The SteelNavy.Com Message Board: Re: Zvezda 1/350 Borodino Class pre-Dreadnoughts Q?

Hi James, thanks for your info and advice on painting. I have in mind building the ship as at the "Battle of Dogger Bank" 21 - 22 Oct 1904, against the Hull trawler fleet. Not least, I think the ships may have been pristine then, and got very shabby during their long voyage, and attempts at painting camouflage on the ships were made when the fleet anchored at Cam Rahn Bay, so there is no clear evidence of what they looked like at Tsushima, according to "The Fleet that Had to Die" by Richard Hough. Subsequent photos are all from long range and the only certain thing seems to be that the funnels were no longer yellow at Tsushima.

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I read your post Bill and did not reply because I had no answers for your queries. I have however, built this kit but when it was first issued from Eastern Express nearly twenty years ago. I remember then here on this board there was a lot of discussion about the models and subject and its disastrous performance at Tsushima.

Though you received no response now, these kits were popular at the time from what I can recall because of the novelty of a 1/350 scale kit of a pre-Dred with tumblehome. You will see in the gallery the kits build to interesting and impressive models even though when first released they were a little bit coarse in finish.

I built Knyaz Suvorov and used the very comprehensive White Ensign etch sheet for detail but unfortunately for me I finished all the ship's vertical surfaces in Humbrol Matt Black which ruined the completed model. It now sits at the very back of my dust free cabinet and is rarely displayed.

In small scale pure black is a disappointment to use as an overall colour because it is instantly unrealistic. As things (just about everything) become distant they grow lighter in color which is why it is important to 'scale color' when painting models. Even though the Russian Tsushima battleships were black, I don't advise painting your model that way. Only various dark greys should be used and then you are able to shadow with black for good effect. Also as released, the kits funnels were far too short. Some modelers recommended they be extended by 5mm, which is what I did, but now I would add at least another 2mm onto that. Extending the funnels in length is easy enough to do.

I don't think there would have been much difference between Alex III and her sisters so a conversion from a base kit wouldn't pose any problems apart from sourcing a nameplate. There are now available wood decks for this kit and many other etch sets. I would definitely add the wood deck, saves sooo much time from masking! And I don't see any problem with waterlining it either, in fact doing that will reduce the 'chunkiness' of the design for an even more pleasing end result.

All the best with your build.

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Hi, of the four ships of this class lost at Tsushima, Zvezda boxed this kit as Borodino, Oriol, and Suvorov, but not as Aleksandr III. They are the same kit, with a few alternate parts for the different ships. I am wondering why Zvezda did not also issue it as Aleksandr III, i.e. did that ship have some major difference which meant the basic kit cannot be used for it? Sorry if asked and answered previously!
Thanks,
Bill.