The Ship Model Forum

Greeting fellow nautical enthusiasts.

Here is my finished product. The build thread for this project can be found here: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=166106

My apologies for taking so long to get around to throwing pictures up.

Anyway, here is a collection of 34 pictures taken with my new camera during a nice overcast day.

I have also added the six overview shots previously released on the build thread.

I think Trumpeter did a very nice job with this kit and it was rather fun to put together and paint. These large scale Trumpeter capital ships are some of my favorite models on the market. They are not perfect but the Nelson/Rodney duo are possibly the best of the bunch. They are generally fairly accurate in the major attributes and are certainly the best representations of these ships on the market in any scale...which does not say much as this ships have been rather neglected.

That being said, this model is rather sparse out of the box and requires a certain amount of work to tick all the boxes for a complete model.

It lacks any form of tackle for the cranes, the main battery trunnions are ridiculously underscale, and the kit is missing turret top handrails, mounts for the boats on the third main turret, and has some moderate fit issues with the main mast. It's decal sheet is also rather incomplete. The prominent draft numbers are absent for example. Either one must DIY, mask, procure alternatives, or, as in my case, do without.

Nevertheless it very possible, as I have demonstrated, to create a very competitive result using the kit's native photo-etch and a supply of scrap plastic and metal parts and rods. So, yes, this work is more or less out of the box! Cheaper that way.

Many thanks to the modelers on this site and others whose ideas and techniques I have poached.

On the topic of Rodnol herself:

A somewhat unusual design that perhaps only a mother could love. In combat it proved serviceable and is indeed at the front rank of completed European battleships for firepower, durability, and 'fightability'. Along with her sister, Rodney could put more weight of fire downrange than any other European type. That along with her historical record grants this ship a place of honor in history. It is a tragic shame that she was put to the cutter's torch... I desperately wish that I could have stood on her decks at least once.

And if you think she is ugly: build one and fall in love. This is beauty incarnate and you cannot convince me otherwise!

Allow me to present 42.6 inches (or 1082mm if you prefer) of Chinese built British dignity:






































































It is amazing how much dust collects on these things! I thought I had cleared enough, but the camera goes the extra mile!

The set from the end of the build log:

Bravo! Excellently, done. Rust looks so real that I'm tempted to get a work crew together to start chipping.

What a great looking Rodney! Super choice of weather for photography too. BTW, nice vintage Merc!

Jack

Wow the detail and weathering are incredible! Awesome build

You know I just say you did a great johh documenting the build so a person of a lesser skill can understand the work you put in and learn something from it. Thank you for that.

Also she is a beauty.

Thank you all for your kind remarks!

As with the build thread, the pictures were all lost.

This has now been fixed. Everything should work again.

It looks beautiful and a great effort! Big fan of that hull weathering too. And the camo matching car roof wear is a nice touch.

Good work

Exceptionally Done !!! Beautiful weathering ...

What a perfect center piece to any room

Magnificent build! I have just started on my 1/200 Rodney after a 25 year break in modelling and I am rather daunted to say the least, the pe parts are giving me nightmares! I think I will study your excellent build log for the next month before I attempt any more.

Beautiful!!! What a fantastic ship! You can be very proud of this. As you can tell, I'm impressed - and in awe of your work!!

Great job!

Wow! And, that an understatement. Bravo Zulu!

That's pretty damn special!

My father was on the Rodney during the war as gunnery officer, he had this to say about D Day -" The invasion of Normandy was an unforgettable experience. From the time we changed ammunition from ship to ship bombardment and A.A the tension was unbearable.
When the invasion was postponed 24 hours we wondered how on earth the Germans could not find out and be ready. It must have been terrible for the troops in the landing craft and the gliders and aircraft. Our job was 1st reserve to bombard shore batteries and opportunity targets. We were some way off at H hour and reached the beaches in the afternoon only to be told to go away.
I had a splendid view from my control position. The scene was incredible. Lanes of shipping � thousands of landing craft, planes everywhere, parachutists dropping out of the sky and the continuing noise of explosions, bombs and gunfire. There were lines of buoys marking the lanes which had been swept clear of mines over night. Pieces of prefabricated harbours and docks were floating all over the place.
While we were there some guns in La Havre opened up to engage a convoy of ships and landing craft returning from the beaches. We fired just 2 rounds of 16� at the enemy battery and it stopped. They must have wondered what hit them! We then returned to Portsmouth but no shore leave.
The next morning we were back off the beaches and the next three days fired almost continuously a total of 450 rounds of 6� and 300 rounds of 16�. We stopped a number of batteries between Ouistreham and Le Havre and had given heavy support to our troops around Caen. Often we received a signal from shore thanking us, such as �fire effective. Norfolks have regained position� When this was read over the SRE we all cheered madly as if our favourite team had won a goal.
We later heard that there was nothing quite so demoralising as the Rodney�s shelling. It was uncannily accurate and the effect of the 1-ton HE shells fired from 20 miles away was devastating. "
I then thought I should make a model and found the 1:200 trumpeter, which has just arrived. However after reading through this amazing post of building, painting I'm not sure I should even try to open the box. What an excellent job.

