by pnolan48 » Sat Apr 21, 2012 6:57 pm
They are going to be expensive, in the $900-$1200 range. Or perhaps even more. But they are no-compromise 1:160 models, with custom photo-etched brass for the bridge, flight deck safety nets, and main deck railings, and also many custom castings for boats and boat-handling gear, including RIBs. I'm even trying a 1:160 Dauphin, as the 1:144 are simply too big.
I have five hulls built, but the bow contours are wrong, too bulbous, and I haven't quite figured out how to modify the built-up styrene construction. The superstructure is complex and has to be hand-built, with curves in all three dimensions--these look good, but have to be built in situ, which makes painting a pain. Besides the bow, the hull is fiendishly difficult because of the tumblehome aft of the bridge. It was not so hard to build one, but repeating the builds is taxing my skills. I was trying to do the hull sides up to the flight deck as one continuous skin, but that decision may have been foolish. There are no visible formers for the tumblehome so, unless I went to brass, the continuous skin was the only solution I came up with.
It is a beautiful ship. I agree that the stack refit, along with the larger bridge, improved their looks. I will be getting back to them next month, after I finish up the Active-class cutters and the Santa Fe tugs.
They are going to be expensive, in the $900-$1200 range. Or perhaps even more. But they are no-compromise 1:160 models, with custom photo-etched brass for the bridge, flight deck safety nets, and main deck railings, and also many custom castings for boats and boat-handling gear, including RIBs. I'm even trying a 1:160 Dauphin, as the 1:144 are simply too big.
I have five hulls built, but the bow contours are wrong, too bulbous, and I haven't quite figured out how to modify the built-up styrene construction. The superstructure is complex and has to be hand-built, with curves in all three dimensions--these look good, but have to be built in situ, which makes painting a pain. Besides the bow, the hull is fiendishly difficult because of the tumblehome aft of the bridge. It was not so hard to build one, but repeating the builds is taxing my skills. I was trying to do the hull sides up to the flight deck as one continuous skin, but that decision may have been foolish. There are no visible formers for the tumblehome so, unless I went to brass, the continuous skin was the only solution I came up with.
It is a beautiful ship. I agree that the stack refit, along with the larger bridge, improved their looks. I will be getting back to them next month, after I finish up the Active-class cutters and the Santa Fe tugs.