Dunkerque 1:250 scale - Page 2

**Dazliare** · #11 03-30-2022, 11:31 AM

Agree with Don - great work thus far

**roncar** · #12 06-01-2022, 01:41 AM

No work was done on this project during April as I was away, but since then the after control tower, directors and masts have been fitted. However the model design made no specific provision for rotation of the turrets, so that has been the main issue to address recently. They will probably always be displayed facing straight ahead - but that's not the point!
Gun barrels are home-made using the kit-designed cardboard shapes rolled around lengths of plastic rod. When rolling card this tightly it helps to make many longitudinal score lines finely spaced on the reverse side and the taper of the barrels is supported by increasing the diameter of the plastic rod with wrapped paper strips at one end. With 4 barrels per turret, it was necessary to make jigs to control the gun barrel alignment and all this can be seen in the attached photos (although my camera has distorted the image a little – I believe that it’s actually called barrel distortion).
Using previous experience with other models I have made the turrets rotate by gluing a card cylinder underneath, with a friction fit into a circular recess in the deck. The turret cylinder can be adjusted by adding paper strips increase its diameter slightly until a good fit is achieved. This method is simple and effective - the complication this time was that ‘B’ turret sits on a split level deck and required a bit more ‘kit bashing’ than normal.
There is a lot more detail to be added to these turrets, but I have made a start by adding coloured paper strips to simulate the material that sits around the gun barrels to prevent flash in the turret interior.

**Siwi** · #13 06-01-2022, 01:59 AM

Just discovered this thread and am very impressed. The nail polish tip is something I'd never have thought of and will likely use in the future.

Are those clocks just above the bridge?

**roncar** · #14 06-02-2022, 01:16 AM

Hi Siwi - The clock faces above the bridge are range clocks. During WW1 it was discovered that, while the leading ship might get a clear view of the enemy, other ships' observations were often obscured by the smoke from the funnels and from the gunfire. The idea was that when one ship thought they had the range correctly calculated in yards or metres, they would use these clock faces to indicate it to the others. Range clocks appear during the 1920's and 1930's and disappear again as gunnery radar begins to be developed.

**Renaud** · #15 06-04-2022, 03:09 PM

I was also wondering recently what these so called clocks could be until somebody rather old gave me the clue. These clocks were set on board before WW1, as you can see them on pre WW1 postcards showing life on board these ships. This one was sent in 1902, I cannot make my mind about whose ship these sailors belong to, it looks to something as the Charles-Martel (it is not), around 1900, sure, and the deck is still covered with wood, not linoleum yet.
At that time, we were only on the eve of radio experiments.

**roncar** · #16 06-30-2022, 08:49 PM

The main turrets are now completed and the secondary turrets are mounted and rotatable, but need more detailed work. Some of my time has been spent adding some of the railings to the superstructure, particularly the searchlight platform and the catwalks around the range finders aft. Because I prefer to make my own components wherever possible, I have included some photographs to illustrate a method for making railings from cotton thread. Despite some small imperfections, I think the results are generally acceptable.

**roncar** · #17 09-24-2022, 01:21 AM

The Dunkerque carried reconnaissance aircraft – the Loire 130 – and this distinctive aircraft has now been modelled in a scale of 1/250 with clear cabin windows and wire struts. The photos show it next to a ten cent coin for size comparison. It is now mounted on its catapult at the stern of the ship and after much delay the whole project is now getting close to completion.