Friday, December 30, 2011

BBs 6, 7 and 8 of the Royal Navy's Queen Elizabeth class

A couple of 'modernized' ships for the Royal Navy: Warspite- and Malaya-group of Queen Elizabeth class BBs.

January 18, 2012: Available via Shapeways http://shpws.me/3J4b

HMS Malaya(1942/43)

HMS Warspite(1942)

HMS Barham(1941)

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Cycle WIP: Reconstructed BBs of the Italian Navy

48IT09 Caio Duilio[1941]

Her sister ship, Andrea Doria (background), has the Bredas on the dual 12" mounted nearer to the barrels
Source: Regia Marina - Italian Battleships of World War Two (E. Bagnasco & M. Grossman)
48IT09 IT BB Caio Duilio [1941] (x2; via Shapeways)  

48IT07 Conte di Cavour[1940]
Guilio Cesare (background) has her #2 and #3 37mm AA guns positioned similar to that of Caio Duilio
(i.e. at the back of the turrets/closer to the bridge/mainmast)
Adapted from illustrations by F.Bargoni/F.Gay
48IT07 IT BB Conte di Cavour[1940] (x2; via Shapeways) 

48IT(07+09) IT BBs Cavours and Duilios

48IT12 IT DD Navigatori
 Two versions: 1941 (Foreground) with 2x triple 533mm torp tubes; and 1943 with only one triple 533mm (platform of 2x single AA guns replaced the aft tubes)
sprue contains 4x 1943s and 2x 1941s
48IT12 IT DD Navigatori (x6; via Shapeways)

1/1800 FN DD Mogador - dropped

[Multiple scales] MiG 1.44 - postponed

1/500 F-22 Raptor http://shpws.me/3D33

Saturday, December 10, 2011

Cycle Releases: Battleships of the Italian Navy: Littorio/Vittorio Veneto class

Italian Battleship Roma (c. 1943); also as Impero*
 http://shpws.me/3CMz

Italian Battleship Littorio (Italia c. 1943)*
also as Vittorio Veneto
http://shpws.me/3CMy 


Soldati class destroyer (c. 1942; 12 ships in the class)
similar design with preceding Maestrale and Oriani/Poeti-class DDs, with 4 in each class
http://shpws.me/3CMw 

Also: PAF JF-17 "Thunder" / CAC FC-1 Xiaolong
(Note thick wings/fin for WSF material; 1/600)
available in multiple scale (please visit corresponding shop section)
http://shpws.me/33DZ


Next cycle releases (to-do list; in no particular order):
1/4800 IT BB Caio Duilio (x2)
1/4800 IT BB Conte di Cavour (x2)
1/4800 IT Reconstructed BBs 2+2 (Caio Duilio + Conte di Cavour)
1/4800 IT DD Folgore
1/1800 FN DD Mogador
[Multiple scales] MiG 1.44
1/500 F-22 Raptor

Saturday, November 19, 2011

WIP: Condottieri-class cruisers of the Italian Navy (Set B)

Before anything else, I've released a couple of models during/along with the Condottieri (Set A) cycle (listed at the bottom of this post).

Alberto da Giussano (Condottieri I, c. 1941)
Portside (foreground) and starboard side (background)

Luigi Cadorna (Condottieri II, c. 1941)

During this cycle (48IT01B  1/4800 IT CL Condottieri (Set B: Groups 1+2)), we'll also be expecting the following models (in effect, the immediate to-do list, in no particular order)*:

1/1800 MN Capital Ships (released, please see my Shapeways store for particulars)

1/4800 USN Bagley class destroyer (c. 1943/44)

F3H Demon

Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) Kagero-class destroyer (Yukikaze c.1943)
Post-WW2 as Tang Yan (Republic of China)
(Top: 1/4800, Bottom: 1/2400, both will only be offered in Frosted Ultra Detail material)

*Please note that (1/2400 MN Heavy Cruisers) has been listed before but moved to a later cycle to make way for Italian battleships (Conte di Cavour, Andrea Doria and Vittorio Veneto/Littorio).

