The Big One... Trumpeter 1/200 Bismarck 1940 build

[codythecatt]

Just for those who want an extra (but rather expensive ) touch if they build this full hull.Full turned brass propellers and shafts.

Channell: STOP!! Just take a deeeeeeep breath, count to 100, and the urge will slowly fade away! See: it's all gone now! roflmao

I had to take a second look at your last post ... thought I had finally, completely, totally lost it. Then it dawned on me you had edited it. Whew! (think I need a cold beer now)

[Channell]

Yea I have a nasty habit of doing an update, only to realize I've forgotten something I wanted to add. It is a WIP after all, and I don't have an editor to put it together for me!

[Perth_shipyard]

Brilliant work! And I thought I was a mad

http://www.modellschlachtschiffe.de/shop/product.asp?numPageStartPosition=1&strPageHistory=cat&strKeywords=&strSearchCriteria=&PT_ID=95&P_ID=273&btnProduct=Mehr+Infos

Just for those who want an extra (but rather expensive ) touch if they build this full hull.Full turned brass propellers and shafts.

85 Euros just for propellers?!

That's about 1/3 the price of the entire kit just for propellers! I swear the aftermarket have totally lost their minds on this kit.

This isn't designed for the trumpeter kit. They've been around for years producing gorgeous semi kits and parts for 1/100 and 1/200 German vessels and from memory 1/72. They only deliver to Germany unfortunately I assume to keep postage down. I contacted them a year ago in regards to their bismark hull and fittings but was told unless I knew someone in Germany, they wouldn't sell or should I say post the items to me. I've family in holland and even that wasn't doable perhaps some of our German friends might be able to help in this area

[Channell]

... half way there on the new portholes in the forward superstructure!



My next small project is the conning tower. It is another part that can be upgraded without the benefit of PE.

Here it is as Trumpeter gives it to us:





It's great... for 1/350 scale.

Like so many other windows in this kit the conning tower windows are generally warped and sucky. I replaced the side windows with 3 rows of styrene strips glued together (minus the window openings themselves), then cut slots into the conning tower and inserted the tiny "styrene sandwiches" into it. I also cut the windows into the top which were entirely absent, though they are certainly too big so I'll need to tweak them some more.

Also, because this is a 1940 Bismarck I will not install the radar unit on the conning tower as it was not installed on the real ship at the time.


This means yet another difficult seam to fill, though luckily for me the joint and rivets are already molded into the conning tower. The black tape all over will hopefully protect the rivets while I sand and clean up the holes.





I also plan to open up and scratchbuild the giant "bank safe" doors into the conning tower

(seen here on the wreck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OmBeiEhvsYE)

More details forthcoming!

[LE BOSCO]

HI Jason

still impressive your yards good changes, compared to the kit
I see trumpetter knows how to bugs at every scale
good "courage" for the rest
Cheers
nicolas

[Channell]

Thanks Nicholas, I'm gonna need it!

[Channell]

I'm doing some quick research on the conning tower specifically and am hoping someone can help. First, what are the 3 rectangular boxes on the sides of the tower (to each side on the forward end)? I see they aren't on the wreck and can't find a historic pic online that shows them but they are on quite a few large scale models. Should they even be there?

Second, I'm having a problem with resources for the windows on the roof of the conning tower. I see the windows are very tiny but some models have only 1 on each side while others have two. Again I can't find a good historic photo online.

Anybody know?

[Perth_shipyard]

The shipcraft book has a very clear shot of this on the tirpitz. She has two windows each side on the top so I'm going with that as nothing of the photos from Bismarck are clear enough. It also shows the boxes mounted on the sides. They just appear to be deck lockers- perhaps storage for equipment to do with the night directors and target givers.

[NigelR32]

In these pics, it looks to me like there are no windows at all, particularly on the port side??

http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/w ... eck_2.html

As for the boxes, are there witnesses of perhaps some mounting areas in these pictures?

One other thing, there are two square holes/grilles in the roof of the structure below the conning tower, yet they are not apparent in the pic you loaded earlier on?

[Channell]

It's hard to get really good info from the wreck because it's...well, wrecked.

Not to mention the Royal Navy filled it with a few thousand holes. There is quite a bit of sediment on the conning tower now, so I think the roof windows are just buried under it.

Just in case anybody doesn't know about them yet, there are quite a few uncut and VERY high quality videos of the wreck here:

http://www.youtube.com/channel/UClVlyPq ... ature=mhee

I was watching them yesterday with a Rammstein album on... it was quite the emotional experience.



Anyway, on the rectangles, some 1/100 models show them as much smaller electrical boxes(?) with pipes going down to the deck so I might do the same...

[BobaFettSlave_1]

I have to run out right now, so I cant elaborate on this more just yet, but from what I remember on from looking over the wreck footage, there should be two small windows on each side (P&S) and one in the center front. They are however very small because this was supposed to be the equivalent of an armored vault.

Heres a veiw of one on the side @ 1:48 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4rw47C0kps
And heres a vew of the one in the center, just above a shell hit. @ 4:17 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGDD1D9HB4

I'll look through some more video to see about the ones on top when i get the chance.

