Calling all Russian Varyag/Soya (Варя́г - 1899) & Aurora (Авро́ра - 1896) fans

[mhainey]

Hmmm, if that is a philosophy, Aristotle he ain't.

One other point, I'd make regarding Varyag and either
PE set. Read over both the PE and the kit instructions
so you do things when it makes the most sense --or is at the safest time. For example, if you are adding the accomation ladder, trim out the gangway early. Likewise, while you will trim and sand off the wheel house and "railings" you can use them as formers to shape you PE. Then trim and sand off.

[PetrOs]

Hey,

Well, I know how to work with PE, had a few award winning models earlier Its really just about selection, but I suppose, I will take either WEM and FH, or all 3, i have enough RJW time ships in my pipeline to dress. Anyways, thanks everyone for their opinions

[DariusP]

On another note, it is interesting that the outside of the colws is painted mostly white in one picture and buf in the other. Are these publicly available anywhere?

Ship's commanders of the time were free (within overall scheme) to paint details on their ships according to their taste and Variag was in service long enough. As for photos: first fragment comes from a photo that you have included in your previous post. Second one is available on the net somewhere. I can't remember where I got it from off-hand but, if you PM me your email address, I will send it to you.

[G.A.G.]

Two more sources of pictures for the Varyag, which fellow MW modeler DariusP suggested:

Here are two more websites about Variag. ...
http://tsushima.su/RU/shipsru/shipsruss ... ryagphoto/
http://forums.airbase.ru/2009/07/t67904 ... -ryav.html

[MichelB]

I found this load of images on a russian site, perhaps there some useful / unknown ones:

http://englishrussia.com/2012/01/06/var ... more-86669

[mermaid]

An interesting film about Varyag covering its lifetime, commander, crew , descendants, artefacts, memorials.
With English subtitles.
Lots of unique footage including its building, trials, the battle, time as IJN "Soya" and wreck in Irish sea where it is now.
also some vews of IJN ships of the period and inside Mikasa museum.

http://video.yandex.ru/users/ya-ertata/ ... odia&cid=4#

[Varyag]

Hy

I am started the Varyag with the Fly Hawk PEs - but unfortunatelly the main reelings are to short - or I am not a good builder (which can be as its my first ship build) - so I purchased the WEM kit too

Now I have a mix with both sets - the structur between the davits I scratched with evergreens

As i am a newbee and have no idea if its adequat to post in progress pics here I for now write only

[Christian M.]

Why didn't I see this topic earlier before starting my Varyag? Damn it! I'm now ready with about 85% at my Varyag and seeing / reading this all here, I become really angry about myself and I'm short before buying this damned excellent made Russian cruiser from Zvezda again ... with giving my current Varyag for scrapping! For sure my lust to build her further is nearly melted away now...


Here you see what I mean (it is some further built now, for example main guns are installed and other things).




However,
maybe you know some points to avoid any mistakes done by me:

a) Which color had the hull of Varyag in grey wartime paint ... Hull Red or still that same Green from the white peace time paint?
I know that she was in drydock at Port Arthur after travel from Baltics to Korea, also that she was repainted to a "darker grey", but the hull underwater is no where mentioned and that black-white pictures of here are no serious source to rate about colour here.

b) I'm for 80% sure that their funnels were repainted in grey too ... but only for 80% and not 100%. I made them here still yellow left, because some "artist freedom" ... but if making her again, I will make this correct too.

c) All that dhingies and small boats on the side, were they repainted in grey too and if yes, completly all over or only in parts?
I'm not sure when looking of some of the original photos ... for example that long boat with the funnel.

Cheers,
Christian

[Christian M.]