Previous cycle's releases:

48IT01A 1/4800 IT CL Condottieri (Set A: Groups 4+5+6) http://shpws.me/3sRv
48US01 1/4800 US DD Sims(1943) http://shpws.me/3sRw
24US01 1/2400 US DD Sims(1943) http://shpws.me/3tIG


Douglas Skyray
1/700 shpws.me/3tv8
1/600(WSF) shpws.me/3tv6
1/600(FUD) shpws.me/3tv7
1/350 shpws.me/3tv9
1/300 shpws.me/3tva
1/285 shpws.me/3tvb


F-22A Raptor
1/700 shpws.me/3to2
1/600(WSF) shpws.me/3to3
1/600(FUD) shpws.me/3tnZ
1/350 shpws.me/3to0
1/300 shpws.me/3to1
1/285 shpws.me/3to4

Related posts: WIP: Condottieri-class cruisers of the Italian Navy

Tuesday, November 8, 2011

WIP: Condottieri-class cruisers of the Italian Navy

The Condottieri class light cruisers was said to be the Regia Marina's response to the French Navy's Le Fantasque-class Contre-torpilleurs.

Starting the Italian Navy with the Condottieri group of light cruisers with 5 subgroups in the class, 'evolving' in each subsequent build. Starting with the Duca d'Aosta sub-class (Group 4), 5th group (Duca degli Abruzzi), and the 3rd group (Raimondo Montecuccoli) for the first release (48IT01A). Back down to 2nd (Luigi Cadorna) then 1st group Alberto da Giussano for the next release (48IT01B).

Please note there will also be a proper 48IT01 comprising of all *12* ships of the class once all ships are done.

Wikipedia links:
Wikipedia entry for the whole class (Condottieri class cruiser) wherein links to individual ships can be found
Duca degli Abruzzi (Group 5)
Giuseppe Garibaldi (Group 5)
Emanuele Filiberto Duca_d'Aosta (Group 4)
Eugenio di Savoia (Group 4)
Raimondo Montecuccoli (Group 3)
Muzio Attendolo (Group 3)
Luigi Cadorna (Group 2)
Armando Diaz (Group 2)
Alberto da Giussano (Group 1)
Alberico da Barbiano (Group 1)
Bartolomeo Colleoni (Group 1)
Giovanni dalle Bande Nere (Group 1)
*the rest of the individual list will follow*

Navypedia entries on the Condottieri groups:
Duca degli Abruzzi (Condottieri V)
Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta (Condottieri IV)
Raimondo Montecuccoli (Condottieri III)
Luigi Cadorna (Condottieri II)
Alberto da Giussano (Condottieri I)

Raimondo Montecuccoli (Condottieri III, C. 1941)
Portside (foreground) and starboard side (background)

Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta (Condottieri IV, c. 1941)
Portside (foreground) and starboard side (background)

Luigi di Savoia Duca degli Abruzzi (Condottieri V, c. 1940)
Portside (foreground) and starboard side (background)

Friday, October 28, 2011

German aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin now available in 1/4800

1/4800 Kriegsmarine (German Navy) Aircraft Carrier Graf Zeppelin (1942) x2
http://shpws.me/3pO8
Image courtesy of Shapeways


1/4800 UK.CV.Illustrious(1940) x4 + KM.CV.Graf Zeppelin(1942) x2
Image courtesy of Shapeways

Monday, October 24, 2011

WIP: Kriegsmarine's Graf Zeppelin aircraft carrier (1942) in 1/4800

For the next (interim) release before doing the Italian Navy (Regia Marina): Kriegsmarine (KM) CV Graf Zeppelin (1942) as she would've been completed.
Please take note I can offer this ship bundled with the UK CV Illustrious once it's done...

For further information, please visit the the following links:
Wikipedia Entry
Navypedia Entry
(Re)discovery of the ship's wreck site (via Spiegel Online, 2006)

Work-in-Progress as of October 27, 2011


Previous WIP pic:

Saturday, October 22, 2011

Aircraft carrier Illustrious now available (UK/Royal Navy, 1940)

Shapeways llink:
http://shpws.me/3p2o
EDIT: For those interested, I can offer these UK carriers combined with the next ship (KM Graf Zeppelin CV) as well, offering additional savings... though one has to wait another week or so until it is finished...



Image courtesy of Shapeways


One last ship (up next) before starting the Italian Navy: DKM Graf Zeppelin (Wiki link)

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Monday, October 10, 2011

Nothing to see here, just grinding away...

Yep, nothing much within the past few days, thought I'd take a short break while I search for references, buy/order some books, etc, to prepare for the Regia Marina (Italian Navy)...

