Achtung! Comments Please

[Captain Birdseye]

Hi guys,

As some of you know, i've been making a 1:72 scale VIIC. I've just about finished it now, I just need to apply vinyls and paint the stand.

It's a fictional U-Boat so the paint job isn't accurate to a specific U-Boat but is based very loosely on U-69.

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/DSC00180.jpg
Here she is in all of her glory... (Might have gone over the top with rust...what do you think? it's my first attempt at weathering models )

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/DSC00181.jpg
On watch... just showing some of the detail on the bridge... figures not glued down yet.

http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/DSC00176.jpg
That's my index finger there, giving you an idea of the size of figure I was painting, and how big the VIIC is!

Comments please?

Thanks.

[Jimbuna]

Very nice, well done

Where precisely in your home/room do you intend displaying her?

[Nerazzurri]

Nice weathering around the turret mate - I didn't notice any of that in the first picture

Any chance of a couple of pictures in the same scale of the bow and stern areas? The large photo doesn't really do your efforts justice.

[Captain Birdseye]

Thanks Chaps, it's appreciated

Jimbuna - We have a display cabinet in the front room with a large selection of 1:72 Corgi fighters and bombers from every theater, so it's likely she'll go up on the top with the Flower Class Corvette (I can't help but hum 'Little Red Corvette' When I say that ).

Nerazzuri - Sure thing, i'm off out to do an interview now, but i'll take some tonight and upload them

Thanks again lads.

[Damo]

Looking good. I used to make a lot of models years ago when I was in the Air Cadets, taking part in the annual aero-modelling competitions, aircraft only though. Makes me want to take it up again, I used to love going into the details of oil streaks and repair patches to age them. My best effort was a great scene I made of a Mosquito being repaired that had various removed panels and exposed engine details after cutting the plastic myself and adding improvised parts in the cut sections and using thin wire to make it look real. I used wet n dry sandpaper for the tarmac using water tinted with dark brown paint to simulate oil stains and train set type grass with real moss to randomise the verges. Add in a ground crew set with figures and generators and a refuel truck and it was quite impressive, all in 1:48th scale. The whole thing was about 2ft by 3 ft and got me first place in the comp.

I took it pretty seriously, lol, and had some pics somewhere but can't find them for the life of me, lost them when I moved house. I'd really like to build a bomber in the same style, maybe a B-25 or even a HE-111. I've still got my airbrush in the loft, and you can't beat the paint finish with one of those, especially with camouflage.

You've inspired me to get off the PC and revisit a pastime I used to enjoy before computers....lol. Good job.

[Kubryk]

Kudos, job well done! Now please wrap it nicely and send it to me
(I envy people with gifted hands, I could never do a model like this)

[Jimbuna]

I wouldn't mind seeing a shot of that display cabinet

[nikbear]

Very nicely done,good jobWould love to have ago at making that model,you get your money's worth,Its a fair old sizeI used to struggle when I was younger and making models to find space for them,Lancasters,Superfortress,that kind of thing,but that Its huge,and I bet quite heavy and all

[Platapus]

When I get out of school, one of my fantasies is working on that model.

Looks like you did a great job.

How tough was the work?

[Captain Birdseye]

Thank you so much fellas, really glad I have inspired some of you!!

Damo - Completely agree with the airbrush. Shame that my funds don't allow it but it's something i'd love to be able to do so kudos to you.

Kubryk - Thanks I don't know about gifted hands... you should see my culinary delights (or frights, as the case may be)!

Jimbuna - Will take pics of that for you as soon as sunlight reappears. It looks better in natural light.

Nikbear - It isn't heavy really, the actual boat is completely hollow apart from some "bulkheads" keeping the integrity of the shell together. The only other thing is the periscope tubes extend down into the body of the ship, just to keep the conning tower in the correct place.

Platapus - Have a go! I haven't modelled for nearly two years, but found this a very nice mix of pleasure, and a challenge. Generally, the parts go together easily and well, if you keep your faith with the glue! Some parts do need some negotiation and manipulation but it's not out of the reach of any modeller... The hardest thing was the wires! Once you've got them cracked you're on your way to having a great sub to show off


Anyway...

Bow & Stern, please note this was taken at night using flash. So pics are little more "blue" than usual!!

Here's the bow, I like the weathering here, not sure what to do around the torp tube sections...
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/DSC00186.jpg


The stern needs a little work, once coat of paint on the silver propeller arm, stick the propeller on and jobs a good 'un!
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/DSC00188.jpg

A great step for me as a modeller... managed to paint on wear and tear of the bridge's floor. Also managed to get black and white dots to represent the compass
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/DSC00189.jpg

Finally... not the greatest photo but here is my deck gun. Fully movable.
http://i298.photobucket.com/albums/m...n/DSC00193.jpg

Thanks guys, sorry for such a long post.

[Nerazzurri]

Looks good mate.

Was the weathering notional or did you look at photographs of UBoats? To my untrained eye it looks good anyway!

[melnibonian]

It looks very nice

[Bent Periscope]

Don't place her to close to the Corvette, you don't know what might happen. I'd hate to see the U-boot depthcarged or the Corvette torpedoed.

BP

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Captain Birdseye

Jimbuna - Will take pics of that for you as soon as sunlight reappears. It looks better in natural light.

Are you living in perpetual darkness?

[Nerazzurri]

Originally Posted by jimbuna

Are you living in perpetual darkness?

He likes to keep his night vision sharp for watch on the bridge