Kirov painting guide

[Dr Plastic]

Hello everyone. Although I have been a model builder for over 45 years I will try projects that are outside my comfort zone and am trying my hand at some ships. I build primarily Autos, Acft and Armor but I have always been fascinated with model ships! Some of you may have seen my first work featured in the Jul+Aug 2010 IPMS USA Journal on the German Type VIID minenleger sub in 1:144th scale using the Griffon models detail set so I am familiar with most techniques..

My question today is I am building the Trumpeter 1:700 scale Kirov Battle cruiser in a waterline display. I am having difficulty wrangling what is painted and what color to paint it with. The kit comes with different hull numbers that are associated with the different times in her service. The main problem I have is what to do with the fwd missile tube hatches. Are they deck color or grey? and how do you determine at what time were they painted what!

Is there some type of "matrix" that tells you at this time she wore this hull number under this flag and was painted as such?

Thanks for any help you can provide!

[Vlad]

She was Kirov from commission until 1992 then Admiral Ushakov after that (although she was already out of service by 1990 due to a reactor accident so how meaningful it would be building a model of the "Ushakov" is up to you).

It would seem from the older pictures of members of the class that the missile hatches were red during the 1980s, although recent pictures of Pyotr Velikiy have them grey (which would imply that configuration is a recent development).

I would say your best bet is to make her in her "glory days" as it were, so Soviet flags, Kirov name plate, 181 hull numbers and forward missile hatches in red. As far as I know all decks are red and everything else is grey, although Russian/Soviet naval grey is quite dark and comes up distinctly bluish in many photos so is hard to match. Similarly the deck red is kind of orange. I would recommend the WEM colourcoats for the paints.

[Timmy C]

And be sure to check out our CASF Kirov class thread - lots more discussion on paints and fits and accuracy: viewtopic.php?f=48&t=8143

[DrPlastic]

Thanks Vlad! I am using the WEM line of paints. Thanks for the insight! I was planning on doing her when she was commissioned. I am also using the Flagship models PE set.

I saw the thread you are referring Tim but it is so long I did not have the time to go all the way thru it!

[Timmy C]

Well, no pain, no gain

[DrPlastic]

Change that...I am using the Gold Medal Models PE set! Sorry about that!