In the meantime, had some requests and had the following available:

1/6000 (actually 1/6300) BB Alsace + Jean Bart hybrid BB/CV
*edited to allow for the smaller scale; i.e. if simply scaled: 0.3mm@1/4800 = 0.24mm@1/6000; which is below the printing limit and will have the model rejected.
shpws.me/3mPJ

1/3000 BB Richelieu(1943) + BB Jan Bart(1942)
scaled up 48FN01 by 160% + some edits
shpws.me/3mPK

After which, work has started/continued on the Royal Navy's Illustrious class aircraft carrier;
Nothing much to see: main hurdles are the (asymmetric) island superstructure and hull. Clicking on the image for a closer look, one could see an almost finished island superstructure (sans funnels, starboard catwalks, various wind deflectors and other details). Also added 'stubs' representing the pompom mounts around the structure and a rudimentary HA director tower (front of mainmast). Then it's onto the hull and it's numerous bilges/bulges.

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

Releases for Marine Nationale (French Navy) completing its 1st series...

Finally released the following ships:

FN.DD.LeHardi (1942) x6
http://shpws.me/3lPL

FN.SS.Redoutable(1931) x8
http://shpws.me/3m0H

FN.CV.Joffre(1940) x2
http://shpws.me/3lPE

FN.BC.Dunkerque(1940)+Strasbourg(1942)
http://shpws.me/3m0I

Dunkerques & Joffres (as suggested via the 1/ 4800th Naval Wargaming Yahoo Group)
http://shpws.me/3m0J

Cheers!

Monday, October 3, 2011

Preliminary Regia Marina (Italian Navy) List

...but before anything else; after finishing/release of the remaining Marine Nationale (French Navy) naval ships, the following will be done to supplement the detailed 1/4800 ships of the Royal Navy (UK) and Kriegsmarine (German Navy) by another company:

48UK01 Royal Navy Illustrious-class aircraft carrier (1940)
48KM01 Kriegsmarine aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin (1938)

Then onto the Regia Marina list; concentrating on their battles fought in the Mediterrean:

48IT01 Condittieri-class/series of light cruisers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Condottieri_class_cruiser
References for Group 3 (Raimondo Montecuccoli and Muzio Attendolo) and 4 (Emanuele Filiberto Duca d'Aosta) is/are available from a popular company/site. The rest (1, 2 and 5), I'll have to check what I was able to collect...

48IT02 Soldati-class destroyers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soldati_class_destroyer
The culmination of design that started from Maestrale-class destroyers; improved upon to become Oriani-class destroyers, and finally the Soldatis.

48IT03 Heavy cruisers classes of Zara and Trento (inc. Bolzano)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zara_class_cruiser_%28Italy%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trento_class_cruiser
Once I've obtained the necessary references (Warship Pictorial #23 IIRC), I'm set.
Something to dance with the French Suffrens and Duquesnes ;) (including a repeat of unique visual IDs of each sister ships in each class... uugh)

48IT04 The battleships of Vittorio Veneto class (also known as the Littorio class)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vittorio_Veneto_class_battleship
In comes the battleships: contemporary to the Richelieu-class of France's Marine Nationale, they were in service 1940 and at least one ship of the class was present in almost every major engagement.

48IT05 Submarines: candidate classes are both of the 600-series: Adua and Sirena
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/italy/it_ss_sirena.htm
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/italy/it_ss_adua.htm
Produced in numbers (20 and 12 respectively), these classes of medium submarines were present during the Axis Invasion of Crete.

48IT06 Aircraft carriers Aquila and Sparviero
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_aircraft_carrier_Aquila
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_aircraft_carrier_Sparviero
Conversions of ocean liners would have provided the Regia Marina with these carriers, if not for them being captured/scuttled/scrapped. Aquila's flightdeck reminds me of Graf Zeppelin's though...

48IT07 Conti de Cavour class battleship
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conte_di_Cavour_class_battleship
The two ships surviving WW1 (Conti de Cavour and Giulio Cesare) were reconstructed before WW2. No data gathered yet as to what had been done, but I'll get to cross the bridge.

48IT08 Frescia and Folgore class destroyers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freccia_class_destroyer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Folgore_class_destroyer
Another destroyer class to even out the field vs. the French's Mogador/Fantasque/Le Hardi classes...

48IT09 Andrea Doria-class battleships
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_battleship_Andrea_Doria_%281913%29
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italian_battleship_Caio_Duilio
NavyField anyone?

