Flyhawk 1/700 Prince of Wales
First attempt at a battleship and first attempt at the scale. It turned out quite well, I think - they never turn out as well as we hope they might, eh ? The good thing was that I made a lot of mistakes during the building, but I also think I've learned a lot for the next time. I wish I'd painted it in camo, for a start, and I should have completed each of the sub-assemblies - ie added all the photo-etch BEFORE attaching them to the hull - attaching railings etc to turrets or various parts of the towers would have been much simpler than after they were all in place. Also very difficult to avoid catching the very fragile aerials at the top of the masts, and so frustrating having to straighten them out time after time. They probably should have been the last thing to be added.
That said it was a very enjoyable project - probably 2 months work, doing an hour or two most days. The kit itself is a work of engineering art. There was not a single example of a part not fitting perfectly. The photo-etch looks intimidating when you first view it, but as always, patience is it's own reward. A chisel point scalpel blade and a pair of needle point tweezers are absolutely invaluable at this scale.
Gorgeous work Robert. The Flyhawk kits are a great all-in-one for those with the patience. I have only completed one, with two more in progress, taking little bites at them as time goes by. Your results are very impressive, and any perceived mistakes in your mind are not evident in your presentation. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks Andrew !
Excellent job and superb result, Robert!
Congratulations!
Thank you, Spiros ! π
Very nice result, Robert @rob-cookson
Best part is that you learned while enjoying the build.
You definitely did a nice job on your first battle ship in this scale.
Thanks John π
Outstanding result, particularly considering this is your first 1/700. You deserve a lot of congratulations!
About the way to build, I have settled on some rules, based on many mistakes.
Build each turret, mast, crane, radar antenna, etc. as a separate sub-assembly.
Then make sure the hull, deck and main parts of the superstructure are just like you want them. This would include the camouflage.
Only then I start adding the sub-assemblies, starting in the middle (e.g. your plane and cranes) and moving to the edges, with the outer railing being the very last thing.
EXCEPT for the masts and other thin bendy things (e.g. radio aerials), which I leave to be the absolutely last!
Thanks Marcellos - I will take note of your running order - it makes perfect sense, and I wish I'd had it earlier! π
Lovely work! I'm sure there will be folks who can point out mistakes or decisions to do something differently that real life, but there is so much to a battleship that there will always be a glitch or two.
Did you use a wooden deck, or is that just a terrific treatment with a paintbrush? And since the ship's boats always catch my eye, I must mention that yours look really really good to me.
Great job!
Rick
Thanks for your comments Rick, and yes, the deck is paper thin wood. It came with the kit - I think it was the deluxe edition, although I bought it second hand from a good friend, so I'm not 100% certain π
Great work. 1/700 ships are in their own class. I hope you do some more!
Thanks Brian! π