Addendum:

Question about hull color at grey war paint of Varyag (=> green or hull red) I received now by chance a clear answer by a Russian colleague in my model club, who has several Russian books and other sources about. It is as i was told now as followed and maybe intresting for other people too, making Varyag:

Varyag left Baltic Sea in whithe painting, yellow / black funnels and green underwater hull when travelling to Far East (Korea) to reinforce Russian Pacific Fleet.
For this color scheme the instruction of Zvezda is correct in all parts so long, only the "real color" of funnels if being more yellow or more buff like is unclear.
After she reached Korea and before war with Japan broke out, she was re-painted from white in a dark grey (including funnels for 95% sure), but which is in shade not really clear and still in endless discussion.
Normally Russian Navy used often a very dark grey which is like about "German Panzer grey" (color of German WW2 tanks until 1943) or even a little bit darker. These dark color went - as my colleague told - often fast lighter, because sunlight and other "weathering" effects like salt water washing and because color was not of best quality. So it was in practice, if not fresh from shipyards coming, a paint with some dark grey areas and shading with medium grey around etc.
At Varyag this was lesser given, because relative fresh repainted in grey, but because white basic color before and quality of color questionable, the grey seems to be also more a medium grey at least, because some of the (not really good) old pictures show often a lighter grey and not a real dark greay at her, even re-worked photos with modern software makes it clearer that not a real dark grey.

For underwater hull, there is following point now:
It is indisputable (proofed by photo and documents) that Varyag entered in Port Arthur dry dock after her long travel from Baltic Sea. Because hull had much fouling out of travel, underwater hull was cleaned, repaired and then repainted with a new color and this color was an hull red like anti-fouling color for that warmer waters as the russian books and documents of my colleague tell.
So if this is true, instruction of Zvezda for grey war paint will be wrong at underwater hull area (they tell green as at white peace time paint).

How trustfull the sources of my colleague are, including if not outdated knowledge told, I can't rate. The books I saw were some older, but the translation of the Russian text makes sense in logical matter in my eyes. I hope this helps.

Cheers,
Christian

Edit:

Christian, don't you think that it might be a good idea for you to edit your post about Variag's colours in CASF Cruisers section?

To make it short:
Varyag was in wartime NOT painted in grey, but in a color named dark olive and hull was hull red painted, even when starting travel to Korea! This dark olive is a mix of Russian green ochre and black at least (thanks to Darius here).This means at least, that instruction of Zvezda is wrong, also my and many other Varyag built are wrong painted (if being grey painted).

[Uhu]

Has anyone seen the new Artwox set for the 1/350 Varyag? Since besides wood deck, it includes brass under-deck and new superstructure, I wonder if it corrects the Zvesda kit's big problem-- hull is too narrow. Are the Artwox deck pieces wider than the Zvesda plastic kit parts? Can anyone have a look at this and tell me. I might buy a set, as expensive as it is, if it does correct this issue. Thanks!

Dave

[Christian M.]

Has anyone seen the new Artwox set for the 1/350 Varyag? Since besides wood deck, it includes brass under-deck and new superstructure, I wonder if it corrects the Zvesda kit's big problem-- hull is too narrow. Are the Artwox deck pieces wider than the Zvesda plastic kit parts? Can anyone have a look at this and tell me. I might buy a set, as expensive as it is, if it does correct this issue. Thanks!

Dave

As far as I know, Artwork Set replace much of Zvezda kit. But I think / my opinion is that it is superfluos because it corrects things that are not really name to be wrong. You name here as reason that hull is too narrow, well, ... I don't use now my calculator to check, but as far as I was told we are talking between 1mm to 2.5mm and the reason is simple that that model is not excactly 1/350. Sure, it is a personal view and decision if this is a problem and I accept everyones decisions of course ... but for me it is in area where it is ok.

I think necessary is only WEM Set or from someone else for PE parts, maybe brass masts and brass gun barrels.

[Deranius]

Hello to all,
My name is Rade and I got as a gift plastic model kit of "Aurora" made by Maquette. The build scheme is rather poor, and my main problem is the actual paints. Model represents "Aurora" in configuration after 1917, with 14*152 mm guns, so if anyone can post me some recommendations on painting scheme, preferably with RAL color codes, I would be grateful. Also any advice concerning the build would be welcomed.

