I have had this kit laying around the last 2 years, without really getting anything done. My prime concern was, how to display the boat - initially I planned on shoving it full hull, but making a scene with a full hull boat is somewhat static unless fitted into a dock - so I ended up cutting down the hull to waterline.



Aside from cutting the hull to pieces, I am going to use the modelbrass etch set that among other things, contains a beautiful brass deck. I allso have the CMK update set for the guns and turret and as can be seen the inner hull will be scratched in sheet styrene.



The U-201 returned from its 7th patrol on august the 8th ´42 having sunk 6 ships - it was its last patrol with Adelbert Schnee as captain. It will allow me to do the boat as it looked returning to Brest with the double snowman emblem, victory pennants and a lined up crew on the deck - and a heavy weathering after a long patrol around Freetown and in the Atlantic.



Water will be a mix of methods inspired by Tailors builds - sea will be relatively clam with "lazy" waves build up with styropour and plaster - on top will be wrinkled alufoil to depict the smaller waves within the bigger waves, and to finish it off after painting it will get a layer of acrylic gel to ad some depth and seal the boat to the surrounding see.

Cheers/Jan

Hey Jan

Wow .. looks awesome ........ great project, and a great start .. perhaps I should come by your house, for a IRL look of the project .. and perhaps some cheese and whisky

Oh .. and to all the danish shipbuilders and German Gamblers ...

Yarrrrrrrrghhhhh

Great start, Jan!

You bring up a real problem with displaying submarine kits: if you want a diorama, it's tough to show more than just a portion of the hull. I'll be following this project with interest.

--Karl

Great start Jan.

Very nice p-hull and start

Thanks guys - the P-hull is needed when you build the boat with open floodholes, but only as a representation of the p-hull, as not much is visible trough the small and badly lit floodholes.

The trick is to stop before getting carried away in detailing something that never will be seen again.

As I have put in a new deck in the cunning tower, I will have to scratch the conning tower as it will be visible from above - sweet

Cheers/Jan

A bit of striptease - slowly building up the innerhull and the combatroom in the tower.

Cheers/Jan

Been sidetracked by a WWI wingiethingie .... but after proper treatment I am now back on the right track

Been working on the frame on the base and the rough layout of the water. The base is now ready to accept the sub. But before joining the base and the boat, I will have to have the hull done and weathered - the deck will be added later and be painted separately as its will be easier to simulate the dark worn wooddeck when I can handel it without affecting other parts of the buildup.

Well - enough talking - pictures:

Hello Jan

this is a very cool project. I am sure you have a lot of material but just as some inspiration:

http://www.dargies.de/Modellbau/u564.html
http://www.ipmsdeutschland.de/Marine/Krabbenhoeft/U-558_Krech.html

all the best

Steffen

Thanks Steffen, they are both beauties, I knew about the first one, but the second is new to me.

The thought of aquirering the complete CMK interiour and a complete crew is staggering but doing it to such a level of quality is way beyond my patience

Cheers/Jan

There is a fella in the Greek model forum who is building a similar project for to be placed in a dio later on, for over a year now.The level of detail he goes in however is amazing.It just shows , in larger scales you can be working for ages on a single project and still have left room for extra detailing.
After seeing his and yours i am starting to get tempted too.

http://www.modelclub.gr/forums/index.php/topic,10338.0.html

Thanks Kostas,

As mentioned its a kit I initially started out on 2 years ago, but my level of ambitions and the amount of things that could be done to improve the kit actually stalled the project ....

A other factor was allso that a full hull display didn´t really attract me, the problem being that a its hard telling a story on a full hull build unless you are doing a drydock diorama.

With the hull cut down I can do a boat with heavy weathering, seaside, crew lined up on the deck, victorypennants and all that jazz - much better and more motivating for me.

When that is said, this kit will still - inaccuracys an all - look stunning out of the box - it all depends on what makes your day.

Theres no doubt that the build that you link to, will turn into a stunning model, but I would never be able to focus on a single kit for so long - less can do it, and when fitted into a composition other things comes in focus.

Heres some inspiration to what can be done out of the box:

part 1

Part 2

Good luck/Jan

basic paint is on ... the deck is not glued on yet - so its a bit floppy ...

Been working on the hull and integrating it in the water - Alucraft heat barrier for housebuilding glued on, base paint in black, oil paint for the water, highlights in white, gel for transparency and cotton strings for foam.

Turret and deck is still missing weathering

Comments are wellcome

Cheers/Jan

Wonderful work Jan.

Really nice build and display, love the pier/quay corner and emblem/badge.

Looking great, Jan!
BZ!
Guido

I have to say this one looks really good! Personally I like most of all the calmness of the water...

Harm

Lovely looking model, really well done sir

steve

Thanks for the kind words - due to a lot of other activities things are a bit slow on the workbench - but i have been working on the tower, here it is without weathering and the difference to the hull is quite striking, and its clear to see how much oils alter the basic colors - which should be taken into account when laying down the basecolors.



Taking into consideration, that I don´t really fancy doing figures, Its not very smart doing a harbor diorama, where a good deal of the crew would be lined up on deck .... - they are still to get a coat of future and a wash before being finished of with a dullcoat.



Cheers/Jan

Slowly getting there - the wires still need a wash and the periscope - otherwise its about there....

Really impresive work, top job sir...

steve

Thanks Stephen.

Getting closer

Hi Jan

Very impressive work.

I like your figure work especially the painting they are muted and weathered just like the U-Boat.

Well done.


Cheers


Sean

Thanks Sean,

I figured, that after 43 days at sea they would be just as gray as the boat itself

U-boat crews displayed a huge variaty in cloathing - a merry mix of civilian and military gear ranging from read sweathers to light gray leather - functionality seem to allow for a lot thats not in the uniform regulations

Cheers/Jan