Walrus (Airfix 1/48), NeOmega Catapult, and HMS Albatross (Niko 1/700) by Landlubber Mike

[Javlin]

On 7/9/2023 at 4:11 PM, Landlubber Mike said:

I think a big benefit with the resin kits is that they tend to be all-in-one kits where you don’t need a separate PE details kit that requires you to remove plastic parts and details to replace them with PE.  Instead, these kits and designed with the included PE and detail parts in mind, so there is less removal and replacement, and more just building.

Had not really thought of that aspect Mike the no removal part.

[Landlubber Mike]

I've managed to put together the sub-assemblies for the NeOmega catapult.  Seems like something that should take a day or two, but took me the better part of a week plus!  Part of that involved cutting the resin parts off the plugs and cleaning them up, and part was having to go back to the NeOmega site for clearer pictures.  All that said, the instructions are pretty clear in retrospect and this goes together very nicely.  

 

 

 

 

You can see in the background the jig I put together as recommended by NeOmega for the rear extension.  At this point, I'm going to rig the cabling and assemble the main frame with the rear extension, add some filler here and there, and the prime the assembly.  I'm having a bit of trouble with the wheels fitting into the combined main frame/rear extension when dry fitting, so I'll probably remove the wheels that will be hidden anyway (someone else seemed to have similar issues).

 

Thanks for looking in!

Edited August 19, 2023 by Landlubber Mike

[AJohnson]

That looks really neat Mike, the jig do they tell you how to build that?

really tempted with this combo. Looking forward to seeing the catapult come together. 

[Landlubber Mike]

Hey Andrew, the rear extension instructions tell you exactly how to build it using plastic sheets of various thicknesses.  One thicker piece (I think 2mm) for the base, and thinner piece to make the triangular and square frame pieces (they give you the dimensions for each). 

 

I think it's a pretty cool way to display a Walrus.  I'm hoping they re-release their Hurricane catapult, which looks super cool.  I reached out to the owner and unfortunately it didn't sound promising.  Apparently it's not exactly inexpensive to produce.

[king derelict]

The catapult looks really good Mike, it's going to be a superb model

Alan

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks Alan!  Hoping it all works out.

 

Speaking of the catapult, I ended up attaching the rear extension add-on to the main frame, and added the rigging.  I'm really happy with how this is looking.  I ended up taking off the wheels on the carriage as they won't be seen, and this is what the combo will look like:

 

 

I ended up testing out my display idea.  I was thinking about a squarish rectangular base, putting the Walrus on the back side towards one corner, and the Albatross on low brass rod pedestals towards the front side opposite corner.  Something like this:

 

 

I didn't realize the Albatross was almost as long as the catapult/Walrus, so I'm possibly rethinking how to display the two models.  An alternative would just be to put the two models on a longer skinner rectangular base, side by side rather than stacked front and back.  That might be a better approach so the Walrus doesn't get hidden by the Albatross as might be the case with my first idea.  If anyone has thoughts or suggestions, I'd love to hear them! 

[Egilman]

1 hour ago, Landlubber Mike said:

If anyone has thoughts or suggestions, I'd love to hear them! 

Ok, I would use a squarish but rectangular base, cut half-n-half along a diagonal drawn across the long length, ship in front right bedded in a mild running dark grey seas following the diagonal... Then I would build a ships side along the diagonal a bit higher than the ship and place the catapult on the deck at the left rear so it shows the aircraft launching at right angles to the diagonal...

 

This way, you have action in both presentations, but they complement each other....  The ship steaming preparing to launch and the aircraft ready to launch.... The left rear being a detail representation of the overall presentation on the right front....

 

The ships side gives a break to the viewing angle so you can perceive the ship alone, and the height on the left rear gives the aircraft a representation of action alone.... Step back, and you see both the overall and detail together where one does not overwhelm the other...

 

Just a suggestion...

 

EG

[Danstream]

Hi Mike, I love the catapult model. It will be an impressive piece with the Walrus resting on it. Seen that you asked for opinions, I am here firing my own personal one. I am not in favor of making display compositions, I would prefer to see a long rectangular base with the two models side by side.

Best regards,

Dan

[king derelict]

8 hours ago, Egilman said:

Ok, I would use a squarish but rectangular base, cut half-n-half along a diagonal drawn across the long length, ship in front right bedded in a mild running dark grey seas following the diagonal... Then I would build a ships side along the diagonal a bit higher than the ship and place the catapult on the deck at the left rear so it shows the aircraft launching at right angles to the diagonal.

Oh i like the sound of that. Very imaginative

Alan

[Landlubber Mike]

Thank you @Egilman and @Danstream!

 

EG, when I started this project, I was thinking of something similar, with a larger higher rectangle with the Walrus display, and then a smaller, lower rectangle attached to the front of the Walrus display that would display the Albatross.  That was before I realized how close in size the two models are.

 

I like your diagonal side-by-side idea.  I'll have to think on that a little more.  While I had originally thought of displaying the catapult on a deck, I came to realize that the catapult frame actually sits on a superstructure which, depending on the ship, can be a turntable, a battleship gun, or a structure that's below deck with the launch rails at deck level (found in later versions).  The Albatross had what appears to be a circular, above deck superstructure.  There aren't too many pictures out there, but here is something similar:

 

 

I can't really model that as the catapult frame in the NeOmega set is only about 1/3 of the actual deal - NeOmega sells additional frames, but I think you would need to modify the middle third, and then there is the need for completeness sake to model the hydraulics.  At that point you are better off just scratch building the whole thing, which I wasn't planning on doing.  I have the HpH 1/32 kit in the stash, so maybe that's something to consider then.  So for this model, maybe I'll just sit the catapult frame on top of the base, and not try to model it as if it was on the deck of the Albatross by adding deck planks to the base.  

 

In case anyone is interested, here is a really cool Royal Navy instructional film using a Walrus on how the catapult launches worked, along with recovery of amphibious ships.  It's very impressive how many people and safety steps were involved along the way, and shows how complicated these activities were.

 

https://silodrome.com/royal-navy-wwii-instructional-film-catapult-ships/

 

[Egilman]

4 hours ago, Landlubber Mike said:

While I had originally thought of displaying the catapult on a deck, I came to realize that the catapult frame actually sits on a superstructure which, depending on the ship, can be a turntable, a battleship gun, or a structure that's below deck with the launch rails at deck level (found in later versions).  The Albatross had what appears to be a circular, above deck superstructure.  There aren't too many pictures out there, but here is something similar:

Yeah, that's the real crux of it... You don't have to make a deck of it to achieve the effect, instead of a ships hull bisecting the base just a straight wall will do the same thing...

 

Essentially, your separating the close up view from the distance view for both objects but still have them in the same aspect... The angled aspect of the ship adds action while laying it parallel to an edge tends to distract...

 

Anyway you wish to do it I think it will be spectacular brother...

[Landlubber Mike]

Base coat of paint on the catapult along with a start to the weathering and highlighting.

[Old Collingwood]

That  is looking  so realistic  - really nice work.

 

OC.

[Landlubber Mike]

Thanks OC!  It looks fairly simple, but was a bit complicated to assemble - mostly as I had a hard time understanding the instructions which were mostly in words.  Looking back afterwards, the instructions seemed clear but going through it I had to keep looking at pictures of the real thing and of those built by other folks.

[Javlin]

Looking good Mike waiting for the end results.

[Landlubber Mike]

3 hours ago, Javlin said:

Looking good Mike waiting for the end results.

Thanks Kevin.  At this point, I figure that maybe if I wait long enough, it will qualify for an upcoming LSM GB 🤫