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Having finished all of my previous projects for the US Nationals, it's now time to start a new project which I've wanted to do for a while - Russian RJW vintage gunboat Bobr. It was built in 1883, displaced 1200 tons and was armed with a 9" gun in the bow casemate and a 6" gun at the stern, as well as some smaller guns. It was extensively used in the defense of Port Arthur and was sunk by siege artillery towards the end of the siege.

There isn't that much info on it, but I did manage to find some drawings for it published back in the 1980s. I'm going to build it in the defense of Port Arthur configuration. Here is how it will look like:


As usual for me the lower part of the hull was done using the styrene sandwich with the deck plan glued on top. The was later sanded down to the exact shape:



As a next step I added the rails for the guns (the gunboat still had the old style mounts that rode on rails) and started doing the superstruture):



That all for now. Once I finish the superstructure I'll start working on the bulwarks.

Vladimir

Hi,

great subject selection and modeling!

Bye!

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»Als ik kan«

Hi Vladimir A very interesting and unusual subject . Please keep us up dated .
Dave Wooley

Another beautiful and interesting work of Vladimir.

I remeber the Sisoy Veliky and the monitor Udarnyi. Beatiful works. I´m making the dreadnought. How long is the gunboat?
Sorry by language.
Greetings from Spain.

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On workbench:


1/700 Uss North Carolina
1/700 Uss Missouri
1/700 Uss Mobile Bay CG-53
1/700 Uss Virginia CGN-38
Rebuild
HMS Hood (Tamiya) 1986

Looks like a most interesting subject!!

I love the reverse sheer bow fierce face look--with the rather elegant and apologetic counter stern!!



JIM B

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....I buy them at three times the speed I build 'em.... will I live long enough to empty my stash...?
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Thanks, It's about 8.5cm long. 60m in real life.

Vladimir

Yes, that is what drew me to it as well . The cool part is the forward casemate is open from the back so I'll be able to detail it and have it be visible this time .

Hi Vladimir
great skill in this subject

I always like to watch your scratchbuilding in progress! You are a good teacher.


Bob Pink.

Continuing with the construction of the hull. I finished the superstructure and to add the more 3D effect to the ship I decided to open up some of the hatches in the hull and show the ladders descending tin the hull. I used a Dremel to hollow out the space below the deck and cut the holes in the deck:



Next step was building the bulwarks. I didn't find any photos of the deck on the gunboat, so I took a look at other Russian ships of the era and saw that the sailor's hammocks were usually stored in the bulwarks, so they were pretty thick in some places - so that is what I did, made the spaces between the gun ports thicker:



The rest of the sides were done using my usual method of CA glue impregnated paper. I cut out the gun ports in it and glued it to the sides of the hull. I also made the bow casemate. The rounded roof was made by making a master and then heatforming the plastic using it.




That is is for now. The hull is basically ready, now I need to add the small details to it and start working on the interior of the casemate.

Vladimir

I love your method. Wish I could work that small.

Russ

Bob Pink.

It's been pointed out to me that the bulwarks didn't have the thick parts for hammocks, but rather there was a trough running along the outer edge for them, so I had to re-do it. Here is the result of the redoing:



Vladimir

Vladimir did you continue this build? (and finish it?)

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Yard conversion to merchant shipbuilding

It kind-of stalled, but I haven't lost interest in it, so hopefully I'll continue it soon.

The world is waiting, hope you get back into it .

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If you are not living on the edge then you are taking up to much space

Hello Vladimir!
Attentively I observe of model construction.

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It is better to worm his way in the tail of the professionals than to soar above the kettles.
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