Special Operations sub

[frank2056]

While going through my stash of started kits, weeding out the ones I'll never finish, I came across the Dragon/DML 1/700 kit of the HMS Trafalgar vs. Oscar. The kit parts were very nicely detailed, but the sub hull fit was just awful, and this is why I put the kit away some 10+ years ago.

This time, I took the HMS Trafalgar and through the magic of scaleorama, turned it into a 1/350 covert, special operations sub, designed to launch cruise missiles, recon UAVs or whatever special ultra secret stuff that would require a small, stealthy sub.



First, I moved the sail back about 5mm and added the dual chamber payload pod (The missile tubes from a 1/400 scale Tarantul kit) behind the sail. I tilted it up slightly.

I modified the tail fins as well. I lost one of the fins, so a good excuse was to say that since the large payload pod would affect the flow of water over the dorsal fin, a smaller dorsal fin and two smaller vertical fins on the elevators would do the job.



I also modified the shape of the nose and covered up the four torpedo tubes. I painted the sub in a dark gray. As an experiment, I placed small pieces of 3M blue tape at random over the hull, then repainted everything with a darker shade.
I tried some Createx transparent gray acrylic paint for the first time, and it was a disaster, leaving a pebbly finish on everything. I managed to remove most of it without damaging the underlying acrylic paint, mainly by running a Scotchbrite pad over the surface until it was smooth again. Then I laid down several more layers of the darker gray paint.  I removed the tape, which left an edge due to all the extra paint, so the sub got another Scotchbrite treatment. I misted the sub with a final layer of the lighter gray paint and did some minor weathering.



The subtle paneling in this picture is what I was after, and it's closer to what the model looks like in non-flash lighting.


The unpainted 1/350 scale figure is just there for scale. I'm not sure that the scaleorama effect worked, and I probably should have been more careful lining up the tape bits, but there it is. Total time was just 2 - 3 hours last weekend (plus whatever time I spent assembling and sanding the poorly fitting hull back 10 years ago) and another hour last night.

Frank

[sequoiaranger]

Cute!

I guess the guy could REALLY hold his breath! 

Interesting idea about using tape to mask off sections. Probably only needed to be there for one coat, then peeled off so there wasn't such an edge. A couple of overcoats of clear or color coats would probably have blended it in OK.

[frank2056]

Interesting idea about using tape to mask off sections. Probably only needed to be there for one coat, then peeled off so there wasn't such an edge. A couple of overcoats of clear or color coats would probably have blended it in OK.

If I'd not used the Createx paint and just finished it with a light misting of the original light gray, that would have been the effect - only a slight paneling, with no steps.

OTOH, this is a good trick if you need to make a depression or slight indentation on an otherwise featureless surface - tape off the pattern, then spray several layers of primer. Remove the tape when try and give the surface a light sanding to remove the edge.

[Jeffry Fontaine]

Hi Frank,

You are certainly headed in the right direction with the scale-o-rama theme with that submarine.  I had similar ideas but would have gone for a larger 1/72nd or 1/35th scale to make it that much smaller in size.  Now if you get the 1/350th scale DML/Dragon Typhoon you could try to scale-o-rama that into 1/35th scale swimmer delivery vehicle. 

[Rafael]

Frank, this is a marvelous model!!!
The concept and the idea make me remember the new French SMX-23 special-ops and littoral submarine

Rafa

[frank2056]

FThe concept and the idea make me remember the new French SMX-23 special-ops and littoral submarine

Rafa, I hadn't heard of the SMX-23 until now. It looks like an interesting concept.

Jeff - I have the hull, but not the conning tower, of the Oscar that went with the Trafalgar. Maybe I should throw it in with the other kraptacular kits.

[Hman]

 

Perhaps there is a Group Build in this - X Boats (Special Operations Subs)?

I thought of building one for a wargame - now there is no excuse!

[The Rat]

Brilliant! 

[Joe C-P]

This came out well! An interesting adaptation of the original model.

[Brian da Basher]

That's one wicked Special Ops sub there Frank! I really like the launch tubes behind the sail!

Brian da Basher