Silent Night with the Silent Service GB 11/1-12/25/11

[Thundergrunt]

I think I will trow my hat in the ring, with a 1/350 Virginia. Class USS. New Mexico SSN-776 and Tug.

[cb120]

Can you say more about your painting on the Typhoon to date - are you pre-shading with white as the counter-color?

D-Boy

This is a primer. I used it, that would see how accurately the place of gluing of parts will look like after painting. But in bow it's really something like pre-shading for anti-fouling red at this place.

[Cliffy B]

I'm in gents with a 1/700 Hobby Boss Type IXC U-Boat.







Sail is glued to the hull with a nasty pit around it. I've brushed in some white glue to fill the void but more will be needed. There is a cutout in the hull for the sail but is about 1.5mm too wide all the way around and even in 1/700 that's too wide. Didn't notice it until I added the main deck railings so I had to bend around the corner to get the gap filled. I also managed to snap off the periscope while I was removing the molded on railings on the sail so I replaced it with some round stock. Oh well, live and learn

I grabbed some 2-bar railing from a GMM set for the deck and sail. I'll add the weaponry later tonight and hit her with some primer. These little HB kits are real gems and full of surface detail. Well worth the few bucks they cost.

Its on a little 8x10 basswood base with some 1/4" basswood topped with 300lb cold pressed water color paper.

The dio will feature the little sub landing a weather station team on the snowy shores of Iceland via some rubber boats. Some light pack ice will be floating around as well as a light dusting of snow to simulate active precipitation during the operation. My little Eduard figures are just going to have to cold and wet

In regards to the paint scheme, I want to try and replicate something similar to a USN Ms 16 or an RN Western Approaches scheme. I have a list of all the colors the Kriegsmarine used and there a few that would work perfectly for this. I figure if the Germans were inserting teams in the Arctic Circle where there isn't exactly a sunset every 12 hours, then a paint scheme similar to the Allied ones would be rather beneficial seeing as how they'd need to remain on the surface for a bit of time. I'll see what I can come up with. I want the sub to be a bit more visually interesting than just drab dark gray.

Any thoughts, questions, comments, etc... are appreciated as always.

-Mike

[Quincy]

Nice job Cliffy!




Bob Pink.

[Quincy]

This is where I'm at the moment. Hull first layer painted in 507B. Conning towers rear section has been added on using scrap photoetch. Hull details added at the bow. Anchor well added , starboard side. Glitches in hull were patched up with Mr Surfacer 1000. Finger print on port side will have to be dealt with when paint cures fully. That it for now.











Bob Pink.

[JTninja]

Gato and base coming together. Must say, the kit has no more than about 10 pieces, not much I can mess up. Im liking submarines

[Quincy]

I have added the dive planes and Toms US SUB diveplane photoetch guards. These were close to the Dutch design that I had on hand. I have to order an IJN set for the net cutter. I also added the searchlight on the forward upper bridge. I used a clear IJN set for this. Its so small, and subtle it fit perectly according to photo sources. I also added hatch covers using Lion Roar hose reels to simulate them. I painted the sub with a second light coat of 507B and the deck was painted in G10. I will weather the deck with pastels to tone it down alot. I still have to do touchups on the paint job overall. The black streaks are not camouflage but, my goofs not having a fine tip brush. Hobby Lobby here I come! Here are the 1st photo installments.











Bob Pink.

[Quincy]

2nd installment of pics. I added a Lion Roar IJN chock on the very stern of the vessel. Forgot to mention that before.










Bob Pink.

[sirpaul]

Looking good so far Bob. Glad to see that fingerprint gone.

[Bob Cicconi]

Hey Quincy! Looking good so far! How's everything out there?

[Quincy]

Hi ya Bob. Things are fine out here. I found some pics of the RO-35 class for you and Scott. I'll have to send it to you after the holidays. We are flying east for Thanksgiving to see the relatives. Hope you have a great holiday!





Bob Pink.

[reigels]

Hi Bob - Thanks for the photo help. I've got the hull together and opened up the hatches with a drill bit, but haven't done much else. Need to fix the joint at the bow next.

Mostly been doing resin work for the past week or so.

Safe travels and Happy Thanksgiving to all.

