Belem Tower - Schreiber Bogen

[ricleite]

Schreiber’s Torre de Belém kit, at 1/160 scale, is somewhat simpler than the average architecture subject I choose to assemble. However, being a Portuguese site, I was a “must have”! The kit is produced to the usual Schreiber standard: not a lot of 3D detail but with excellent graphic quality. I counted just 163 parts, most of them for the walls with merlons and the sentry boxes. As almost invariably with Schreiber, the kit is printed on folded A3 pages of fine quality paper, with a thickness that fits my taste. It includes 2 card sheets needed for reinforcing some parts. There are only 4 A3 pages with parts. The 5th page has assembly pictures. The separate cover sheet is A4-sized. Simple and effective, as you can check in the pictures of the kit.

[Mike Stamper]

I made the Canon version some years ago so it will be interesting to follow your comments.

Good luck !!

Mike

[ricleite]

Hello Mike. I know the Canon kit. It has more 3D on the merlons but the sentry boxes are not modelled as rounded and I’d say that the graphic quality is not to the same standard.

The first assembly pictures show the lower part of the model. There is not a lot to say about the construction itself: it is plainly self-explanatory. I’d prefer the kind of 3D detail that is a trademark of Dukase kits but, well, the very fine graphic quality helps to make the model more appealing.

[ricleite]

The tower base accommodated 16 artillery pieces, whose openings are simply printed. The pictures show the detail of the open centre.

[ricleite]

Moving up, the tower is made of several floors – governor’s room, king’s room, audience room, chapel, and terrace. The lower floor has sentry boxes at two corners. More sentry boxes are placed at every corner of the bastion terrace. I added card assemblies to help stabilize the corner sentry boxes and inside tabs to link the petals that form the roof.

[ReynoldsSlumber]

Very neat construction!
The graphics really are realistic-looking.

[ricleite]

@ Reynolds - Thanks
The walls with battlements and merlons at the bastion terrace level are modeled in 3D. The others are double faced but have only the paper thickness. I added two card bits for each merlon, both to better get the shape and to provide gluing surface for the parts that model the skin between the merlons. The walls fit nicely between the sentry boxes.

[Erik Zwaan]

Looking good Ricardo! Interesting model and today my wife and I visited Belem while staying in Lisbon. Much to my disappointment the Belem Tower was closed because of the adverse weather conditions. Strong winds and heavy rain showers at regular intervals. Really a pity, but in any case, saudações de Portugal!

Cheers,
Erik

[ricleite]

Thanks, Erik You had no luck with the weather. We had a sunny January all over Portugal. Maybe you can visit Porto next time. I work there, as you know
The last construction pictures show the tower top. As described before, it is the chapel floor and the terrace, again with sentry boxes at each corner.

[ricleite]

The model is complete. The card base warped in one side, despite using cellulosic (non-water based) glue. This problem seems to appear randomly when mating large surfaces. I find it both annoying and hard to correct.
Construction was straightforward and am I quite happy with the result. Enjoy the pictures.