WIP -- Visby

[dhanners]

Here are some work-in-progress photos of my latest build, the Swedish stealth corvette Visby. This is only my second ship (I started Digital Navy's Admirable years ago and never finished it) and this is my second go at the ship. The first ended up in the trash can, and as a rocket-and-space modeler, my hat is off to you ship modelers because these things can be hard.

I chose Zarkov's Visby because A) I thought it looked cool and B) I figured that since it was built with stealth in mind, it had a clean hull and deck and would have a low parts count -- and therefore would be easy.

Yeah, riiiight.

My first attempt was the full-hull model. My attempt failed miserably. So I decided this model was not going to beat me and I decided to try again, but this time make it a waterline model.

Zarkov's model is dated 2004, and there have been a number of modifications to Visby and her sister ship since then, and I am working to incorporate them. Perhaps the most notable is the radome atop the superstructure, and I have yet to add the rotating radar to the top. The radome was scratchbuilt using a shroud calculator to figure out the dimensions. There's also a director that I'll add just forward of the bridge, and I also want to add the windshield wipers to the windows. There are also various bits and pieces I'll have to add, but fortunately, there aren't too many because the outside of these ships are kept relatively clean for stealth purposes.

I've seen photos of Visby with safety netting around the flight deck, I've seen photos of the ship with railings around the flight deck and I've seen photos that show nothing around the flight deck. So, for simplicity's sake, I went the latter route.

I scratchbuilt the railing that goes just behind the bridge with really thin pieces of gray cardstock.

I'll post some more photos when I'm done.

To reiterate, you ship modelers really have to work hard....

[Jerry V]

Nice work, I like the scratchbuild railings!

[strk]

For sure she will be my next build after Thor. But I'm going to have this one:

QUEST Szwedzka korweta Visby - DUDU? OLFA HURTOWNIA SKLEP MODELARSKI NO?E NARZ?DZIA MODELE KARTONOWE PLASTIKOWE GIPSOWE

[dhanners]

Originally Posted by strk

For sure she will be my next build after Thor. But I'm going to have this one:

QUEST Szwedzka korweta Visby - DUDU? OLFA HURTOWNIA SKLEP MODELARSKI NO?E NARZ?DZIA MODELE KARTONOWE PLASTIKOWE GIPSOWE

That model appears to have the modifications I mentioned. I'd be interested to see what the parts look like. It also has the hull number, which Zarkov's model doesn't have and I couldn't figure out a way to add.

One of the problems with my first attempt at the model was that the internal formers I made just didn't fit right. I cut them out between the lines and everything, but when I tried to build the model around it, it screwed everything up. So my waterline model doesn't have any internal formers. I did glue strips of balsa to parts of the hull to keep them straight and rigid, though. And I glued a piece of matte board to the underside of the flight deck to keep it flat.

While Zarkov includes a couple of pieces to turn the model into a waterline hull, he doesn't include any instructions for how to do it, at least not as far as I could determine. So I basically chucked his instructions and figured out how to build it in a way that made sense to me. Then again, I'm a rocket modeler, and ships ain't rockets....

[jaska]

I saw one a month ago
http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/a...1&d=1286810089
http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/a...1&d=1286810089
http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/a...1&d=1286810089

[dhanners]

Thanks for those, Jaska. Great photos, and that must've been a sight to see.

One of the interesting things in the photos is that the vessel has the "standard" mast to the rear of the radome. I've found photos of Visby online that show it with the regular mast (which is included in Zarkov's kit) and no radome, or show it with the radome and no mast. But I've not seen any photos that show it with both at the same time.

Also, it appears the ship in your photos has the radar reflectors that Visby-class ships have when they are in friendly waters.

I know there are downloadable flight deck bases for people building carrier-based aircraft, but are there any downloadable ocean-surface bases anywhere?

[strk]

Originally Posted by jaska

http://www.papermodelers.com/forum/a...1&d=1286810089

What's that dark-brown ship closer to the white tent, armed in AK230 gun and MR103 FCR radar?

[strk]

Originally Posted by dhanners

That model appears to have the modifications I mentioned. I'd be interested to see what the parts look like. It also has the hull number, which Zarkov's model doesn't have and I couldn't figure out a way to add.

A sheet of white decal for ink-jet printers can be a good solution.

One of the problems with my first attempt at the model was that the internal formers I made just didn't fit right. I cut them out between the lines and everything, but when I tried to build the model around it, it screwed everything up.

Can't be. This model is well designed, and AFAIK everything should fit right. The best way to build is to glue the hull skin in a shell-like element and "fill" with formers (which is shown on the how-to drawings)

I glued a piece of matte board to the underside of the flight deck to keep it flat.

Good idea.

While Zarkov includes a couple of pieces to turn the model into a waterline hull, he doesn't include any instructions for how to do it, at least not as far as I could determine. So I basically chucked his instructions and figured out how to build it in a way that made sense to me. Then again, I'm a rocket modeler, and ships ain't rockets....

It's easy. You should cut out grey-green part of the hull skin and close the bottom of the hull with parts marked with "Parts for waterline model". As You already did.
Few years ago I built this model, and except improper colors (my printer fault) everything was ok.

BTW nice build. Next time try to cut out the windows and use some dark (i.e. x-ray film) foil.

[APA-168]

Great work on a fascinating ship, always loved these corvettes. They look so futuristic, like they belong in a science fiction movie.

Is this model a digital download? Is it vector or bitmap format?

[strk]

Originally Posted by APA-168

Great work on a fascinating ship, always loved these corvettes. They look so futuristic, like they belong in a science fiction movie.

Is this model a digital download? Is it vector or bitmap format?

Digital download, pdf file with vector graphics.