--Originally Posted 6/22/13--

The SeaGulls - in 1:370 scale - being castings converted from my (500-scale) HellDivers:



I had earlier (much earlier) promised to work up and show you some of these - which a recent customer Special Order gave me the opportunity to do:


Click on Image to EnlargeNote chopping the HellDiver canopies back can produce fairly decent windshields (above and top-left), relocated aftwards (and they will be chopped yet further back just a little), as correct for the SeaGull. Here and there you can catch a glimpse of light shining through the clear canopies - an effect which will be greatly enhanced by a thin coat of clear gloss. These closeups show a little more tweaking is needed at the leading edges of the tails, down at the base.

Being both biplanes and floatplanes, these turn out to be pretty involved conversions - for which the upper wings (not shown) will have to be entirely scratchbuilt. In truth, the lower wing is located a bit high on these castings - however again with the help of these enlargements I could see just how much more of their deep bellies could be (and already is being) removed. For the pontoons and tiny wingtip floats (bottom - the latter in the plastic bag) I'm stealing the last available parts from my develpmental run of OS2U KingFishers (also in 370-scale).

These will be ideal for any 350-scale early- to mid-WWII USN cruisers, as well Revell's 400-ish scale Pine Island or pre-war Arizona/Pennsylvania.

Also getting significant work lately - though not strictly "at the bench" - has been more drawing/designing submarine conversions, such as this:


Click on Image to EnlargePhoto-analysis of the Encore 400-scale Soviet ShCh hull (left and right, middle) allowed a graphic projection of the best conversion to an RN S-class sub (right). The ShCh (once again excluding the sail and upsweep of the bow) is essentially the Soviet version of the RN S-class - at least, in all major design features. Of course, the match is not perfect, particularly for the saddle tanks (which may well be wrong on the Encore mold to begin with), however it is very close, and I may well switch my HMS Stygian build to use this hull.

Note there is no scale yet listed, above - this work is still in-progress. Along with four others, comprising:

- An RN T(3)-class from the same Encore ShCh mold
- Dutch K18-class from the Encore 1:400 Soviet D-class
- Dutch O21-class from the Encore 400-scale Soviet L-class
- Dutch K18-class from the Accura 1:200 Polish Sep/Orzel


So, the above has taken a lot of work - not all of it at the bench - but necessary to move the ball down the field.

Bring on your latest Gin Palace pics, buddy!


Cheers,

-Matty