[Timmy C]

You might want to ask in this thread: viewtopic.php?f=48&t=83814

[Deranius]

I don't know if it is possible to move my topic there in order not to spam the forum with repeating threads...

[DariusP]

Couple of links for you Rade:

Old issue of Modelist Konstructor with drawings of the ship as she appeared in 1917:
http://hobbyport.ru/ships/avrora_mk77.htm
Be aware that, if you are aiming for accuracy, those old MK drawings need to be treated with a bit of caution.

A thread about building Maquette's (ex Oganiok, ex Heller) Aurora from Russian forum:
http://scalemodels.ru/modules/forum/vie ... 26743.html
More links in this thread.

Can't help you with RAL codes but, if you paste "??????? ??????" (without commas) into your browser address bar you will get photos and drawings to get you going.

[Plasma_Frigate]

So I got the Ark Models 1:400 Aurora anniversary set as a gift in September and am looking at starting it now. Ark Models is a Russian company, they don't do many ships and the few warships that they have are only 1:400 and 1:500 and poor quality at best, being reboxes of old Heller kits I believe. However the Aurora 1917-2017 model they have made additional resin pieces for detail as well as a basic photoetch set.

Now to the hard part, painting Aurora in the right colors. Ark Models say the model is presented as Aurora was in 1941. Aurora was stripped of armament at that time so it's anyone's guess whether 1941 version is accurate. They've also included a very peculiar painting scheme. I'm not doubting its integrity since it is a RUSSIAN company after all and they should know their stuff. It calls for red antifouling, green bootcap and white secondary bootcap. See picture attached.


In all Aurora models I've seen it always has green antifouling. Did the Soviets start using red antifouling by World War 2? What would the purpose of having two bootcap stripes be? And why a green bootcap not a black one?

Also, they've specified a kind of red linoleum color for the rear platform as well as the walkway that spans the superstructure. Odd that's its only on the one platform and not the rest. Any basis why this might be?

[maxim]

I bought recently Cruisers of the 1st Rank. Avrora, Diana, Pallada by Aleksiey V. Skvorcov, an English translation of the 2012 book published by Gangut in Russian. It is very detailed - but apparently not regarding colours...

There is a plan of Aurora as in 1917 (which requires some changes for the Heller kit, which depicts the museum ship before the 1984-87 rebuilt). The rear platform for two 45 mm is depicted differently to the bridge decks and the platform for the two 76 mm guns. The main decks are shown as planked, the other platforms (except of the platform above the wheelhouse, which is also shown as planked) appear to have gratings - but the rear platform is shown without any structure, which could indicate red linoleum.

Many Russian ships have additional stripes above the boot top in different colours.

[Plasma_Frigate]

I bought recently Cruisers of the 1st Rank. Avrora, Diana, Pallada by Aleksiey V. Skvorcov, an English translation of the 2012 book published by Gangut in Russian. It is very detailed - but apparently not regarding colours...

There is a plan of Aurora as in 1917 (which requires some changes for the Heller kit, which depicts the museum ship before the 1984-87 rebuilt). The rear platform for two 45 mm is depicted differently to the bridge decks and the platform for the two 76 mm guns. The main decks are shown as planked, the other platforms (except of the platform above the wheelhouse, which is also shown as planked) appear to have gratings - but the rear platform is shown without any structure, which could indicate red linoleum.

Many Russian ships have additional stripes above the boot top in different colours.

Thanks Maxim. I am doing my model out of the box, not a 1917 version. After some additional research I discovered that my model is to represent the 2017 version of this ship. Can you believe it? The extra resin details provided in the ARK kit, including new foredeck, represent Aurora as it is today. Indeed the color scheme they provided is correct: grey, white, red and green.

Still, the base of the kit is still the old Heller plastic, terrible quality and moulding.

[maxim]

Interesting, what does the kit do to correct the anchors?

[Plasma_Frigate]

Interesting, what does the kit do to correct the anchors?

More detailed, for sure, if that's what you mean.