Found this kit last weekend at Southern Expo Model Show, real oddity and as I am waiting for some aftermarket for my next Bismarck related build I had to start this.



What is in the box. lots of plastic, looks good as well.



etch too.



two frets like this.



This is going to be straight out of the box. I haven't check the kit out for accuracy, and I don't intend to, just build it and have fun.

Cheers



Si

The keel is laid.



The bulkheads are very a positive fit, helping the hull halves go together very nicely.

The underpinnings, propshafts and bilgekeels.



Both fitted very well, a drop of Tamiya quick drying held everything in place.

The kit colour guide gives the option of the lower hull being green or red, seem to remember seeing a model of the Danton in the Paris Maritime Museum with a green lower hull, so went that way.



The Upper hull given a coat of light grey, the colour guide has a boot topping, I am not convinced, so I am leaving it as is.



Last job today, foredeck given a coat of black.



More soon

Si

Hello Si, looking good, I like the look of the older style of the Dreadnought ships. I will be falling your build. Ronnie

Very nice Si! Love the looks of the ship...and the kit looks like a winner! Looking like you didn't wait for the starting gun either...LOL Way to get the dock workers in line!!

Nice choice Si

Hobby Boss have some real interesting kits coming out.

HMS Lord Nelson and Agamemnon to name a few

see here

Yes, I will be watching as well. I like the early 20th century ships and as Russ said some interesting ones coming. Also great to see a French ship being built and to have a tricolour added to your collection.

cheers
Michael

Hi Ronnie,

Welcome aboard, I too have a soft spot for the pre dreadnought era, couldn't resist this baby when I saw the kit.

Cheers

Si

Hi Todd,

welcome aboard, well can't have an empty building slip now can I

And to be truthful, five funnels, everything I need for a decent build in the box.

Cheers

Si

Hi Russ,

welcome aboard, also looking forward to the Lord Nelson and the Agamemnon, especially if the tooling is as good as this lady.

Cheers

Si

Hi Michael,

Glad to have you along, it is a great time to be have a fondness for the late 19th / early 20th Centaury ships, Good time for the French navy too,

Cheers

Si

Hi Si,

that's quite some subject for a change - very nice start and of course I'm in! -even if I most like will be a silent observer for the coming there weeks or so. This time it's leave and holiday!! But I'll be watching your progress, on all other build logs as well!!

Cheers,
Jan

Hi Jan,

Always glad to have you along, She is an interesting beast. It is rare that I buy something and it goes straight on the bench, but sometimes I just have to feed the predreadnought urge.

cheers

Si

Today's progress.

The main deck components sprayed.



And with the masking off.



I have added a little and probably invisible extra detail. Doors into the casemates.







Guns fitted to the casemates.



Casemates in place.



and the main deck parts in place.



More soon.

Si

The French sure did build some "quirky" ships didn't they Si?

Not that they were strange or anything, but, just little things that set them apart...

Hi Russ,

The French certainly had their own way with capital ship design, Vive la difference! Mate.

I love quirky ships whatever their nationality.

Hopefully if this sells we will see more of them.

Cheers

Si

Some progress today.

The gun ports.

The eight beam port hatches are each made of 4 parts.



Fortunately the kit has raised nubs that help position the two top and bottom sections to avoid misalignment.

Bow and stern ports just have an upper and lower half each.



all the beam ports on.



More soon

Cheers

Si

Yesterday's progress.

More etch added to the outside, should have added the doors prior to spraying - teach me to read the instructions properly.



all the doors and gunport hatches painted.



Screws painted and fitted.



Fo'c's'le and Quarterdeck fittings in place.





Structure and etch going on the after end of the fo'c's'le deck level.



more soon

Cheers

Si

no messing around here Si

that green anti fouling paint messes with my mind-so used to seeing red

Can I ask about the deck plating? It seems pretty heavy handed-almost like the crew would have to climb over it?

Hi Russ,

With etch like the gunports, some times I just sort of get in the zone sometimes.

I liked the option of the green, different, the kit instructions and various other references show both red and green.

The deck plating is heavy, I would reckon 1909 it would have been riveted, not welded. I maybe should have sanded it back a bit, sort of got carried away with this one

Cheers



Si

Ahoy Simon

Again another cool subject and a great looking build so far.

Cheers


Sean

Understandable given the topic Si

Still, I don't know what it is with Merit/Trumpy/Hobby Boss. At times they get things very right, at others they go overboard (pun intended ) on silly things like plating. EG 1/200 Nelson!

Thanks Sean,

She is one cool beast, love this era for it's oddities,

Cheers

Si

Hi Russ,

Have to agree with you, they do have a habit of creating some excellent detail, and the at best overdoing or at worst getting a major component completely wrong.

I have the Nelson, and I with that am undecided what to do, live with it, or risk wrecking a very expensive kit?

Need to think very hard about that.

cheers

Si

I've seen a few builds of the 1/200 Nelson on the net, Si, and they've sanded down the plating to great effect! Some have painted the plating back on, but most have left it plain and it looks far better.

It definitely seemed to be worth the effort.

I just hope that if the 1/350 Rodney (in 1941 fit please )ever materializes then they omit the plating from the hull... At 1/350 a welded hull/flush riveted should not really be visible. At least Merit got this right with Ark Royal!

I still can't understand how the Nelson Class (one of the most requested class of vessels) hasn't yet appeared in 1/350-baffling!

But on the flip side it gets me off the hook! Rodney is the only ship I've allowed myself to add to the stash, until the stash is empty of ships-only 3 to go after the King and the Prinz!

Hi Russ,

You are right Mate, Nelson's hull does look better plain. I will give that serious thought.

Will also need take a good look at any underwater stuff, sea suctions and the like.

Cheers

Si