1/200 Bismarck May 1941 by trumpeter

[Perth_shipyard]

No yet if you look at the kit piece and that photo, trumpeter have did pretty well. Luckily there's something left to actually build rather than just cut out and glue in place

[Perth_shipyard]

ok so just a small update. The funnel is completed with the KA pieces. The bottom structure with the vents isn't attached to the funnel, hence why it's wonky - before anyone says

Now for the real fun, scratch building all the extra details!

[Perth_shipyard]

further development of the funnel adding lockers and pipes using brass rod, stretched sprue and styrene.

[Perth_shipyard]

after a first prime, it definitely brings out the detail.

[Perth_shipyard]

A tip guys, the funnel cap isn't glued to the rest of the funnel casing yet as its to be painted aluminium, well atleast to look like it. If you glue it as the instructions say to well before adding the PE rails (the kit does supply the rails for the top of the funnel casing and not all of them as the KA set) it'll be a bugger to mask and paint.

[Perth_shipyard]

How it looks in place.

[Perth_shipyard]

Not that it matters here, but Bismarck did not carry a FuMo 21... but angled metal strips for attaching lanterns that belong to the night signalling system...

Great build, keep it coming!


Happy modelling ~ Olaf!

I could be wrong.. But I always thought these were bases for more supposed but not installed mattress antennae.

[Perth_shipyard]

Just did some more digging on the Kbismarck forum and found out the logic to the metal strips. Is there a photo lurking with the lanterns attached anywhere?

[Herr Nilsson]

No, there is no known picture except one of a German destroyer after the war in the harbor of Boston.
You will find these strips on all Kriegsmarine ships, but they are sometimes hard to find, because they are often no strips but part of the structure. The strips on the foretop gallery are wrong by the way. There was no framework behind them and they were part of the bulwark.

[Perth_shipyard]

I was hoping that wasn't the case. Atleast the lower foot rope support can stay.

[Herr Nilsson]

There is in fact a small strip under the bulwark of the foretop gallery and because of the shadows there seems to be a complete framework behind the "strips", but if you take a closer look you will see just a handrail between them ....
http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/g ... tion08.jpg

The original strip was later modified an projected a bit to the front:
http://www.bismarck-class.dk/bismarck/g ... ion205.jpg

[Perth_shipyard]

I may just leave it for now it shouldn't be too difficult to take off.

[Herr Nilsson]

Anton, don't worry. Even on Josef Kaiser's model the foretop gallery strips are wrong. So you're in great company.

[Perth_shipyard]

Anton, don't worry. Even on Josef Kaiser's model the foretop gallery strips are wrong. So you're in great company.

Thanks J.K's model is the one I've relying on when I can't find a suitable picture! I just wish I had his book

[Perth_shipyard]

Hangers either side of the funnel now built up.

[NigelR32]

Keep em coming Anton!!

You must be working on this kit 36 hours a day, 9 days a week!!

[Perth_shipyard]

hahaha thanks Nigel

I've spent about 4 hours a day on her for the past two weeks. Unfortunately, reality is about to set in and I'm back to my day job tomorrow so progress will slow down a tad. Probably a good thing The hangers are one of the best bits so far! with the PE set there's really not much else to do with them. I'm still finding more and more little things I want to add here and there, but I'm going to be realistic and If my micro tweezers can't pick it up... it's too small a detail and not worth bothering with hahaha Hat's off to those guys who super detail 1/700 ships!

[Channell]

Really great work Anton and REALLY fast. Your hangars look very good; did you thin out the boat racks at all? I thought they looked too thick on the Trumpeter promotion pics but they look great here.

[NigelR32]

Anton,

Going back to the beginning of this thread, where you fitted the wooden deck, I notice that the deck sits "on top" of the hull, and is actually higher than the edges of the Hull, as in the attached pictures. Do you intend to address this, or is it not overly noticeable?

[Perth_shipyard]

Hey channell, I thought the same until I saw the pieces themselves and I think they're actually spot on. Need to be careful taking them off the spruce as they're molded on right on the cradles so need to take it easy trimming.

Hey Nigel, the wood planks actually were laid on top of the steel deck so the effect is correct. There is about a 1.5mm gap between the edge of the margin plank and the edge of the hull which is also correct. In the photo you will see what appears to be a lip in the hull which rises above the deck planking, what that is, is where the steel deck and hull are joined. I was going to use plastic strip to represent this on the model, but the railings supplied by KA include a strip on the base which while is there to help attach them to the hull, also will pass for this lip on the deck

The edge of bismarcks hull does have a 45% angled edge which I've already sanded to match, so when I add the railings I'll attach them just above the edge leaving the gap of steel deck visible from the margin planks of the deck.