by pascalemod » Fri Feb 15, 2019 9:32 am
The project is complete.
It is a nice little kit but for sure could use a lot of improvements on the tail section. Were I to build a Balao which is the same kit basically, I would full rebuild the props, shafts, and rudders too.
I much prefer the all black paint scheme of the early Gato's, which was tricky to depict. I have painted it all Nato black (Tamiya XF69), then I give it a green-gray wash on the lower hull, and brown-black wash on the upper hull. After this I added a bit of a muck line, and all the rust and streaks on the upper hull.
Next I've used XF69 diluted 9:1 with thinner and sprayed it in parts on the hull to town down the sharp effect those streaks had. I think if you manage smoothly the weathering there is no need for it, but I had to do it. As a result the sub looks rather nice and stealthy, and for sure more to scale.
Antennas are based on 0.2mm brass wire rods and modelkasten 0.06mm tungsten wire. Insulators are made using the KristalKlear shiny glue thing, which is used to make windows usually. I might dull it down later but overall it will do.
Final touch is the life ring on the sail. Some boats had it, some didn't, it was white or red. I made mine white and stuck it using kristal clear, so I can take it off with water if needed.
Here is the result, final, next to a Type 9C Uboat (Gato is BIG), and next to some Battleships (Gato is SMALL) and to a destroyer (Gato is SAME).
- Attachments
-
- Gato
-
- Gato
-
- Next to USS Washington
-
- Next to HMS Hood
-
- Next to Mikasa, a pre-dreadnought
-
- Next to USS Ward, a WW1 destroyer
-
- Next to an ocean going U-boat
-
- Next to an ocean going U-boat
-
- Next to an '88 nuke sub. Again, Gato was a BIG boat!
The project is complete.
It is a nice little kit but for sure could use a lot of improvements on the tail section. Were I to build a Balao which is the same kit basically, I would full rebuild the props, shafts, and rudders too.
I much prefer the all black paint scheme of the early Gato's, which was tricky to depict. I have painted it all Nato black (Tamiya XF69), then I give it a green-gray wash on the lower hull, and brown-black wash on the upper hull. After this I added a bit of a muck line, and all the rust and streaks on the upper hull.
Next I've used XF69 diluted 9:1 with thinner and sprayed it in parts on the hull to town down the sharp effect those streaks had. I think if you manage smoothly the weathering there is no need for it, but I had to do it. As a result the sub looks rather nice and stealthy, and for sure more to scale.
Antennas are based on 0.2mm brass wire rods and modelkasten 0.06mm tungsten wire. Insulators are made using the KristalKlear shiny glue thing, which is used to make windows usually. I might dull it down later but overall it will do.
Final touch is the life ring on the sail. Some boats had it, some didn't, it was white or red. I made mine white and stuck it using kristal clear, so I can take it off with water if needed.
Here is the result, final, next to a Type 9C Uboat (Gato is BIG), and next to some Battleships (Gato is SMALL) and to a destroyer (Gato is SAME). :D