With Bluebell in the final stages, as usual I started to look at the next build. In this case its part 2 of the twin display: Unterseeboot 711.

Information about her HERE. For the colour scheme, I used an invaluable article on U Boat colours which gives details and a photo ref for the camo which is dark grey lower hull / light grey upper / dark grey wavy stripes:





Every U Boat had an individual emblem..for U711 its a duck! This book is indespensible for any U Boat builder, and from there I extracted a scan of the duck logo, to be later modified into a decal:




A Type VIIC, so will be using the 1/72 Revell kit as the base, along with a WEM PE detail set. Well known kit, nothing much to say here except it is a much more modern kit compared to the Bluebell, so the build hopefully is less stressful :P


U711 sank HMS Bluebell on 17 Feb 1945 with only one survivor (some say none, some say more?). Information HERE. U711 herself was sunk on 4 May 1945 by the Fleet Air Arm, with 12 survivors.

The display will be mounted side by side...sort of my small tribute to all those men who died:


Anyway, finish off the ship first, then lets go underwater!

Salams Bro

Bila siap U-boat tu boleh la main tembak-tembak ngan Corvette tu...tapi kena cari bathtub besar sikit :lol:

Looking fwd to your build....

Rgds

so shah.. takde plan ka nak buat the Fleet Air Arm yg sunk the U711 tuh?
complete the circle... :D

idea only.. :D since 1/72 scale untuk plane should be ok kan.. :D

Kuman...ko ni......I would need a 1/72 Avenger.... :rolleyes: ....But no..no...noooo......cukup la tuuuu

Nice concept about complete the circle kan?

:lol: :lol:

shah,
pretty soon you have to move out to a bigger place to display all the built kits!

yea shah... it then could finally be complete...:D

keep the full-circle idea in the head ya.. when the sub at 90% completed... bring back the "full-circle" idea forward.. should be a kacang putih only :D

display them side-by-side.. pergh.... a food-chain... "Flower" <-- "U711" <-- "Avenger"

pergh....

Loo, much better reason than moving out cos no place to keep unbuilt boxes ;) :lol:


Kuman: FOOD CHAIN...I like that !!! But not so simple...
Uboat can eat the Flower and the Avenger
Flower can only eat the Uboat
Avenger can only eat the Uboat
So technically.....U boat is at the top cos can eat both.....not bottom?

hmmm
if you refer to the current scenario that should be right.. :D

so apa lagi.... the Hunt for the Avenger should begin :lol:

actually, you can click the "print screen" (PrtSc) button to get image of your screen. Dun need to photograph your monitor.

Thank fly...ill try that next time.

Anyways, did the first groundbreaking ceremony on this Uboat. The hull has lots of vent holes which are moulded solid in the kit, it definitely improves things to open them up. However, this involves a lot of very leceh drilling, cutting and filing:



Actually in the real Uboat, one can see daylight right through the vents and all the inner framework etc, as the outer hull and inner pressure section are separated. One can go all the way and either scratchbuild all the inner bits or buy aftermarket. However, I will just stick to drilling for the effect...enough la

Done with the drilling! Phew....




There are more fine vents under the hull...but not visible, so I left them.

Next will start assembly...subs are pretty easy to assemble - its all about the paint job!

KSN Shah,

this is another soap opera i must not missed...will be my next entertainment in JB.... for a Uboat lover, i will support this build.... so U-771 is not included in the decal kan?? not so sure...

banyak lobang nko korek bro... i read that most people shave (i meant sanded) the inside of the 'hole' to hollow the holes...when i build the boat, i skip this part ..

this is a nice kit bro... aku tau nko ada banyak lagi.... tolak kat aku satu le bro...

with WEM PE plak tuh....caya la bro...

about the food chain thingy, if u still remember your biology class that the bottom class is many middle is little and the top is lesser

so if u build one U771, then a few avengers will balance the chain. Add 5-9 bluebell and the chain is complete..... :lol:


good luck

Thanks KSD Zaidi....I know you built one of these before, great job there. I hope I could reach the standard u set la...but nak buat 5-9 Bluebell, gua surrender..satu pun nak muntah darah.

