HMS Prince Of Wales by Raven101 - Tamiya - 1/350 - PLASTIC

[Raven101]

I’ve been making models since the late sixties but stopped making them when I moved home back in 2008. Due to acute kidney failure back in March leaving me needing a hobby that wasn’t to physically demanding bought me back to scale model making. 

 

My first foray back led me to buying Tamiya’s - still rather good - 1:350 scale Prince Of Wales kit which had an all too brief but illustrious career  in 1941. However Tamiya being a Japanese company depicted her at the time Singapore fell in December 1941.

 

After some research I’d decided to depict her as she was in May 1941 as she was while berthed at Scapa Flow - a bit of local interest as I live within range of her main artillery. I also needed to backdate her Triple A and colour scheme to her pre June 1941 refit. Another search led me to Korean company Pontos models multimedia Bismarck action detail up set.

 

First image is the Tamiya kit, most of it will be staying on the sprue as the original - although good for how the technology was in 1986 leaves us wanting in the second decade of the 21st century. 

 

Second image is the Pontos models 1941 detail up set. Inside are two large bags - one containing four smaller bags of resin parts and the other containing four bags of turned brass with everything from the ships bell up to main armament barrels. Underneath are six sheets of photo etch brass. There are a couple of omissions from the set - porthole covers and carley rafts. L’Arsnell solves the raft issue still looking for a solution to the porthole issue. 

 

First update 04/07/2018

 

I’ve been a little busy over the last week but Sunday and today I had free time, the deck has finally been cleared and the Pontos wooden deck finally attached - it’s a nice snug fit and really looks impressive. One word of caution though, don’t remove The rectangular bumps from the foredeck and the two just aft of “Y” turret - they form the bases of the PE hatches that Pontos provide also the two square “boxes” attached to either side of “B” turret as the wooden deck goes around them - I see some scratch building in my not to distant future. 

 

THE HULL

 

Looking at the kits hull shows only one major(ish) clanger - the bilge keel is too long (it extends too far aft and too far forward - a little bit of surgery will put that right. For reference, I’m using Roger Chesneau’s book on building the KGV class battleships and the drawings there show the bilges start 21 cm from the bow and finish 21 cm from the stern (1:350 scale)

 

One other issue is the lack of riveted panel joints on the hull - Tamiya have managed to put them on the turrets but not the hull. A search on the internet reveals an image of POW moored in Placentia Bay, Newfoundland - stern in but riveted panel joints clearly visible - a second image (this one of the Hood) shows the entire hull panel joints clearly visible, but only down to the boot topping - Royal Navy used the same pattern in all their capital ships. 

 

 

[Dan Vadas]

5 hours ago, Raven101 said:

still looking for a solution to the porthole issue.

G'day Raven. Here's where I get mine from. It's a Polish site, so postage isn't cheap. They have portholes in various sizes from 1.0mm up to 2.0mm. You'll have to measure the size(s) you will need off the model.

 

Danny

[RGL]

Excellent, someone who lse to make sense of the Pontos instructions for me. 

 

There are are plenty of options available for ringols in aftermarket 

[Raven101]

Lol, I’ll do my best, but I think It’ll be like the blind leading the blind - perhaps we can sort it out together.

 

im still clearing the deck on mine, so the instruction sheet is only being used as to what comes off or stays on -,I’ve come to realise the deck Tamiya supplies is that for the end of war KGV as there are differences in deck furniture between the two ships. 

[cog]

Perfect, another P&P (plastic & pe) Exciting build

[RGL]

As far as I’m can tell everything but the barbettes for the cannons have to go. I’m still getting my head around how much work I need to do on the hull.