De Grasse Heller 1/400

[Triumph68]

ok...new warf being opened...the French light cruiser "De Grasse"
she's a remarkable ship..starting construction in 1938 as a relatively classic looking light Cruiser with 9 heavy guns ...stopped because of war...re-defined as a Carrier by the Germans...stopped in 1942...after war in 1946 re-started...stopped again and finely finished in 1956 as a AA ship primary...
Not many war ships started in 1938...lived 18 years until sunk or broken up... for the De Grasse...it was her construction time only lol

I will build her as she was when she was finaly finished...say around '59

I'll be using these lay-out and...as usual...real pictures of her

[Triumph68]

started doing bridge windows.....not easy to make nice square windows...and main problem...all same size.

as usual in heller kits...the bridge windows are roughly ...say designed on the plastik...
to show my way...I drill first holes...then cut it out in to shape with...a cutter

if somebody has a better way...feel free to say how you do it...I'll be very attentive

[Triumph68]

I have a damaged built model of that ship that I am going to rebuild into the command ship during the French nuclear tests. I have a spare Colbert model that i'll kitbash into the all gun cruiser de grasse.

looks like I'm not the only one that has a lot on the ...to do list lol

[Triumph68]

been taking all major pieces from frame...cleaning them..and glueing 1deck +1 wall together so I keeping all floors separate until fully ended...
this ship looks to be way easier than Scheer was...I know...its when it looks easy...you have to be carefull...
still....I think its gonna take me less time to do
been looking on the web also about the heller guns (the 57 and 127)vs Arsenal...not sure if its worth buying the arsenal ones...all advise as always welcome

[Triumph68]

as I was looking at the 57 and 127 mm guns...Arsenal are in six pack....I went looking if yes I have Colbert....sort of eventual combined use
I have...so I went looking what's in there....darn...that's when you see (my Colbert is an older kit than my De Grasse) there is a BIG difference in details..

then I rapidly fixed the 2 half together and put middle deck part in to compare
you clearly see the difference in their concept...and size +8m for De Grasse
then put all I have roughly together

[Triumph68]

I have a damaged built model of that ship that I am going to rebuild into the command ship during the French nuclear tests. I have a spare Colbert model that i'll kitbash into the all gun cruiser de grasse.

you gonna build it as planned at start in 1938 with the 3X3 152mm and 3X 2 100mm?

that surely would be an awesome thing to do....and see

[Triumph68]

as she was in the late 40's early 50's. did you get any info from those drawings I sent you? when I'm done, i'll have the all gun cruiser De Grasse(Colbert), command ship De Grasse, all gun cruiser Colbert & missile cruiser Colbert.

So like this?
great plans...atm still analyzing with what I have and how I'll continue

[JIM BAUMANN]

cutting a square apertures in plastic is very hard indeed
cutting lots of them next to each other ius muuuuch harder.

I usually cut mine oversoze and then install a suitably sized PE square or oblong
that way they are all square and can then be retro-filled to size

I hope it may assit you

regards
Jim Baumann

examples below


this is in 1/350




and this is in 1/700

[Triumph68]

[quote="JIM BAUMANN"]cutting a square apertures in plastic is very hard indeed
cutting lots of them next to each other ius muuuuch harder.

I usually cut mine oversoze and then install a suitably sized PE square or oblong
that way they are all square and can then be retro-filled to size

mmm..in a sort of a way...I did a similar thing in my previous one...
actualy I cut it..correcting..again and again untill my hole was too big....so I took a scotch...put it so that it was only open to the size I wanted my window
then filled with mastic behind the scotch untill I got to the limit of the scotch ...once dry I took scotch away and it was good.

but...keeping your way in mind now...txs Jim

btw...I'm having trouble doing details in 1/400...don wanna think about 1/700 size so small and hard to see, my respect



Wim

[Triumph68]

Triumph68, the finished version not your unfinished versions.
After the war the hull was eventually launched in 1946. The construction was halted again between 1946 and 1951, when she was towed to the Brest Navy yard to be completed, to a significantly modified design as an anti-aircraft cruiser.
Displacement: 9380 tons standard, 12,350 tons full load
Dimensions: Length 188.4 m (o.a.), beam 18.6 m (w.l.) ; 21.5 m, draught 5.5 m (standard) ; 6.3 m full load
Machinery: two-shaft steam turbine, 4 boilers, 105,000 hp (78,000 kW) (120,000 hp (89,000 kW) during trials)
Speed: 33.8 knots (62.6 km/h)
Armament: 16 � 127 mm guns (8 twin turrets)
20 � 57 mm guns (10 twin turrets)
No more aircraft and no more torpedo

The trials began on 17 August 1954 and she was commissioned on 10 September 1956.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_cruiser_De_Grasse

your top picture is not of the De Grasse but that of the Colbert. the stern is the clue.

ok...so you mean the version I'll be making myself
btw...yes now I've been looking more in to it...my first pic is indeed the Colbert

[Triumph68]

been doing some detail work...the mast
added walk way's for the marines ...on wich I can put small railings...like on the real one
the one in the middle is good...the other one...I'm not convinced...might try it differently...its 1 mm thick...means 40cm in reality...thats a lot for a walkway

[Triumph68]

this picture made me think something not in kit....
So I went looking in the plans of "la marine National" send to me from David p
got confirmation there...so...modification

[Triumph68]

decided to do some more painting...as always...I start with the black line...and did a few decks..its hand painted...didn't bother taking air-paint for such small surface lol

[Triumph68]

continued a bit also on my masts..

[Triumph68]

prepared for paint....airpaint has some propblem...now must wait with hull ..damm

[Triumph68]

so doing other stuff...target is getting better with every ship I do...so added some details...

[Triumph68]

it was fun doing them....untill I suddenly realised...whatever I was doing....I had to do same ...on the other side...lmao
so I did..
fyi..I used real photo's of the "De Grasse" to ad the stuff...its not just do what pleases...although some free interpretation is done
mostly ...this ship is rather nude in external stuff and very pure in line so doing max on those places where some is.

[Triumph68]

added a few things here...and there

[Triumph68]

now....look at this....its supposed to be a stair going below deck....

[Triumph68]

not very satisfying for me...so I decided to build a stair...(you can see him in previous photo)
cut the top off....make a hole in the deck...glue it on