ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
- Rob Matthews
- Moderator
- Posts: 1202
- Joined: 20 Jul 2014, 00:06
- Location: Wiltshire UK
- Contact:
ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
The real pain with modelling is how long that builds take - especially for AFVs.
Reference the number of Blogs webwide that never get finished
Sometimes you just need some quick gratification. I feel a certain amount of guilt with the GB ongoing but I'll get there......
So - for a weeks holiday I couldn't resist the temptation of a quick build....
These late war 2 man "midget submarines" despite their diminutive size were accorded "U-boat" status by the Kriegsmarine. 285 were eventually built numbered from U-5501 to U-6442.
They sank 9 merchant vessels (93,000 tons!) with the active loss of 35 mostly due to bad weather. With a surface speed of 5.5 knots increasing to 6.9 kn submerged and an ability to dive to at least 45 m they were extraordinarily hard to detect by ASDIC or hydrophone. They carried 2 G7e topredoes. Several are preserved as museum pieces
The ICM kit comes in 2 boxes - depicting "early" and "late" versions. Though in truth both kits contain exactly the same sprue and differ only in decals/colour schemes.
The instructions are clear simple line drawn
The kit is really very simple with good fit. Others have criticised the oversized weld and rib detail. In 1/72 it's fine by me
The stand is neat and fits without bother
With a single sprue I did say that it promised simple
There are 2 detailing sets by NH Detail
However I had trouble getting the etch top deck to fit so proceeded with the plastic
Which fitted very snugly
Rob
Reference the number of Blogs webwide that never get finished
Sometimes you just need some quick gratification. I feel a certain amount of guilt with the GB ongoing but I'll get there......
So - for a weeks holiday I couldn't resist the temptation of a quick build....
These late war 2 man "midget submarines" despite their diminutive size were accorded "U-boat" status by the Kriegsmarine. 285 were eventually built numbered from U-5501 to U-6442.
They sank 9 merchant vessels (93,000 tons!) with the active loss of 35 mostly due to bad weather. With a surface speed of 5.5 knots increasing to 6.9 kn submerged and an ability to dive to at least 45 m they were extraordinarily hard to detect by ASDIC or hydrophone. They carried 2 G7e topredoes. Several are preserved as museum pieces
The ICM kit comes in 2 boxes - depicting "early" and "late" versions. Though in truth both kits contain exactly the same sprue and differ only in decals/colour schemes.
The instructions are clear simple line drawn
The kit is really very simple with good fit. Others have criticised the oversized weld and rib detail. In 1/72 it's fine by me
The stand is neat and fits without bother
With a single sprue I did say that it promised simple
There are 2 detailing sets by NH Detail
However I had trouble getting the etch top deck to fit so proceeded with the plastic
Which fitted very snugly
Rob
Modelling the mundane
Completed Campaigns:
Completed Campaigns:
- Rod Dumouchel
- Posts: 290
- Joined: 20 Jul 2014, 07:10
- Location: Edmonton, Alberta Canada
- Contact:
Re: ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
That's an intersting looking little kit. Strange that the photo etch did not fit. What kind of operational range would these have had, given there small size and slow speed would not think it would be great. Don't know if I would to be out of sight of land in that little tub.
Regards,
Rod
Regards,
Rod
- Philipp Gross
- Site Admin/Founder
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 23:40
- Location: Frankfurt
- Contact:
Re: ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
Nice choice and build Rob! I guess you can put one of these together in a day and a half?
Ohhh the temptation...
Philipp
Ohhh the temptation...
Philipp
Completed Campaigns:
- Rob Matthews
- Moderator
- Posts: 1202
- Joined: 20 Jul 2014, 00:06
- Location: Wiltshire UK
- Contact:
Re: ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
Thanks Rod and Philipp
@Philipp - not quite a day and a half but close
@Rod - range is quoted as 300km at 7kn surfaced and 63 miles at 3kn submerged. The later versions had saddle tanks (we'll come to this ) which these figures apply to. And you are absolutely right - I've just got back from 4 days sailing in the English channel on a 11m sailing boat, the weather was atrocious, and at times like this my admiration for the crews of all navies who fought each other and the weather is just enormous. And by the way, one of the highlights was seeing this boat that I'd been looking out for!..........
"Medusa" - a wartime Harbour Defence Motor launch, fabulously restored. Designed to protect harbours and home coastal defence, these became "do it all" jack of all trade vessels thoroughly unglamorous unlike their MTB/MGB cousins but hugely valuable.
Check out http://www.hmsmedusa.org.uk/ for more information. I intend to build one of these sooner or later (when they all stop bothering me about AFVs )
Anyway back to the Seehund. The G7e torpedoes are not overly detailed but adequate
And then I got to thinking...............it was a Quick build so it seemed rude not to.......................
This is the SAME sprue exactly but with different decals and Revell style instructions.
So I decided to build the late version from the Revell box.
As far as I can ascertain the differences include the following:
1) Saddle tanks attached to increase range mid hull
2) Different rudder steering gear consisting of vertical vanes
3) A raised observation station within the raised "tower" section
Construction is almost identical though to fit the saddle tanks you will need to shave the ribs marked with the black ink
NH Detail proved etched vanes for the different steering gear, and with a nice touch provide 2 different types. I elected to use the kit plastic cross-beams....
