Mikey, you didn't pay attention -like I said, I'm not ready to build a Tirpitz yet! But of course, when did that ever stop us from talking about it, eh?

Even so, however, you should know by now that I would never - ever - turn to a 1/350 kit for a Tirpitz build. For one thing, my tiny diggs are packed with 1/500-ish kits and not only do I have to consume them, to make some room to live in here, but I wouldn't have space for a 1/350 BB anyway - as a matter of survival! No, for me - at least, as long as I live in this tiny pad - 350-scale is for subs, DDs and DEs only!

Meantime, I've got several Bismark-class kits already staring me in the face:




Click on Image to Enlarge There is of course the classic Revell Bismark and Tirpitz (top pair) - and yes, "Revell Models are Fun" - however the only thing more fun about the Revell Tirpitz is its classic Norwegian fjord box-art - though I think the camo, cloned from Bismark, is inaccurate for Tirpitz - as I know the Bismark-cloned parts are, for some of Tirpitz' superstructure. I have a later release, at bottom - again, with exactly the same contents - whose hull is not 1:570 - not by overall length (LOA), nor by the beam, either - which measure 16.5" long and 2.33" wide (max.), scaling out to 1/594.2 and 1/607.7, respectively, which average to 1/601.0 - a true 1/600 scale kit!

As is the ancient Airfix Bismark:


Click on Image to Enlarge Note the very similar box art to the earlier Revells, but the contents have one significant drawback: they don't resemble Bismark! Or at least, the hull sure doesn't - with a 'way-too-high freeboard, and dubious treatment of the armor belts as well, it rather resembles some of the modernized (blistered) Japanese battleships more than it does a Bismark! But the inaccuracy is all in the shape - as the overall dimensions of 16.4" LOA and 2.35" (max.) beam scale out to 1/597.8 and 1/602.6 - averaging exactly 1/600.2. So, if the hull could be fixed or replaced with something better, perhaps many of the detail parts of the kit could be useable, to good advantage.

Another classic kit - only released as Tirpitz, AFAIK, and also with pretty cool box art - is the Mongram Tirpitz:


Click on Image to Enlarge Note this box art appears to be highly accurate - right down to the "trawler" camo shape on Tirpitz' starboard-bow, as noted originally. Someone had told me the kit was actually closer to 1/700 scale - or maybe I'm confusing what I heard about the Monogram New Jersey - but, while I had my ruler out making measurements, I discovered this hull to have an overall length of 15.9" and maximum beam of 2.15" - scaling out to 1/616.6 and 1/658.6, resepctively, or an average of 1/637.6. And this hull looks the best for a Bismark, IMHO, of any of the above - though a direct comparison against an accurate drawing is definitely in order.

I, of course - if deciding to use this hull - would bulge its sides out to 1/617, matching its length, and then would cannibalize the Airfix and Revell kits - and, even better, the excellent Airfix Prinz Eugen (of which I have at least one in my boneyard) - for the very best of their 1/600 parts, which would be only 2.8% (i.e., completely unnoticeably) oversized.

And that's the answer - my whole answer - to your question, Mikey!

Cheers,

-Matty