Photos of Kursk's aft end

[Guest]

All,

I'm building a 1/350th scale model of the Kursk. From drydock photos, it appears she was black on top and hull red on the lower half. The lower bow appears to be silver. What I'm not sure of is where the black and red are applied aft. Are the planes and prop shafts red or black?

So I was hoping that someone might have found a photo of the back end of the Kursk (or any Oscar II) the shows how the colors where deliniated.

Thanks much,

Art

[vepr]

Re: Photos of Kursk's aft end

Art,

The stern of the Oscar IIs are painted the same as the front, with red on the bottom half and black on the top. The lower half of the planes are red and the upper half black, same with the shafts. Here's a picture of an Oscar II in drydock with a fresh coat of paint, probably K-186 Omsk.

If you want to portray a more weathered Kursk, this picture might help.


I don't think that the lower bow, where the bow sonar window is, is colored silver though. In all the drydock pictures I have seen of Soviet and Russian submarines, the sonar windows are always red, usually a slightly lighter shade as the sonar window is made of composites (usually GRP), a different material than the rubber coating the hull. Here's a picture of K-266 Orel in drydock.

I'm guessing that you got the impression that the sonar window is silver based on the 1/350 Zvedzda Kursk kit, which is unfortunately a very inaccurate model. I recently replaced my Zvedzda Oscar II with a resin model from Polar Bear Models out of Severodvinsk (http://www.submarines.zx6.ru/), and when I compared the two it was like night and day. The Zvedzda kit was blocky and highly inaccurate in many ways (hull shape, direction of propeller blades, length, number of lower rudders ect.). Although the Polar Bear kit is about three times more expensive, it is well worth it. Free Time Hobbies sells it and other Polar Bear kits (http://www.freetimehobbies.com/PB3527.aspx). I hope my response was helpful.

Jacob

[Guest]

Re: Photos of Kursk's aft end

Thanks Jacob.

These pictures helped alot! Unfortunately, they also cause me more work . I didn't know about the dual rudder arrangement. Oh well.

Yes, I'm building the Zvezda kit. I do know the Polar Bear kits, and I may get one at some point, but they are a bit expensive for me right now.

Thanks again,

Art