The plastic offering is very acceptable though the etched is clearly closer to scale
So this second kit allowed ne a second chance at fitting the etched tower decking which is more detailed than the plastic. The solution for it to fit is to shave approximately 0.5mm off the back 2/3 of the tower. There is white filler strip in the pic as I shaved a little bit too much off the port side
You arrive at this
Bronco do this sub in 1/35 scale and they do a clear conning tower conical transparency. ICM/Revell do not which is a shame. It's a key feature. I thought of clear plastic cupboard door stops ,,,,,
But....cutting them to fit was impractical. I tried moulding some domes from clear plastic sheet and failed miserably and then after sifting through the spares box - had a moment of clarity
Joy unbounded These are the answer. Let the whole web know
I think the dome/hatch will be open on this vessel so the dome-tube is drilled out and that just about completes the build
So to a brace of Seehunds, one early (no saddle tanks/conical steering kit) and one late (Saddle tankes with steering vanes)
Thanks for looking
Rob
@Philipp - not quite a day and a half but close
@Rod - range is quoted as 300km at 7kn surfaced and 63 miles at 3kn submerged. The later versions had saddle tanks (we'll come to this ) which these figures apply to. And you are absolutely right - I've just got back from 4 days sailing in the English channel on a 11m sailing boat, the weather was atrocious, and at times like this my admiration for the crews of all navies who fought each other and the weather is just enormous. And by the way, one of the highlights was seeing this boat that I'd been looking out for!..........
"Medusa" - a wartime Harbour Defence Motor launch, fabulously restored. Designed to protect harbours and home coastal defence, these became "do it all" jack of all trade vessels thoroughly unglamorous unlike their MTB/MGB cousins but hugely valuable.
Check out http://www.hmsmedusa.org.uk/ for more information. I intend to build one of these sooner or later (when they all stop bothering me about AFVs )
Anyway back to the Seehund. The G7e torpedoes are not overly detailed but adequate
And then I got to thinking...............it was a Quick build so it seemed rude not to.......................
This is the SAME sprue exactly but with different decals and Revell style instructions.
So I decided to build the late version from the Revell box.
As far as I can ascertain the differences include the following:
1) Saddle tanks attached to increase range mid hull
2) Different rudder steering gear consisting of vertical vanes
3) A raised observation station within the raised "tower" section
Construction is almost identical though to fit the saddle tanks you will need to shave the ribs marked with the black ink
NH Detail proved etched vanes for the different steering gear, and with a nice touch provide 2 different types. I elected to use the kit plastic cross-beams....
The plastic offering is very acceptable though the etched is clearly closer to scale
So this second kit allowed ne a second chance at fitting the etched tower decking which is more detailed than the plastic. The solution for it to fit is to shave approximately 0.5mm off the back 2/3 of the tower. There is white filler strip in the pic as I shaved a little bit too much off the port side
You arrive at this
Bronco do this sub in 1/35 scale and they do a clear conning tower conical transparency. ICM/Revell do not which is a shame. It's a key feature. I thought of clear plastic cupboard door stops ,,,,,
But....cutting them to fit was impractical. I tried moulding some domes from clear plastic sheet and failed miserably and then after sifting through the spares box - had a moment of clarity
Joy unbounded These are the answer. Let the whole web know
I think the dome/hatch will be open on this vessel so the dome-tube is drilled out and that just about completes the build
So to a brace of Seehunds, one early (no saddle tanks/conical steering kit) and one late (Saddle tankes with steering vanes)
Thanks for looking
Rob
Modelling the mundane
Completed Campaigns:
Completed Campaigns:
- Philipp Gross
- Site Admin/Founder
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 23:40
- Location: Frankfurt
- Contact:
Re: ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
These two look fantastic.
I just noticed that the 1/35 Bronco kit isn't that expensive either......
Philipp
I just noticed that the 1/35 Bronco kit isn't that expensive either......
Philipp
Completed Campaigns:
- Justin Wooding
- Posts: 1343
- Joined: 21 Jul 2014, 09:34
- Location: Wollongong, NSW, Australia
Re: ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
Hi Rob,
Your two Seehund mini subs look nice You're really steaming ahead with your maritime subjects, i like it
I just received yesterday the Bronco 1/35 Seehund and it's a nice kit. Not much more complicated than your 1/72 kits really. I got it to sit with my Bronco 1/35 U-Boat
Your two Seehund mini subs look nice You're really steaming ahead with your maritime subjects, i like it
I just received yesterday the Bronco 1/35 Seehund and it's a nice kit. Not much more complicated than your 1/72 kits really. I got it to sit with my Bronco 1/35 U-Boat
Woody...
Trying hard to do some modeling!
Trying hard to do some modeling!
-
- Posts: 229
- Joined: 17 Sep 2014, 18:04
- Location: Reading, UK
- Contact:
Re: ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
Looking good Rob! A nice diversion from the real modelling
My sedentary pursuits http://www.outerarm.co.uk
- Shawn Ramsey
- Senior Site Contributor.....
- Posts: 1987
- Joined: 20 Jul 2014, 00:26
Re: ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
A nice looking pair of twins there Rob.
Shawn
Shawn
Completed Campaigns:
- Vincent Power
- Senior Site Contributor.....
- Posts: 2641
- Joined: 31 Jul 2014, 23:49
- Location: Melbourne Australia
Re: ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
Nice quick build Rob and a very interesting subject too.
Cheers,
Vincent
Cheers,
Vincent
Completed Campaigns:
- Philipp Gross
- Site Admin/Founder
- Posts: 5122
- Joined: 19 Jul 2014, 23:40
- Location: Frankfurt
- Contact:
Re: ICM/Revell 1/72 Type XXVIIB U-boat - "Seehund"
I agree...and the 1st anniversary of the last post might be a good opportunity for an update?
Philipp
PS: I made a couple photos of the Seehund at Brest fortress this summer. Let me know if you're interested.
Philipp
PS: I made a couple photos of the Seehund at Brest fortress this summer. Let me know if you're interested.
Completed Campaigns: