U-boat type xxi u-2540 revell 1/144

[fatihoz]

Calling this kit done after 5 months of work!
Once I will have some rest and if anyone is interested I will be posting the in-progress photos
Would like to hear your feedback in the meantime

[JWLaRue]

I really like the subtle weathering that you have done. I can never seem to get that technique down so it looks good.

-Jeff

[scott t]

Very impressive!

[eckloss]

I really, really like this. Job well done!

[salmon]

I like the weathering as well! Please do a write up on your painting of this sub! I want to learn from you!

[fatihoz]

Thanks guys, appreciated your comments

Let me start with the painting scheme
I have used Tamiya with the exception of the propellers also changed a bit from the original revell colors
Below is the conversion chart


Primer used inside the hull Krylon Automotive
Exterior Vallejo Black surface primer 74.602

Main colors;
All interior hull and hatches were XF12, this color was more close to the U-2540 docked in the museum
Accomodation rooms were XF60
Interior decks were XF63 with the exception of the accomodation decks
Exterior upper XF66 and lower XF24

Interior was covered with Tamiya spray clear TS-13 followed with decal setting and Vallejo matt varnish 70.520
Exterior was covered with Tamiya spray matte clear TS-80 followed with weathering and vallejo satin varnish 70.522

Interior weathering done with Vallejo wash dark gray 76.517 on walls and hatches, on the engines added petrol spill vallejo 73.817
Exterior weathering was done with first tamiya panel liner black, then brown followed with masters touch oil color ivory black and burnt sienna

Construction

Started with the torpedo room
The torpedo tubes are very detailed and kit has no detail, didnt want to waste much time but simply added couple tubing around the tubes made from electrical wire then covered with gloss white



Seperated the torpedos from their 3-piece setting as i wanted use one on the nose
Painted with XF56 then red/yellow noses with matte black at the tail
Original torpedos are more brassish color, to get more realistic should be better to use brass then cover with XF19 smoke
Has some regret on it :/

Decals in the kit were thick, not sure if they were originally like that or degraded within time, but i spent lots of time setting them in, some of them i had to cut them in pieces and set seperately

Torpedo racks painted with XF67 and washed with black



the page keeps dying, i ll post and comment on seperate response box...

[fatihoz]

Painted the hatches with XF12 too and after clear gave a dark gray wash
Excess wash is cleaned with odorless mineral spirit
This is how it looks like prior cleaning and after cleaning

Attached all the hatches with CA glue

Then moved to the accomodation block
Used XF60 all over the walls
Tried to paint the doors with gray but didnt like it then applied the decals instead
Painted the beds with %50%50 XF10/X7 and added rails from electrical wire



Accomodation deck would be too dark with the instruction color so i used blue, darkened a bit with black and washed with gray XF12 where people walk


Batteries under the accomodation block were painted with XF63, sides were painted with XF12
Weathered with dark gray and tamiya brown panel liner then drybrushed a bit with testors metallic silver and touched the edges with more brown for rust effect, this is how it looked like after all



Added a table on the radio room and painted with red

Accomodation block finished and attached it to the torpedo block

[fatihoz]

Control room

Painted hull interior and the attack periscope XF12 with other small bits around
Ladders were XF67 and were not easy to install due to alignment, so i have installed the decks and installed ladders later with CA
After application of decals and clear coat
Deck and Desks were drybrushed with testors metallic silver
Periscope washed with dark gray and drybrushed with metallic silver
Holes needs to be made for the piping on the mid bulkhead, i left it to last as these pipes align needs alignment
This is how it looked

[fatihoz]

Next accomodation block was the same with previous, nothing fancy here

Engine Block
This is where i got frustrated
The deck is a long narrow and thin plastic, didnt well behaved with primer's and paint's surface tension and it lost its straightness
had to heat it up with hairdryer and straighten it up, sounded easy to me as well
but applied a bit much and buckled the rear end
Had to chop a piece and performed some rework to come back to original
This deck has also a slight inclanation, seems like its an issue of the kit, engine doesnt fit at the correct level as well, the engine exhaust lines needs a touch too












