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I’ve been doing models for 40+ years, all I have ever done are airplane kits - I’m thinking of venturing into ships. Should I start with a smaller kit - a PT boat or sub - or just jump in and do an Arizona or Bismarck?
I’ve been doing models for 40+ years, all I have ever done are airplane kits - I’m thinking of venturing into ships.
Should I start with a smaller kit - a PT boat or sub - or just jump in and do an Arizona or Bismarck?
Welcome to the forums.
My opinion? Buy an Airship
My first (and only) foray into ship building was the Airfix HMS Victory. Turned me off ships altogether. Thats my . Not sure if its much help to you thought.
"I am a leaf on the wind, watch how i soar"
Recite the litanies, fire up the Gellar field, a poo storm is coming
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I've just made the leap myself and decided to build my first ship. I decided to build the boat my father-in-law served on in the 1950s (after being prompted by an article in an issue of FSM).
I'd strongly recommend downloading Mike Ashey's book Building and Detailing Scale Model Ships. This is a good primer on model ship construction.
As for the size of the kit, this is largely up to you. I'd consider the complexity of the aircraft you've built: Are you a 1/72 guy or a 1/32 guy? Do you build complex kits or kits that fall together? I suspect that your answers will dictate whether to get a PT boat or the Arizona.
Good luck.
Bob
On the bench: Tasca M4A1 Sherman (Direct Vision Type)
Build Log: www.ltsmashsmodels.com
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Maybe pick a subject that you are greatly interested in; that would help you stay motivated.
Complexity might be an issue too. Some of the new stuff has a lot of parts that can be kind of overwhelming. I started with older kits that, while maybe not as accurate as recent offerings, are a little simpler.
Picking a scale is a consideration. Things in 1/700 are pretty small and fiddly; but 1/350 can get pricey.
Hope you find something that really trips your trigger.
muscogeemike Should I start with a smaller kit - a PT boat or sub - or just jump in and do an Arizona or Bismarck?
I built two ships when I was a teenager - Tamiya's 1/350 CVN-65 Enterprise and BB-62 New Jersey, but before and after it's been all aircraft and armor. Recently, though, I've decided to give ships a try for the first time in ~ 20 years.
My advice - go with the one you want to build. It's not like most skills aren't transferable. If you can build aircraft you can build armor or ships without too massive a leap, save of mindset.
My first ship is going to be Trumpeter's 1/350 BB-55 North Carolina...
On the Bench: 1/32 Trumpeter P-47 | 1/32 Hasegawa Bf 109G | 1/144 Eduard MiG-21MF x2
On Deck: 1/350 HMS Dreadnought
Blog/Completed Builds: doogsmodels.com
There are a few recently released 1/35 PT-type boats that might be of interest. I happen to like "clumsy" scale watercraft.
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