--Scott

[D-Boy]

Well, I've been lurking to date, but am now throwing my hat in with a build of Waveline's resin and white-metal casting of the USN SSG-574 Grayback, the lead ship of an attack submarine class converted early in her career to carry and launch the Regulus II missile. As such, the Grayback and sister subs were the first submarines to carry nuclear missiles, and served on deterrant patrols in the Pacific from 1958 to 1964, when the Regulus missile program ended. Grayback was then decommissioned, but recommissionedand and converted in 1964 to serve as a specialized transport submarine, in which capacity she served until 1984.

Box top:



This kit should prove straightforward in assembly. The hull is a one-piece casting, with little evidence of pour stubs.



There is some resin flash clean-up required in a few locations, and a few places where panel lines and details could be sharpened, such as you can see in this stern topside photo:



Here is a photo of bow details. The bow profile, dramatically changed to accomodate hanger space for the missiles, will be a focal point of the model:



Here's what clean-up looks like on the resin pour stub on the underside of the bow. Squadron putty (for color contrast with the light grey resin) and a Flex-i-file do the trick here:



White-metal details for the stern. The shapes of the prop guards are accurate, bust I suspect these pieces could be thinned a bit for greater accuracy:



Periscopes and radars for the sail. Archival photos indicate further masts and details that I'll have to consider adding, but the scale and detail of these parts is strong:





Here are the hatches and launch ramp area; casting is crisp and reasonably detailed here, so this won't get too much attention from me:



Photo from NavSource, to give you an idea of the busy-ness of the launch rails and missile. My photo of these resin parts is rather blurry, so not posted here. The missile is cast in three parts (body and wings) and is missing some JATO-style booster rockets underneath. The resin parts for the launch ramp have been simplified, and are a spot to give some thought to adding some suggestive detailing.



I'm sanding and parts-fitting at the moment. Will assemble and paint the missile and detail the launcher first, then address the masts, then assemble hull and sail for painting and weathering, and then add details of launcher, sail planes, masts, and props. If folks have suggestions as to an alternative sequence, I'd welcome them. I also need to plan early for how this is to be mounted for display.

I'm liking the look of the builds posted to date, and am looking forward to sharing my own. Hoping the holiday ahead provides some good building time on this (and a long-delayed IJN Amagi)!

- D-Boy

[JTninja]

^Thats cool



Im almost there with mine...we'll see if I add p/e or not...

[roy allen]

this group build is really coming along
Telford over and about to have a few days off after a week of nights so will attempt and i say attempt to make some loop arial spreaders

Hey D-Boy love that sub, never seen a kit of that class anywhere ever
i'm really really envious.

Got my hands on an Odin class in 1/350 too late for this build but i'm looking forward to doing her in the new year sometime.

Hope all across the great pond have had or are going to have a nice holiday break

Roy

[D-Boy]

Hey D-Boy love that sub, never seen a kit of that class anywhere ever
i'm really really envious.

Roy

I purchased this 1:350 kit from Hobby Link Japan about a year ago - it was/is listed as "out-of-stock." Nonetheless, I ordered and it only took about three weeks for it to ship (was cautioned it could take 4-6 weeks to receive from the manufacturer). So, still available.

Pit Road also makes a pre-assembled full-hull 1:700 SSG Growler and Grayback, one of which comes with a Regulus 1 missile, and the other with a Regulus II. These are out of production (but occassionally found on Ebay). I've waterlined both for my 1:700 WL collection:



As the SSG intrigues you, here's another Pit Road 1:350 Combat Subs release, which is even more hard to find ( I was lucky enough to grab it quickly on Ebay). Soviet India Class rescue sub with two DSRVs:



It is butt-ugly overall but has highly distinctive lines:



Here's a close-up of one of the DSRV's:



Perhaps momentum on the Grayback will carryover to the India Class!

[cb120]

Hull is fully painted and marked with all decals.


And remains the last step - painting and installing periscopes and antennas.

[drdoom1337]

Update. Anyone have a good suggestion for a clear agent to adhere smashed up plaster of paris onto the hull?

[Timmy C]

Acrylic gel dries as a clear gloss and has significant adhesion properties.

[DanCinSD]

OK, I'm in.....
I will be building the Bronco models 1/350th, Chinese "Sung" class SSN.
Pictures to follow.....