Zara by RGL - FINISHED - Trumpeter - 1/350 - PLASTIC - Italian heavy cruiser

[RGL]

Years ago I got the Anatomy Of The Ship book Bartolomeo Colleoni, and thought what a beautiful ship. So many of the pre WW2 Italian ships were, (but not that good in the real thing with other navies with Radar). The Trumpeter Zara is a new mold, with nice features and a decent upgrade sets on a slow boat from China. I got some Profile Morskie line drawings as well.

 

I've spent the last few weeks scouring the internets for photos and references, most of the research gold is from Russian sites so my plan is to populate a lot of this build with photos of Zara that are very very hard to find.  

[RGL]

A few more photos, some are of her sister ships.

 

A wonderful open source site for ships plans in the Russian language and there is also a forum with 130 pages of every Italian ship imaginable. 

 

http://forums.airbase.ru/2007/07/t30810_99--chertezhi-korablej.html

 

Why the red and white bow? because the Italian air force at the beginning of WW2 attacked every ship they saw so the navy had to paint them for recognition

Edited March 5, 2020 by RGL

[popeye the sailor]

sparse pictures?   looks like a really good ship to model Greg.  wonder what type of planes those are.  no doubt you'll do well with her  

[RGL]

So all up the ship is a little over 50cm. Hull already drilled and wooden blocks put in for the brass stands 

the stern has some moulded prop guards which  need to be replaced

 

the bow has a little node for the paravane chains

this is one if the Italian cruisers (can’t really understand its source) being salvaged after WW2 in Taranto Italy, but is shows it’s quite substantial 

[RGL]

The bow piece has some very nice etched in panels, but a silly faux chain which will have to go. 

the railings for the seaplane will be replaced. As well as the coverings so I can park one below decks. The kit only gives you 1 so I bought some more to make mistakes with. 

the stern has some nice plastic wood on which I’ll be putting a stick on deck. 

[yvesvidal]

Another impressive project. I will be following with a lot of interests.

Yves

[Canute]

An Italian cruiser. I'm in.

[mtaylor]

I'm just following along and watching another masterpiece.... 

[amateur]

Great, another masterpiece on the go!

 

Jan

[RGL]

This class of ship carried two observation aircraft in front of the fore turret. The kit provided a single aircraft and I want to have two so I bought a six pack of them, an Imam Ro.43.

 

I've sacrificed one for scale practice so I can see how it fits in the hangar. 

[RGL]

Next is the hangar itself. This took me forever to find diagrams of it,

 

The rails and hanger deck of the actual kit are not to scale by the looks of it and needed widening.

So eventually it should look like this

[RGL]

So there are two large panels that cover the hangar that slide (or are lifted) to the side and the crane lifts the aircraft out or in. This diagram shows an older version of aircraft with wings that were removed, ands with a hoist, but it appears the Trumpeter Zara kept this width were the WW2 version obviously widened the hatches. .

 

This is a screen capture from a gentleman who made a 1/100 radio controlled model of Zara. Notice how he has a wider and longer deck hatch as well.

[mtaylor]

1 hour ago, RGL said:

S

 

Is it just me, but looking at the wakes, is the ship going in reverse?  The other pics looked right but these two have me scratching my head.

[RGL]

So, made up a little hangar bay to park up the second floatplane 

[mtaylor]

Beautiful and detailed.  I really don't know how you do stuff that tiny but it's pure artistry.

[RGL]

12 minutes ago, mtaylor said:

 

Is it just me, but looking at the wakes, is the ship going in reverse?  The other pics looked right but these two have me scratching my head.

It must be given that’s the focsle, the configuration is of a Zara Class Cruiser now 

[yvesvidal]

I like your research efforts to improve on the Trumpeter kit. Sounds familiar to me.... ;-)

 

Yves

[Beef Wellington]

10 hours ago, mtaylor said:

 

Is it just me, but looking at the wakes, is the ship going in reverse?  The other pics looked right but these two have me scratching my head.

I was expecting an Italian joke to pop up here, but it didn't directly, so no more need be said...

[Landlubber Mike]

Oh goody, another RGL masterpiece to follow.  Nice job so far!

 

Is it me, or does it seem like the Italians put wonderful lines and other design elements in everything they make?  Clothes, cars, warships, etc.

[amateur]

Did Zara ever had a camouflage pattern, or will she just be plain (ah well, we know what you do with plain ) grey?

 

Jan

[RGL]

She didn’t last long enough to get a dazzle pattern. She would have been better served with flash less gun power (the Italian Navy didn’t order and) for night battles and radar 

[american]

The text above the picture sais that this is Fiume floating backwards

 

[RGL]

 Cool, a Russian speaker!!! Nearly all my research is from Russian sites 

[RGL]

So what I’m awaiting from China (apparently it’s on the way but everything is so slow due  to the flu), Shipyard works upgrade with a wooden deck as well apparently 

[american]

Yes. And I will be glad to help. In fact Russian is close to my native language.

[RGL]

Hull together, bilge keels and shafts added. I can now do up the hull plates after an overspray of primer 

[Javlin]

I know it's not a cruiser but a video of the Roma's interior starts @ 3:00 is like an ocean liner by the way love the details of the hangar Kevin

 

 

 

[RGL]

It’s just amazing how classy the interior details are. Amazingly impractical but stylish. 

[cog]

Nice choice! Running to keep up again. You really can't hold a steady pace mate. Lovely progress on the airplane bay though

[Old Collingwood]

Small tip  - when your parcel arrives from china  -  sanitize it  - just in case.

 

OC.