The Ship Model Forum

If I can take the liberty of answering that on behalf of Phil (he's using my drawings to build the model), the superstructure is light sheet brass so the weight is pretty minimal though heavier than balsa or plastic. From memory Phil needed the weight from 6 old lead car batteries (now replaced with bags of lead shot) to get the model to sit right in the water and probably some minor adjustment will be done so that the model floats correctly.

Ah, cool. From his first photos of the Admiral's bridge I was thinking it was something heavier like the .045 sheet brass we got at the shop. 6 lead car batteries, WOW, one might expect all that weight to rip its way through the bottom of the hull. That's gotta be one tough cast.

Dana

Kiwi's build them tough!

Hello All

There is no worry about the boat being to deep in the waterline.
I in fact spend a lot of time making sure it will be deep enough.
It takes a lot of weight to get the ship deep enough in the water.
I need around 120 kg to get it to depth.
I use 3 very large low profile truck batteries as well as bags of shot in the bow and stern to balance
the ship out. These weights will be adjusted to ensure the exact depth of draft.
The superstructure is very light as the brass is .2mm thick.
The trick in fact is to get the ship to react in scale as it would in real life.
I am lucky with Bismarck because of the mass of the ship it does not roll around too much.
Proven in movies taken during Bismarck's trials. (You tube)
Phil

Sounds like if it takes that much weight just to bring her down to the water line if you were to rig her guns (Both main and secondary) up with black powder she probably wouldn't role much at all when fired. I got another one for ya. When you get around to the catapult are you going to rig her up with an 1/72 Arado or two? That's the great thing about this giant beautiful ship is that she's like a small city, the amount of details in it is just insane.

Dana

Phil,

Your description of the massive weights needed to float the hull deep enough got me worried for a minute about the stresses on the hull while adding and removing weights. However, I looked back through your thread and the fiberglass hull combined with the substantial wooden framing made me feel better. Do you see any signs of hull flexing while you are adding weights?

Another thought - how about radio controlled flying Arados? That would make a spectacular display when it launched from a catapult and buzzed overhead! You know - when you run out of other things to do.

Phil

Hello All
Bismarck has all 4 Arados on-board.
3 folded up in hangars and one prepped and ready to go.
No r/c I am afraid ............... but a few interesting bits happening there.

The hull has no flex at all.
I have lifted the hull with all the weight on-board.
This was done from either end and there were no problems.
It has also sat on just two blocks either end of the hull.
The false deck is bonded to the hull with resin that effectively
makes the entire thing an enclosed container making it very strong indeed.
The hull has also got a false bottom so the batteries themselves do not come into direct contact with the
hull itself.
This serves two purposes.
Something for the batteries and other systems to sit on. It is 16 mm thick and therefore
stops the large flat area from flexing which would not do.
I have found when building large models you have to make the as rigid as possible because their sheer size can make them self destruct.
The next major is to make them as light as possible out of the water.

I doubt the real thing would have moved when firing so mine will not either.
The gun firing will I hope be interesting,

"Happy New Year to you all!"

Regards
Phil

Phil
Will you be using the Heller 1/72 scale models for Bismarck ? You can modify the kit and have detailed cockpits and engines .Other than being more stable , 1/72 scale has the advantage off having detailed aircraft available . Happy new year

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm!


Lovely Arados.
Yes, they are Heller.
I had other makes but was advised on Heller so exchanged them.

The rest WEM 1/72 Bismarck Class Catapult Ref: PE 7247.

regards
Phil

Sounds Great! Cant wait to see them done along with the boats! I almost want to pick up an Heller kit my self along with the etch catapult.

Dana

Hi Phil Any up dates ?
Dave Wooley

Any updates Phil?? Whats been happening with the build?

Bruce

Hello

I was wondering if the hull, running set etc. is still available and their current cost?

Regards

Dennis

Hi. Im a junior at building model ships, have been recently doing my own Bissy, a mix of scratch building and a magazine model (incomplete) which a mate gave me. I must say, cudos indeed for this beautiful model. The Kriegsmarine would be proud

Wow oh wow Phil, awesome stuff. Like others, I'm keen to hear/see more news on the progression of this wonderful piece of modelling.

I'm not really a modeller myself (well anything decent), but my dad is German and always used to talk of the mighty Bismarck, so there's a good interest in it for me. I just recently bought the Tamiya 1:350 scale Tirpitz model (didn't have the Bismarck, weird!) and will have a crack at that over the coming months.

I note a few other posters are in Brisbane (I'm in Ipswich/Brisbane). Interesting to find that there's local large scale model battleship builders in the area

Cheers,

Dave

Hi Dave,

I am also in the Brisbane area, I am bullding a 1/100th bismarck with a hull from the scale shipyard. Progress has stalled at the moment due to the usual reasons family, time, money and space. At this point in time progress should resume in May when i can steal some space from my dad's factory and set up in there.

i have the 1/350th bismarck that I built as a kid using the parts that came with the pack. I would look at some photo etching kits for that model, there should be plenty of them around.

Best of luck with the Tirpitz,

Brad

Hello All

I am back.
I am well.
I am going to Dortmund this year ...................... I will see my good modelling friends.
I hope to catch up with Joseph Kaiser for fresh inspiration. I will of course see Dave Wooley and co.
Hope to have quality time with Guido and family.

The model is getting much attention from me at the moment.

Regards
Phil

Kiwimedic wrote:Hello All

I am back.
I am well.
I am going to Dortmund this year ...................... I will see my good modelling friends.
I hope to catch up with Joseph Kaiser for fresh inspiration. I will of course see Dave Wooley and co.
Hope to have quality time with Guido and family.

The model is getting much attention from me at the moment.

Regards
Phil

Excellent news, Keep us posted.

John

Hi Phil good to see you back on board and more of your Bismarck build , role on Dortmund Intermodelbau .
Dave Wooley

Hi Phil,

we wait for more progress on your big and beautiful Bismarck!