I am going to buy an academy 1/350 scale bismarck was buying tamiyas but i dont think it comes with side rails.what colours will i need?i know its two shades of grey and bottom hull is red but i want the exact colour match,i use tamiya acrylics .it will be my first ship build so i need to ask all these questions.thanks in advance karl

There is a truely wonderful site for the Bismarck that has color profiles. I would cosult this because despite it's short life, the Bismarck had multiple color schemes.

3 alone after it left Bremerhave on it's final mission You may need a red, a light gray, a yellow, a dark gray, a white , and black. take a little time to research and that way you'll get the exact sceme you want. I've got the site listing as one of my favorites ad the address changed, but I get an immediate change over so I can't help you with a URL...try KM Bismarck or something like that use google search.

I ordered a Tom's PE set through Roll Models yesterday for $14.25 it has all you will need. Gold Medal MOdels and White Ensign Models also make sets but are more expensive. Perhaps Eduard does it, but I've never seen one under their listings.

Definitely ENHANCES the kit and works better if you use it while doing the kit.

If you want to paint your BISMARCK accurately, you won't get there using Tamiya acrylics--they don't make the correct colours.

We have all the appropriate Kriegsmarine colours accurately matched and available in our Colourcoats enamels, and we ship worldwide.

To paint her as she appeared at the time she engaged HOOD, you'll need the following:

Colourcoats KM 01, Hellgrau 50 (superstructure);
Colourcoats KM 02, Dunkelgrau 51 (hull);
Colourcoats KM 04, Schiffsbodenfarbe III Rot 5 (underwater hull);
Colourcoats KM 05, Schiffsbodenfarbe III Grau 1 (boot-topping);
Colourcoats KM 06, Dunkelgrau 2 (steel decks, turret tops);
Colourcoats C 01, Teak (wood decks).

If you're going to paint her as she appeared the day she was sunk, then the turret tops should be repainted in:

Colourcoats ACLW 21, Gelb RLM 04.

You can order Colourcoats online at:

http://www.whiteensignmodels.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Colourcoats_Paint_19.html