The well known and feared "modeler's luck". or Karma. or whatever.
i just bought a (fantastic/phabolous/great/epic/insert most liked superlative) book, "le navi di linea italiane dal 1861 al 1875" (italian ships of the line from 1861 to 1975) which covers the evolutions of italian battleships from the only and unique italian ship of the line (Re Galantuomo) to the last of the masted ironclads (Principe Amedeo class)
OBVIOUSLY, i dare to say, there is a comprehensive and detailed section dedicated to the Regina Maria Pia class.
I thought i was nearing the end of the project...well, wrong forecast.
My work was based on guessing made upon pictures and a really few bad quality drawings spotted here and there on the net, so having a quite precise documentation in my hands is quite...well..frustrating
I quite spotted the hull, only the stern area is a little too much sloped, but i can live with this. i need to close half on the gunports on the sides, becouse the covedered wheelhouse appeared only after the reduction of the gunports.
Masts: overall they are spotted on (dimensionally) but there are some errors in painting and positioning.
I placed the funnel too much forward, and so the covered wheelhouse. I don't know if i can move the thing backwards without smashing the wheelhouse. afterall, its 1 mm.
Air vents: need to add one on the forcastle between the bow gunports (they still existed at the time of the picture) and at least one behind the funnel, which needs strands and apparently a cap grill (can be seen only on a (nice) coloured profile on the book).
Need to add searchlights platform on the aft "superstructure". quite hard task, but they are clearly there and are a quite prominent feature.
Anchor cranes: need to add these on the bow, and to add two platform (rapid fire gun??? salute gun??) upon the cranes top.
Antitorpedo nets: they were of the "Lerm" type, so need to find pictures of the real thing and to find a way to make these in '700.
Stern gun: still present, need to build the "barbette" and the gun.
So...back to work, the road to the end is loooooong and hard.
cheers!