(Posted this message in the wrong forum first... should be ok now.)


Ok guys and girls

We are now officially only one more month away from the start of what will be the biggest display of firepower this site has every seen.

So let's throw another bucket of sand on that deck, polish those cannonballs one more time and then get to your battlestations!!!!

History has shown every warrior has it's own way of preparing for war, so now Im' wondering how my fellow shipmates have been preparing for this coming onslaught??

It's time to start talking hard facts. Raise your voices and tell the world what they're in for when this campaign starts

Today, I have taken command over the Japanese Battleship Musashi. With a battleready displacement of 71659 tons, 3x46 cm triple barreled mainguns and four 13.5 cm triple barreled secondary guns, along with enough machineguns and high angle guns to singlehandedly take out an army, she'll turn night into day when the emperor requests so.

Now let me hear what she'll be up against in this campaign!

(in short: I'll be building the Tamiya 1/350 Musashi with WEM PE)

I believe my entry will be the Revell 1/426th (I think that's the right scale) Arizona. I've inherited the old kit so the mold is still somewhat crisp. However, I need to purchase the currently available kit to replace some of the missing smaller guns. (That is of course assuming that the current kit is not as clean as this old kit) After the good luck I've had with my extra fine needle for my airbrush, and my improvement in airbrushing , I feel a little better about trying my hand at a ship.

I'm looking forward to this campaign, it has all the ear-marks of the DDD campaign and it'll be, I'm sure, just as memorable.

See ya on deck.

Steve

Too many choices. Hopefully I can make multiples, but I'll concentrate on finishing one before going onto more. The choices are:

1/600 Airfix HMS Hood. The crowd favorite but it doesn't look like a great kit and I'd really like to do her justice.

1/720 Revell USS Arizona. Has possibilities. I have the 1/350 Banner kit made on my shelf, but it takes up so much room I may delegate it to storage and let this one take it's place.

1/350 Mini-Hobby Bismarck. I understand this is a knockoff of the Tamiya kit so it should be pretty good. What I'm thinking about with this one would take a bit of work. I'd like to model it as she appears today, on the ocean floor. That would mean some different painting, to get the weathering right. If I were to do one of the other two quickly I might try this one as a second entry.

Bjorn:
Starting off with a question. You state you are doing the Musashi and that it has 4 triple turreted secondary guns. Is that option availalbe? That is where those two 3 gun turrets are on each side of the ship rand the other two are on the centerline aboove the main guns. I thought they didn't have a 350 scale that depicted either the Yamato or Musashi as originally configured. If so, I'm gonna have to get me one of those.

As to my entry. I have the minihobbies Bismarck which is very close to the Tamiya kit. I have a Tom's PE and a WEM upper deck PE to go with it. As a painting guide I have a side view and topview 4 foot long poster printed for me by LadyModler 2 last year.She had access to one of those gigantic color plotters at U Arizona. She made me a ton of them and I handed them out to my scouts. I've decided to paint her as she entered the Norweigen Fjord (too chicken to do the full Baltic stripes)

I've been thinking of picking up one of these to go with my father in law's flag that flew over the Arizona. Is it a pretty good kit?

I think I'd like to have one for myself.

Steve;

Banner kit is fine, just make sure you get a GOOD PE set for it. Recommend GMM. I used Tom's and it was OK I think GMM has a few more enhancing parts and better instructions.

Steve, it was the first ship kit I'd made in some 30 years. As I understand it in a lot of way they just took the very old Revell Arizona kit, the one you have, and blew it up into 1/350. It really does cry out for a good PE set. It was a fair to good kit as far as I was concerned. If you do build it there is a step by step guide online where some guy did basically individual planks for the deck. Also I have a Scale Modeling mag that has a good article on it. Let me know I'll get you a copy of it.

Thanks guys for the answers and the suggestions. I think I will go ahead and buy two.

