  You can see how much still to do - but most of the complicated prep is done, so it’s largely adding brass scuttles.  Two more sessions, maybe?

48867127922_7afb140a11_b.jpg

 

The pencil marks, as yesterday, are places where I will be adding grilles, which will finally complete this side!

 

Top marks to Madame Crisp today; she saw me abrading Gator Grip glue off the hull with a cocktail stick... and suggested I go to Boots and get some wooden cuticle sticks; essentially giant cocktail sticks with a bevelled end.  5 for £1, and they work perfectly.

 

More later in the week.

 

Crisp

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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P.S. I thought it might give some perspective to see it from yet further back, so you can now see how much I’ve done.  The good news is that probably 80% of the starboard side is now done...

48867120601_c3cd1fd229_b.jpg

 

...and the bad news is that, apart from fixing the hawse pipe and the 4.5” sponsons, I haven’t touched the port side at all yet!

Edited by Ex-FAAWAFU
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14 hours ago, Ex-FAAWAFU said:

and the bad news is that, apart from fixing the hawse pipe and the 4.5” sponsons, I haven’t touched the port side at all yet

Oh boy, that's a lot of work! :frantic:  Plenty of fun, though :winkgrin:

 

Ciao

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