U711 not included in the sheet, thats why all the research dulu

Anyways, some small update:

1. Put together the main hull, the fit was very good...so so nice and painless compared to the Bluebell. I fitted the torpedo tube doors open to add some interest


2. Since a bit of the interior is visible through all the holes, I thought to make a representation of the inner pressure hull. Used a length of suitable (plumbing) poly pipe. Thinking of how to fit it in and add some detail...although maybe nothing is visible in the end..simply lah

Interior of hull work:

1. Complete "goreng" here just to add some body, otherwise its just totally empty. Kitbash details were added to the tubes to represent some piping, exhaust, hatches and torpedo storage. After that, sprayed black wherever would be visible to make it "solid" and some rust treatment with MIG pigments



2. Hardly anything is visible, but enough to give an idea that there is something in there and not an empty plastic shell



Once dry, will cement on the top decking and seal the hull shut....

Actually there are a number of well documented inaccuracies with this kit (anchor position, no. and layout of hull vents, shape of saddle tanks etc) but I'm going to proceed as-is and enjoy the build. Too much torture and surgery needed otherwise. :wacko:

CnC welcome as always :D

Shah, too much surgery n torturing will eventually lead to "Sentuhan Kecundang" :D

I'm out of words trying to CnC your skillful works. At this point, its look WOW!!!

mej®

cantik rust treatment bang

senget benget kepala aku nak tengok gambarnye :lol:

keep it up bro

Finished off the rest of the hull, ready for base coat painting:

1. Added torpedo tube doors from PE set. The kit gives nothing for this prominent feature...very obvious if tube doors open


2. Fins, rudders and prop shafts added


3. Various other PE parts added incl hull vents and hatch cover hinges


4. Started on the conning tower. First is the UZO (Unterwasserzieloptik) which was trimmed to take the PE parts. I scratchbuilt a pair of binoculars to fit on top
Also did the hatch (will be mounted open)


I wont add all the smaller parts like railings etc until after painting...high risk to break them moving the hull about..Will build and detail the conning tower and gun separately before adding to hull

malas la aku nak komen... asal nko buat je mesti gempak,..... grrrrrrrrrrr :P :P

KSD Zaidi, Mana ada gempak la....all done by Revell and WEM, I just glue it together la haha

More PE work on the conning tower incl periscope, vents, compass, engine room telegraph and some panels. WEM set gives several radar options..I chose the FuMo 30 set which requires the big box on the side of the tower - no info on what radar U711 used, so I chose this as something quite likely on a late war U-boat. Seam lines to be treated and that box to be blended in properly as well. Also started to build the deck gun.

Supersonic working speed man.

Base colours applied using Tamiya acrylics agst Revell colour chart: Nato Black for hull, a mix of white and grey for the upperworks, dark grey for camo stripes and dark grey/flat earth for wooden deck.

Colour scheme based on the "U Boat colours" booklet I have and the pic of U711 in there. Very light topsides for operations in Northern waters. I do not think it is 100% accurate colour wise (impossible to tell anyway with U Boats), but as long as it looks the part, jadi lah!

Pic taken just after masking removed. Future applied to protect paint against handling for now.




Next will be to do some touch ups, then detail painting....

CnC as always welcome :D

Further work on the upper deck details:

1. Finished off the deck gun including lanyard for the "tampion" (muzzle underwater cover). Also railing with wire sections added


2. Front upper cable cutter (from WEM PE set)


Other stuff done incl 20mm gun and interior painting of conning tower, before final assembly.

Need to do the decal for the duck emblem next, then matt down and weather...

Pushing a bit hard on this one, got to finish off whole twin project, cos Snowespeeder and Flying Tiger are waiting! ;)

1. Rigged! Used a thicker type of thread, which I got from beading.com.my - excellent source of wire, thread etc. The dreaded tensioners were not too much of a problem, once tiny holes were drilled to take the thread. Some thinking required in order to line everything up with the right tension otherwise it will be quite a pain to sort it out. I started from the bow and work to the rear, final tension given by the last two tensioners at the stern. Spots of superglue added to secure.



2. Added the radio transmitter wire from the conning tower to the antenna. The rear wires also will be added. Printed the duck motif and applied. After dry, whole model then given flat coat ready for weathering.


Now, the fun part begins! :lol:

Finished!!

Weathering was a combination of washes, airbrush streaking and MIG pigments for rust. Then added on the last few bits incl rear radio wires, PE radar, anchor and flag. Will put on 2 figures from the Revell German Navy set on the bridge to give scale....








Sorry for the not so great pics....I should really have a photo booth or something made up :P

After this, got to mount this boat and Bluebell on the base...will come back with the pics for that