VARYAG 1898 by Heinrich der Seefahrer - Zvezda - 1/350 - PLASTIC - building trial

[Heinrich der Seefahrer]

Hello modelers, 

 

after an absence from here I went boring in my life; sad is a life without ships. So I got a magnifying lamp to support my left eye and I hope I could build some model until the very end. 

 

I love this ship due to its nice design and the

light white colored hull (I am still looking fot the right yellow for the funnels). 

The Russian protected cruiser VARYAG was an astonishing example of heroism in the naval history. Facing an overwhelming enemy the captain didn't give up and surrendered. VARYAG is one of the ships being lost in full fight under its free flying flag. 

The Japanese raised the wreck and added her into their fleet as I.J.N. SOYA. (Look on these bars added onto the deck!) and this wonderful figurehead*.

 

 

But I am starting with the end - the Zvezda kit shall be shown as she was on the visit of Czar Nicolaus II. on the 28.IV.1898 in her pride white coloring with green underwater part and the yellow funnels.

So the emporers standart will fly over the kit - {but does it has had the white colouring of its Port Arthur time or was it delivered in the black hull painting scheme for the Baltic fleet?} 

 

She was built at Philadelphia at Will. Cramps shipyard due to the Russian shipyards were all working on battleships. The construction was altered to PALLADA, AURORA, DIANA giving her more speed, protection and heavier armaments. 

 

A good like for the model in the St. Petersburg collection is this: http://special.navalmuseum.ru/collection/ship/modeli?id=1365

 

The kit is very well known and I do not repeat the reboxing made better by others. I added the Eduard PE parts and a gun barrel set to it and looked very intensive the the funny video series of Harry Houndini about her build: 

 

 

Who gave me some interesting advise to add

the torpedo net booms first, as they are quite fiddly parts. Torpedo net booms do bear the wigth of an iron net hanging in a distance infornt of the hull in the water. These 750 tons nets do catching the incoming torpedos and  stop their speed so the do sink to the ground. (At Port Arthur one net kept of 113 Japanese Torpedos.)

But they are important as the structure the hull's side into diagonal stripes. And the are not too easy to be glued on. I did need 3hs to adjust them. 

(I am still looking for pictures of the torpedoboot rigging - but this seems to be under deck to be attached in case of adding the nets, too.) 

 

I get rid of painting the bronze parts right (names plate and propellers) by a spray can of bronze colour. (I learned not to overestimate my skills!) What did I told my colleagues every time "Keep is short and simple" ? 

The hull's halfs are good and easy to connect by Tamiya cement and putty. 

 

As I am still waiting for a pair of bronze pedastals I cannot enclose the hull by the decks at the moment but the hull itself will need some further detailing putty filling, inner strengthening for the pedastals and some sanding. 

 

So that's from me and here and now, 

 

Heinrich 

 

 

 

 

______________

*Inner voice:"Oh no Henry - don't overdo it!!!"

[Heinrich der Seefahrer]

Here the drawings

 

Literature and the photo etched parts. 

[RGL]

I built this here several years ago! Welcome to the dark side!

[Canute]

Colourcoats make an enamel Buff color for your stacks.

[Heinrich der Seefahrer]

At the moment I am awayting my barrel set.