Dana

[Channell]

I have to run out right now, so I cant elaborate on this more just yet, but from what I remember on from looking over the wreck footage, there should be two small windows on each side (P&S) and one in the center front. They are however very small because this was supposed to be the equivalent of an armored vault.

Heres a veiw of one on the side @ 1:48 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4rw47C0kps
And heres a vew of the one in the center, just above a shell hit. @ 4:17 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGDD1D9HB4

I'll look through some more video to see about the ones on top when i get the chance.

Dana

You can see the roof windows pretty clearly in that last video; it still looks like 2 on each side but they are in different places than the divits trumpeter put on.

(edit) I honestly can't tell if there is a window on the front (wall); it looks like there's an "eyebrow" there but it could be shell damage too...

[NigelR32]

I didn't notice you were going for a 1940 scheme until tonight Jason.

I'm with you on the wreck pics, but they're all we've got today that's "real". I'm building an Atlantic May'41 Bismarck, so things should be a little easier for me. KLooking again at the picture you posted earlier tonight, I think I can make out the tops of two windows on each side?? Maybe they welded them up when the radar was fitted??

I'm a dreamer!!

[NigelR32]

I have to run out right now, so I cant elaborate on this more just yet, but from what I remember on from looking over the wreck footage, there should be two small windows on each side (P&S) and one in the center front. They are however very small because this was supposed to be the equivalent of an armored vault.

Heres a veiw of one on the side @ 1:48 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4rw47C0kps
And heres a vew of the one in the center, just above a shell hit. @ 4:17 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYGDD1D9HB4

I'll look through some more video to see about the ones on top when i get the chance.

Dana

You can see the roof windows pretty clearly in that last video; it still looks like 2 on each side but they are in different places than the divits trumpeter put on....

I cannot see what Bob is referring to in the first video?? I also fail to see the centre window above the blast. There's definitely something there, but I'm not sure it's a window??

I am, like you jason, surprised to see those small windows. They look like they came off a tank!!

[Perth_shipyard]

Give me a minute and I'll post the pic of tirpitz conning tower. This should be basically the same as bismarck's. The radar is on and they didn't weld the tip windows shut.

[Perth_shipyard]

ok Tirpitz in March/April 1942 in Norway.

Here there are two small slits on either side up top, with two below either side and a third in the middle.

[Channell]

I cannot see what Bob is referring to in the first video?? I also fail to see the centre window above the blast. There's definitely something there, but I'm not sure it's a window??

I am, like you jason, surprised to see those small windows. They look like they came off a tank!!

It's gotta be a window in the center... or what's left of one anyway. You can make out the "eyebrow" at least. They are crazy-small to replicate in 1/200 scale but I did say I want to go into "intense detail" on this one back in the beginning...

[Channell]

ok Tirpitz in March/April 1942 in Norway.

Here there are two small slits on either side up top, with two below either side and a third in the middle.

Yep, there's clearly a center window there. One more thing Trumpeter missed...

[Olaf Held]

Yep, there's clearly a center window there. One more thing Trumpeter missed...

This is what I don't understand. Okay, this is a minor detail, but it's there. Sometimes I wonder how those kits are designed, who is responsible, etc. etc.

I mean, I can understand that they may have the wrong planking here and there, but things like this or the mis-placed stem anchor hawsehole can be seen in photos that are readily available, no secrets here. Is it really more difficult to get things right than wrong?

I have that beast added to my stash fleet on my attic. With all the threads here reporting ooopsies on the kit, will I ever dare to attempt?

Happy pondering ~ Olaf!

[Channell]

Yep, there's clearly a center window there. One more thing Trumpeter missed...

This is what I don't understand. Okay, this is a minor detail, but it's there. Sometimes I wonder how those kits are designed, who is responsible, etc. etc.

I mean, I can understand that they may have the wrong planking here and there, but things like this or the mis-placed stem anchor hawsehole can be seen in photos that are readily available, no secrets here. Is it really more difficult to get things right than wrong?

I have that beast added to my stash fleet on my attic. With all the threads here reporting ooopsies on the kit, will I ever dare to attempt?

Happy pondering ~ Olaf!

My opinion of this kit has taken a nose-dive at high velocity since I first opened the box. For the kind of Bismarck I want to display on my shelf I almost would have been better off scratchbuilding... So much needs to be fixed!

I'm noticing a general pattern on the errors though... Most of them are on pieces that are rounded or angled away from the broadside angle.

Trumpeter made a lot of the parts 1 piece but that caused many details to be skewed and warped in those areas. Most of these problems wouldn't have occurred if they had molded the pieces in seperate sections like a traditional kit.

Plus, I'm anal.

I guess I should say that I am aiming for a model that holds up on very close inspection too; you know how a model can look great a certain distance but the miniature effect "falls apart" when looking really closely? I don't know how successful I'll be, but I want the scale effect to work even if I'm looking with my nose touching the deck. I have the lofty goal of building a 1/200 ship with 1/100 details.