Bismarck

[Ratch]

21 May 1941

[Ratch]

[Ratch]

[KiwiKev]

I'd like to have a go at this model too, but if the current kit is unchanged, it looks very lacking in detail. The 3.9 inch turrets don't look right, and neither the light AA, not criticizing your work but just what is out of the box. I'm sure some scribing of plating such as on the funnel and other areas would help too, to break up the vast flat areas with no detail. I'd need to do some serious research on what detail I could add. I did HMS Hood with some help from the "Anatomy of a ship" series, and just about tripled the amount of detail on the decks and barbettes. I'm sure this could be done for Bismarck too. I do like the rails you added on the main deck though, and I'll have to get into using it on my next project. Just waiting for the outcome of an online auction for Airfix KGV and Daring in 1:600. From memory the KGV model is not bad.

[Ratch]

The kit is unchanged. This is a late boxing and was heavily flashed, the mould is rather tired and really needs a new tool. I built it OOB except I used etch on the masts and added the railings. The only thing I modified was to remove the rangefinders on Anton turret as they were taken off after the Baltic sea trials.

[KiwiKev]

I'm looking at a reference book and some larger models online. It's amazing how much detail could be added to even the turrets if you wanted to go there. I'm also not a fan of those solid molded ladders, but building tiny replacements would be very tricky. All depends on how many there are, and would probably have to be out of paper in this scale. The middle 6 inch turrets also need range-finders. If I get this kit it will be a major build in terms of added detail, but since it's one of the few models still readily available, it might have to be done.

[KiwiKev]

Reading some more reports on this model, and looking at pictures, the bow doesn't look too accurate. I think I may still buy one, and look at replacing the entire bow from the breakwater forward. You gotta have that lovely clipper bow, and the original bow looks too rounded at weather deck level. Not sure about the stern, but that also looks quite clunky. It will be a matter of buying the kit, tracing the hull outline, and comparing it with authentic drawings to see how it does or doesn't match, then deciding what needs rebuilding. You might ask why bother but I do like this 1:600 scale, and now have a few kits to build which would be good to see all at the same scale. As someone else wrote, its fun to see what can be done with these old kits.

[KiwiKev]

I've just bought the Airfix Bismarck model, and that enabled me to tape the hull and deck on, take a photo of it, and compare it with an accurate drawing. Well, where to start. The armour belt stops too soon both forward and aft. The bow is too fat, and the anchor recesses too far back, they start where they should end. Break waters are in wrong position and angle, capstans as well. Front turret positions not too bad, secondary turret positions look OK. Aft turret positions are too far back and that makes the aft deck look too crowded, which I thought was the case looking at photos of this model. Strangely the first deck of the superstructure looks about right, but the third turret is too far back because the aft end of the superstructure ends on about the mid line of the barbette, probably as you'd expect, but in fact on the real ship the barbette seems to be almost entirely situated within that first superstructure deck, and that's where the error is, they've moved the barbette back significantly as a result.

Positives, I like the bow in profile, it looks about right. Might be possible to cut down the deck width front and rear and rescue the hull, apart from the anchor recesses. Alternatively it might be better just to abandon the original deck, buy some pre-scribed plastic sheet with parallel lines at the right spacing to imitate planking, and create a new deck, since breakwaters, capstans etc have to be moved, and removing the old ones and reinstating the deck planking where they were would be just too hard. And I'd also be removing those horrible molded stairs / ladders which would also leave a smooth spot in the plank pattern. Tending to think I'll be heading to the model shop for some suitably lined styrene sheet.

To build this OOB is going to result in a very poor and inaccurate hull, but it should be possible to "cut and tuck" and create a much better result, but we'll see. Once I start I'll post some pics if it works out OK. I'm basing these comments on the plan drawings/paintings of the wreck found in Robert Ballards superbly illustrated "Discovery of the Bismarck".

[AirportsEd]

How did you make the railings?

[Ratch]

As I said, the railings are etch from White Ensign/Toms Model Works

[AirportsEd]

Sorry I've never heard of them! Looks like it must be a very fiddley job, so well done.

I have a Hood, Bismarck and Belfast to get round to, someday...

[Ratch]

Have a look here

Ships (and aircraft smaller than 1/192 scale) | White Ensign Models