Model Fleet: Matty's U-505 (as captured 6/4/44), In Progress

Matty's U-505 (as captured 6/4/44), In Progress

Posted by Matty on January 31, 2009, 7:34:24
Message modified by board administrator February 15, 2009, 23:07:36

--Originally Posted 1/19/09--

Here is the start of my build of U-505, in her fit (and weathering) as captured - for the first time, as an adult - for which I selected from my boneyard a Nichimo 1/200 Type IXC model, picked up (for a pittance, naturally ) on eBay:

Click on Image to EnlargeOf course, there was a reason why it was so cheap ; going to pieces (left) and heavily painted (in gray, black and tan; the red is the bare, original Nichimo lower hull plasti), the larger assemblies were subjected to experimentation using Chameleon® gel paint remover (bottom). Meanwhile, the smaller assemblies and parts were immersed in a tin of Chameleon® liquid formula, which experience has proven to work excellently.

Although label directions call for removal after 20 minutes, I already knew this paint - ancient and tough, with a texture something like concrete paste - would take far longer. Even after 8 hours (right) - though gel had dried and wrinkled impresively (top) - the paint remained largely secure - while on the smaller parts, such as the conning tower (bottom), 90% was loosened enough to strip.

Thus, I brought out a massive (gallon) quantity of liquid and basin (almost) large enough to fully submerge the biggest parts:

Click on Image to EnlargeOf course, this expense (and mess) is what the gel was hoped to avoid - but now I encountered a much more serious problem: breakage along stress-lines. This problem had been seen only once before - with my Nichimo Hiryu parts - but I had ascribed it to a resin glue used on it. Now it seems inescapable that it must be a susceptibility of the unique (and, in both cases decades-old) Nichimo plastic. Bummer!

I continued to process the above parts, but called forward my Plan B backup:

Click on Image to EnlargeA whole 'nother, brand new, Nichimo Type IXC kit! This one, their U-511 mold, is an even closer match to U-505, with her two-tiered "wintergarten" AA platforms, and conning tower portside snorkel trunk.

However neither of these are exact matches to U-505, as captured:

Click on Image to EnlargeA drawing (upper middle), traced directly from the best of our reference pics (top), can likewise be compared directly to the Nichimo conning tower (lower middle) - revealing that the aft ends of both the lower wintergarten and conning tower proper need to be lengthened (bottom) - by 0.62", in 1/200 scale. (The height of the upper wintergarten is OK as-is; not shown is the platform piece which - although not the right shape - does make for the correct height.) The portside snorkel housing is also insufficient, though parts of it do provide a useful foundation. Note the pipe-like extension down to the deck coincides with the back end of the lower trunk required. And the box on top provides a nice basis to extend further forward, and to fair into the lower portion at the bottom.

This graphic, overlaid on white for (your) easy print-out, is scaled for 1/200 at 211dpi; for 1/700 (Phil, and everybody), print it at 740dpi - or, for 1/350 of course, half of that; at 370 dpi.

Even simpler than modifying the snorkel housing (above) is the lower wintergarten extension, which I've already (mostly) knocked out:

Click on Image to EnlargeFollowing the indication of our great reference pic, at left I simply extended the lower wintergarten - using a true, rectangular foot plate (yellow) to keep things aligned - and added extra platform deck with v-grooved plasticard; its groove spacing (roughly) matching that of the Nichimo deck. Note I preserved Nichimo's notch-shaped joint - all the better to disguise the seam there. At right, side plating simply connects the lower and upper levels; ending up forming a true, vertical box - exactly as indicated in our best refence pic of this area.

Allowing that assembly to set up, work then turned to planning modifications for the main deck:

Click on Image to EnlargeThe Nichimo kit foredeck has a very "busy" appearance; containing many features simply not visible in any reference pics - not pics of the capture nor of the museum display, in subsequent years. Not even all of these are shown at top, where I've already removed two prominent, sunburst-like patterns; OOB surrounding the deck gun mounting flange (hole in the square) and capstan mount forward, slightly to port (circle just behind forwardmost bollard). Nor is the large fairwater Nichimo provides as a separate part.

Tracing the remaining Nichimo features (upper middle), and identifying some - along with several new ones - from our reference pics in a new drawing (lower middle), an overlay-comparison can be color-coded (bottom); to show which features need to go (red) and which new ones added (green). For the Nichimo kit (1/200 scale), print this out at 87dpi; for 1/700, 303dpi and for 1/350 152dpi.

Where I am now is practicing the deck corrections above, on both the new kit decks and those of the boneyard kit. Whichever attempt works out best, I will copy it in resin, to outfit two models. Because at this point I am considering building a second U-505; depicting her in an earlier exciting episode of her career. But that's a whole 'nother story, for a later post...

Cheers,

-Matty