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Old 06-28-2020, 10:24 PM
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dhanners dhanners is offline
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Kitbashing a Virginia-class submarine in 1/250

After building Seawolf and Jimmy Carter, I decided to try my hand at a Virginia-class attack submarine. Unfortunately, there aren’t any free card models of one.

The Virginia class is the submarine the U.S. government decided to build after realizing the Seawolf class would be too expensive. Visually, the two look similar, have similar sails and tail arrangements and propulsion. But Virginia-class boats are longer than the Seawolf and have a narrower beam. So I started thinking…. With some creative photocopying and resizing and cutting and gluing, why couldn’t I kitbash a Virginia-class submarine in 1/250th scale?

I got out the calculator and ruler and did some figuring. I’ve had trouble getting gray models printed at my local print store, so I thought, “Hey, these boats are mostly black. Why don’t I just print it on the black and white printer we have at home?”

I resized and repurposed the late John Bowden's private redesign of Jimmy Carter, which started out as Trent Henry's Seawolf. The results were so-so, and it ain't pretty, but I figured it could be considered built-in weathering. The early Virginia-class boats had hulls that were assembled of 10 sections, so I'm thinking that plays into the look.

The kitbash required some creative work and I had to scratchbuild a few items, but it looks like a Virginia-class boat, more or less, and will have to do until a professional designs one. I also scratchbuilt the Dry Deck Shelter (DDS), the compartment on the top of the hull that can carry SEALs and divers and various equipment. Several Virginia-class subs are equipped to carry a DDS.
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Kitbashing a Virginia-class submarine in 1/250-img_9744.jpg   Kitbashing a Virginia-class submarine in 1/250-img_9745.jpg   Kitbashing a Virginia-class submarine in 1/250-img_9746.jpg   Kitbashing a Virginia-class submarine in 1/250-img_9748.jpg   Kitbashing a Virginia-class submarine in 1/250-img_9749.jpg  


Last edited by dhanners; 06-28-2020 at 11:18 PM.
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Old 06-29-2020, 01:43 AM
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Kevin WS Kevin WS is offline
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Well, I think you did an excellent job there. Well worthwhile the effort!
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Old 06-29-2020, 02:20 AM
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southwestforests southwestforests is offline
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Model looks ready for the movie's special effects team to place on the set.
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Old 06-29-2020, 02:50 AM
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Thanks. You're too kind. In the building process, I read a few modeling articles online about weathering modern submarines. When I got the model done, I realized I was most of the way there, although the model lacks the "scum line," which is basically the sub's waterline when it is surfaced. They usually have all kinds of gunk below the scum line.

I might go back and add some very light and restrained rust streaks. Apparently, it isn't unusual to see them on modern subs, although they are nothing like what you'd see on a WWII U-boat.

Here are a couple of close-ups of the DDS. I scratchbuilt it out of 160gsm paper; it is about 4.7cm long. I painted it dark gray, then added a little drybrushing with light gray.
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Kitbashing a Virginia-class submarine in 1/250-img_9753.jpg   Kitbashing a Virginia-class submarine in 1/250-img_9754.jpg  

Last edited by dhanners; 06-29-2020 at 03:01 AM.
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Old 06-29-2020, 06:33 AM
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southwestforests southwestforests is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dhanners View Post
I might go back and add some very light and restrained rust streaks.
Be sure to check whether the hull might have a non-metallic anechoic covering.
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Old 06-29-2020, 08:50 AM
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Be sure to check whether the hull might have a non-metallic anechoic covering.
Indeed. And I’ve seen photos of subs with their and hoof tiles missing. That’d be hard to model, though....
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Old 07-01-2020, 10:24 AM
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Indeed. And I’ve seen photos of subs with their and hoof tiles missing. That’d be hard to model, though....
Just noticed the horror my autocorrect did to "aneochic."

"And hoof"???
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Old 07-02-2020, 04:53 PM
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southwestforests southwestforests is offline
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Hehe! Imagine how boring the world would be without autocorrect!

Moderately related anecdote:

Went to Walmart a little bit ago to buy a few small odds and ends, bill came out to $6.88.
Hmm, "688", I know that number from somewhere, but where?
"Six-eighty-eight. Six-eighty-eight."
Hmm ...
Maybe the Navy. But what in the Navy?

Got home, googled,
Ahh, Los Angeles class attack subs!
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Old 07-03-2020, 04:28 AM
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Originally Posted by southwestforests View Post
Hehe! Imagine how boring the world would be without autocorrect!

Moderately related anecdote:

Went to Walmart a little bit ago to buy a few small odds and ends, bill came out to $6.88.
Hmm, "688", I know that number from somewhere, but where?
"Six-eighty-eight. Six-eighty-eight."
Hmm ...
Maybe the Navy. But what in the Navy?

Got home, googled,
Ahh, Los Angeles class attack subs!
Actually just got back from the printer with UDON's Los Angeles-class SSN resized from 1/144th to 1/250th so it'll match my other builds. Plan to build one of the later subs in the class. Perhaps the USS Columbia. (Not to be confused with the new Columbia-class submarines. We could use a model of one of those, too....)
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Old 07-03-2020, 07:28 AM
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nikischutt nikischutt is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by dhanners View Post
Actually just got back from the printer with UDON's Los Angeles-class SSN resized from 1/144th to 1/250th so it'll match my other builds. Plan to build one of the later subs in the class. Perhaps the USS Columbia. (Not to be confused with the new Columbia-class submarines. We could use a model of one of those, too....)
We need a fleet of submarines. Modern-day subs are massively under-represented, would be nice to have some more options.
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