Engine in detail

Paint with XF12, tamiya black and brown panel liners, dark gray wash + petrol spill touches followed with metallic silver drybrushing

[fatihoz]

Coning Tower

Started with the interior standard process XF12, clear, apply decals then dark gray wash and clean up
Exterior was not the best due to mold i suspect



In order to place the intorior to the exterior, too much misalignment hence i had to support the interior from back with couple of plastic pieces to push it

I have finally assembled the front blades at this stage, its a working mechanism, i think smartly done and keeps in its location once secured to the superstructure



I moved to the superstructure interior XF12, clear, apply decals, dark gray wash, then used a bit of tamiya brown panel liner
Main deck assembled, glued to its place and painted under XF12




Then i have installed the exhaust pipes on top of the engine and routed above the interior
Ready for engagement
At this stage i think i lot about installing overhead red lights and installing a sound system inside but later, i found the gaps are not too friendly and also cable routing + battery replacement in the future + adding a switch a bit complicated so decided not to install, however when i look from today once everything gets assembled all the details worked interior is mostly hidden in dark, this kit would reach to a better level with lights installed i agree that

[fatihoz]

After the interior attachment to starboard with CA moved to port of the superstructure
Port plastic was too fluffy and didnt want to match, initially i have kept the support sprues but no chance, had to remove
then started from stern, as it has more areas to align, and keep gluing slowly to the bow
Once all done main deck had a big gap towards the bow
filled it with white plastic below


Ordinary tamiya plastic putty, sanding followed all over the seam lines, spend a lot at the bottom



couple flooding holes had bad plastic mold marks, in order to fix them up used a dremel with a circular head, then thin the putty with lacquer and applied to get a smooth finish, not very happy about it though

In the meantime i have painted the floor of the coning tower with XF12

[fatihoz]

Once all the sanding finished and installed the main rear wings and bits and pieces over the deck and on the starboard covered the sub interior with postits and painted Vallejo black surface primer, used an airbrush at about 20psi with 0.38mm tip, no thinning straight from the bottle, after some time it dries up if not full stroke, had to clean the airbrush up in between couple times but primer really finishes well


minor touch ups needed over the kit, finished those
at this stage i have used evergreens 0.5mm rods for the scratchbuild rails 6mm high and installed them with CA




Recover the worked areas and rails with black primer followed with XF24 same airbrush settings

Used post-it's for the waterline
i have followed the waterline from instruction sheet, the U-2540 at the museum has a lower line
Covered the upper section with XF66

[fatihoz]

All paint dried up next day and covered the kit with TS-80 matte spray
Gave another day for the matte coat to dry up and applied decals
the water line decals... removed after application, they are not realistic and doesnt align so i just kept the U-2540
Weathering started with tamiya black panel liner on the panel lines applied with 000



cleaned up with flat brush dipped into odorless mineral spirit

then swithced to oil paints ivory black and burnt sienna thinned in odorless mineral spirit applied with flat brush over the panel lines widely
give or take 15min used an angled flat brush, dipped into odorless mineral spirit dried on paper towel and from top to bottom first soften the oil paint then with thinner brush 18/0 applied more burnt sienna blending to rusting areas first top to bottom then bottom to top, strikes became more visible

Once i was happy used the vallejo satin varnish 60/40 water and applied all over with a #10 flat brush

[fatihoz]

Rigging done with Fine EZ line black, awesome product



Made a modification to the VHF antennas, was not happy with the metallic detail
Used music wire , KS precision metals 5498, 015mm




I wanted to give more details into the Type F432 D2 radar transmitter but havent located any fine PE, 1/35 armor vehichle meshes could be used but i didnt invest into it maybe later

Installing the navigation and attack periscope had some hesitation
The instruction sheet (upper) and original plans(lower) dont match
Couldnt be sure if the attachment in the kit was planned to be a masthead light or somethingelse
If anyone has any idea let me know
Eventually i have followed the instruction sheet


After installing the periscopes i called the kit as completed
Made a small wooden stand and ordered a brass plate which is yet to be delivered

Thanks for reading!

END OF POST!

[salmon]

It is fun to see subs getting built!
Thank you for sharing.