And Rodger, thanks for the offer, I might just take you up on that. If you're interested, through some other research I obtained a photo copy of Norman Friedman's monograph on the Arizona. It's about 50 pages and includes a set 1/500th scale line drawings, balistics data on her guns..all sorts of goodies. The photos will not be as sharp since the original copy was made on a far better machine than we have, but they're not too bad.

Howdy Guys,

I was wondering if it's to late for me to join in on this build. I have a ISW 1/350 Texas that would be a good addition.
Ray

I am preparing by trying to put away some money so that I can actually buy a kit

But for the moment I don't have got anything to spend on models

And you haven't enlisted yet because... why?

You bet you can join in! Just put your mark on the dotted line Ray and welcome aboard!


Steve

Ahh.. you still have time Lil' Bro. No sweat.

Have fun on your holiday to Austria....bring me back t-shirt

Hello all! I'm all set with the Banner 1/350th Arizona myself. Its going to be an interesting build. My first ship. LOL. Steve, Rodger are the PE sets a must? or will it build OK out of the box? If not Steve who is GMM? I'm not a ship building guy so I have no clue.

I'm looking forward to this campaign. We all had such fun with DDD. Lets make it the same fun build.

Hey Scott!

I think he's referring to Gold Medal Models. They make/made a really nice after market set for Academy's 1/350th Titanic. ( I need to build mine sometime. I've had it for 6 years.)

Happy 4th

Steve

OK Steven that makes sence. Now do I really need it or does the kit build ok as a stand alone?

Any kit will stand alone. How many tanks have you built straight out of box. A ship PE set adds things like railings and changes out pieces like swing arms, catapults and cranes for more detailed pieces. On tanks a lot of us prefer individual links, screens and turned metal barrels. So just view it like that.

OK Steven I will. If I can get the PE easily I will give it a try. I will be in temporary quarters during the campaign (long story) So I will not have my full bag of tricks with me during the build. I will give anything a shot once.

Tom's modelworks also makes a good set. It's a few bucks cheaper. Roll Models or Great Models btwn them carry both the sets. Trident of course has both sets, and sometimes you can find them at local hobby shops. White Ensign Models does a great set, but it's more than the kit itself ($50+). Ship PE is fairly easy to do. I just cut the railings in smalle rsectons so I don't have to have multiple bendings, most of the other stuff just folds together like catapaults and cranes.

Thanks Steve! I'll let you know how I do in my shopping.

STeve

I just checked the drawings, and you're right.
There are only 2 secondary gun turrets on the MUsashi kit, and not 4 like mentionned in the description on the manual.
But on the bright side: there are also a gearbox and metal propellorshafts included in the kit. (just have to find a motor)
Now I'll just have to find a way to fit myself and the MUsashi in the bathtub and boy.. let the fun begin...
:-) :-) :-) :-)
I've been searching, but I can't find any other pics than the ones showing the MUsashi with only 2 secondary gun turrets, and not 4. This probably never got beyond planning stage?

Steven, I've never heard of Banner kits. They don't sell them here in Belgium.
How are they priced?

so, so far we've got an Arizona, a Texas, A Bismarck, maybe a Hood... this looks very promising.
Nobody thinking about tackling one of them big old wooden sailboats? (hms Victory?)

I've always wanted to do a Man-o War, but I think it would need to be a long, snow-bound winter if I did. Those I think would be a lot of work. But they're beautiful!

Man I hate to make all of those choises....

"which model to buy?"


US Battleship Missouri


IJN Battleship Musashi


German Battleship Bismarck


British Battleship Prince of Wales

They're all so cool...which one to buy?? (can't buy them all....) Any difference in quality with these kits?

Martin

I think the Prince of Wales has an interesting history. although so does Mighty Mo.....well, they all do. I have the Bismarck, I'd like to get the Mo and PoW.

Toss a coin..

I've built them all. They are all great, fantastic, top of the line, etc. If I could only do 1 I would do Yamato because in my eyes, she is simply the most beautiful. 2nd choice Mighty Mo, 3rd Bismark, 4th New Jersey (modern day Missouri) and then the KGV or PoW.

DECISIONS.............................Decisions