48IT10 Vian-Bonfiglietti Project 1928 CVL + Battlecruiser Project 1930
http://xoomer.virgilio.it/bk/MuseoLaSpezia/Projected%20aircraft%20carrier%201928/index.html
http://xoomer.virgilio.it/bk/MuseoLaSpezia/RM%20Projected%20battlecruiser%201930/index.html
Rounding up the list to total 3 aircraft carriers and 8 capital ships

48IT11 Capitani Romani class light cruisers
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capitani_Romani_class_cruiser
The Capitani Romani class light cruisers were Italy's response to the Marine Nationale's Fantasques and Mogador class contre-torpilleurs (large destroyers/destroyer leaders), but was completed just before Italy's armistice in the 1943...

Sunday, October 2, 2011

Capping Marine Nationale's (French Navy) first wave release.

Those remaining for the first wave of 1/4800 French Navy ships (depending on the readers' monitor size/resolution, the thumbnails are intended to approximate model size in real life)
Click the images for close-ups:

Joffre-class aircraft carrier[1940] (2/pack)

LeHardi class destroyer[1942] (6/pack)

Size comparison between Le Hardi (bottom), Fantasque (middle) and Mogador (top)

Redoutable class submarine[1931] (8/pack)

Dunkerque class fast battleships/battlecruisers(top-bottom): 
Dunkerque[1940] and Strasbourg[1942] (as pack)

They'll be available some time this week. For those preferring to have items bundled together (a'la fleet packs), please don't hesitate to contact me via matt_atknsn [at] hotmail [dot] com.

Cheers!

P.S. Formal list of releases after the French Navy also to follow some time this week: aircraft carriers and the Regia Marina (Italian Navy)

Monday, September 26, 2011

48FN07 French Navy's La Galissonniere-class light cruisers of 1940 now available


48FN07 FN La Galissonnière class Light Cruisers (x3)
48FN07X2 FN La Galissonnière class Light Cruisers (x6)
Scale: 1/4800
These are 3-ships and 6-ships pack respectively of French Navy's La Galissonnière-class light cruisers in their 1940/as built configuration. Armed with 152mm (6") guns, secondary 90mm (3.5"), 13.2mm AA MGs and 550mm torpedoes, the ships of the class were considered "fast, reliable and successful ships". The class is comprised of six(6) ships named as follows:La Galissonnière, Montcalm, Georges Leygues, Jean de Vienne, Marseillaise, Gloire.

Each ship measures [L x W x H] 37.33mm x 4.15mm x 6.28mm (approx. 1 1/2" x 3/16" x 1/4")

References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Galissonni%C3%A8re_class_cruiser
http://www.navypedia.org/ships/france/fr_cr_la_galissoniere.htm
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNFR_6-55_m1930.htm

Actual 3D printed product may vary from the preview image/render

Shapeways store links:
48FN07 FN La Galissonnière class Light Cruisers (x3)
48FN07X2 FN La Galissonnière class Light Cruisers (x6)


Above photo courtesy of Shapeways

Above photo courtesy of Shapeways

Friday, September 23, 2011

48FN06 FN CV.Bearn1939(x1) and DD.Mogador1939(x2) now available...

Before everything else, I would like to inform anyone and everyone about Shapeways' upcoming pricing update:
http://www.shapeways.com/blog/archives/1012-An-Update-to-the-Shapeways-Pricing-Structure.html
To summarize with regards to TTh:
- no price increase for the 1/4800 ships
- no more minimum order of USD25, but...
- shipping fees will be applied per order:

Shipping Cost as of October 1st
United States, Canada and The Netherlands: $6.50
EU Countries: $9.50
Rest of the World: $19.99

In lieu of this, I will have the following next packs sooner in case anyone would like to avoid the upcoming fees:
48FN07 La Galissonniere1940(x3)
48FN07X2 La Galissonniere1940(x6)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
...AAAaaand the main event:

48FN06 FN CV.Bearn1939(x1) and DD.Mogador1939(x2)
Scale: 1/4800

Contains the French Navy aircraft carrier Bearn as she was during 1939.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_aircraft_carrier_B%C3%A9arn

Also combined with the 2x Mogador-class Contre-torpilleurs (roughly translated as large destroyers) in their 1939 configuration; and representing the two ships in the class: Mogador and her sister ship Volta.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mogador_class_destroyer
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_destroyer_Mogador
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/French_destroyer_Volta

Click on the images below to see the sprue up close (that brown circle thingy is 3/4inch diameter, with the grid spaced 1" x 1")

Image below courtesy of Shapeways:

Actual 3D printed product may vary from the preview image/render

Store item link:
http://shpws.me/3ldV