pascalemod wrote:It looks beautiful and a great effort! Big fan of that hull weathering too. And the camo matching car roof wear is a nice touch.

Thank you sir! It's funny that in modelling, the goal is to make the wear and tear realistic and beautiful but in the 1/1 it is not so fun.

EJFoeth wrote:Good work

Thank you sir!

jackeck1216 wrote:Exceptionally Done !!! Beautiful weathering ...

What a perfect center piece to any room

Or corner king....it crowns a bookcase of models in our living room in the best lit corner.

alcanterra wrote:Magnificent build! I have just started on my 1/200 Rodney after a 25 year break in modelling and I am rather daunted to say the least, the pe parts are giving me nightmares! I think I will study your excellent build log for the next month before I attempt any more.

Please feel free to bring any questions you have to me. I will try my best to provide a dynamic companion to the build log.

steinerman wrote:Beautiful!!! What a fantastic ship! You can be very proud of this. As you can tell, I'm impressed - and in awe of your work!!

Great job!

Very humbling, thank you sir.

Dan K wrote:Wow! And, that an understatement. Bravo Zulu!

I appreciate it. Thanks for stopping by.

RPH wrote:My father was on the Rodney during the war as gunnery officer, he had this to say about D Day -" The invasion of Normandy was an unforgettable experience. From the time we changed ammunition from ship to ship bombardment and A.A the tension was unbearable.
When the invasion was postponed 24 hours we wondered how on earth the Germans could not find out and be ready. It must have been terrible for the troops in the landing craft and the gliders and aircraft. Our job was 1st reserve to bombard shore batteries and opportunity targets. We were some way off at H hour and reached the beaches in the afternoon only to be told to go away.
I had a splendid view from my control position. The scene was incredible. Lanes of shipping � thousands of landing craft, planes everywhere, parachutists dropping out of the sky and the continuing noise of explosions, bombs and gunfire. There were lines of buoys marking the lanes which had been swept clear of mines over night. Pieces of prefabricated harbours and docks were floating all over the place.
While we were there some guns in La Havre opened up to engage a convoy of ships and landing craft returning from the beaches. We fired just 2 rounds of 16� at the enemy battery and it stopped. They must have wondered what hit them! We then returned to Portsmouth but no shore leave.
The next morning we were back off the beaches and the next three days fired almost continuously a total of 450 rounds of 6� and 300 rounds of 16�. We stopped a number of batteries between Ouistreham and Le Havre and had given heavy support to our troops around Caen. Often we received a signal from shore thanking us, such as �fire effective. Norfolks have regained position� When this was read over the SRE we all cheered madly as if our favourite team had won a goal.
We later heard that there was nothing quite so demoralising as the Rodney�s shelling. It was uncannily accurate and the effect of the 1-ton HE shells fired from 20 miles away was devastating. "
I then thought I should make a model and found the 1:200 trumpeter, which has just arrived. However after reading through this amazing post of building, painting I'm not sure I should even try to open the box. What an excellent job.

That is a very neat thing to read.

What type of gunnery officer was your father? When was he on Rodney? Normandy was Rodnol's last great hurrah. Really wish someone kept her around as a museum.

Thank you for sharing it here.

I think you give the model a crack, it's a rather fun model I think. For a mega-project, it is not too daunting.

As the saying says beauty is in the eye of the beholder.. i've always found this class fascinating and unique, be proud of the work you did here





Jose