RGL

There is always so much work with nothing to show! But, I find when all these pre prepared pieces suddenly come togeather  and you find yourself mikes ahead of where you thought you were. 

Question; are you going to rig your ship?

Railings and davits added.

Catapults added

You read my mind Pat. 

Are you going to use chipping fluids? If so might I suggest a good coat of German black/red then a coat of satin varnish and start with the chipping fluids and then shading? 

Regardless its looking great  and I’m looking forward to see its hull painted. 

Small update, bow deck flag, and the catapult covers (open position) each of which have 27 gussets. 

One bite of the elephant ata time 

Now, three yellow bars done. I’m not going to put a flag at the stern, as it does not make sense by 1944 to identify herself so easily. 

Yellow line done, and 4 arrestor wires added. 

Yes, the bleed through! I’m going to use the airbrush for the rest of the deck painting so hopefully it won’t be wet enough to soak. 

Finally, I hand painted all the features that are supposed to be metal. There was a tiny bit of over run but after weathering and parking airplanes on top it want stick out. 

Next is to paint a big yellow line down the centre and the flags. The wind barriers don’t need to go on yet permanently. Coming along OK. 

Next are the metal PE runways for the aircraft trolleys

One of the hardest things about putting on a pre chewed deck is alignment. The bigger the deck, the harder. This one’s about 1mm out of alignment. I must say the de k is quite nice and well defined. 

The shipping would be the same 

It’s dried rust, as it’s a dark colour it comes up very bright. I might work some scratches into it with a lighter primer colour on panel lines yet. There is a really big flagpole and a quad cannon in the stern that does distract a bit. 

Once  I get the deck on I need to paint on nazi flags, landing lines and the weather it. Yes, there will be nazi flags as it’s still historically accurate regardless of it being repugnant. 

There will then be every bit as much as detail as Yamato or Ise. 

I cut them before the metal was attached. 

The rear flight deck, supports added plus a few stabilisation struts made from offcuts, paint, rust, rudders now it can stay on the stand. Notice the angle of the rudders which is more like the real thing. 

If only you lived in Oz 

The lid is on, hardest part of the build now needs a full day of touch ups and the rear support struts under the flight deck. I’ll have to pull off half of the support gussets and glue them flush to the hull. 

Everything above the flight deck line can be done after everything below it is finished. Armaments will be done second last to the aircraft. 

The massive holes cut cut in the front of the flight deck will house the catapults. 

2 elevators plugged in, the final one will be carrying a plane up to the deck and the gap is biggest I can do to fit other aircraft inside

Plane elevators, 

primer

3 shades of grey, with some panels

chipping 

filters and washes

I’ve been dry fitting the deck over and over and to get it to sit correctly and flush will take it being put down in sections. Then it has to be glued. That will be probably the hardest part of the build apart from the air wings. 

As for the primer, if you put a clear coat over the red primer I’m hoping it will weather better. 

The elevators and catapult carriage runways, painted German Red/Black then a satin coat. Tomorrow I can give them some chipping fluids and an overspray of greys. Then chipping. 

I have to add the platforms before placing the deck on. 

Moving on with the underside, I had to add extra gussets at the bow end of the flight deck, cut out plastic for the catapults. 

Primer coat then a lighter grey coat. This deck is a nightmare to align properly. 

Those instructions are very obvious when you’ve destroyed that piece of PE and finally figure out what they meant