FlyModel K-141 Kursk

[NYC Irish]

Well Ladies n Gents Someone had to do it....

I've decided to try and build the Flymodel Kursk, Ive seen quite a few out of packaging reviews and only one Build report that faded away so I'm going to document my attempt at building this fine kit.

I would like to thank my former Co Worker, Darek for this kit. As a Polish guy working in Ireland I have to admit that he knew my taste in Card Models and was gracious to think of me on one of his trips home and was kind enough to pick me up a copy of the Model. I hope that he will enjoy his time in Ireland as much as I did during my time in NYC.

From the out set the kit looks great, Flymodel to me used to be Big Dumb kits, hand designed, multi coloured variances for ajoining pieces that should match (caused a lack of printing ability job) and low on details but you did get a big model....this kit seems so much more, Sharp, computer designed and just a kick ass subject.

I'm really not looking forward to the missile bays...they are quite repetitive and there are a lot of them...but thats quite a while away.

To begin the formers, 2mm card and plenty of it....Nothing special but I did appreciate a pair of Fiskars I picked up on Wal Mart.

Ive decided to colour the Missile bay as there was too much colour variation in the printing. This was on the paper sheets in the kit, the card seems to have great colour matching...no details lost, the colour was a nice Red Primer from a car shop...

Continued the formers along the entire length.. and wow its a long long model.... Ill need a bigged shelf...


I'm using coloured card for the joining strips....black and red for now, Im going to make a few of the front sections an dthe mount them on the formers as Im not sure where I should have begun "plating"...

for now I'll leave it at this

Thanks again Darek
Lets see what happens....

John John

 

[Paragon]

So, judging from the shape, I'm assuming this is a submarine? I am pretty sure I've heard of the Kursk before, I just have to make sure.

I don't think I could ever have the patience to build a model like that. You must be very good to feel up to building this kind of model...I always leave glue smudges everywhere. It looks nice so far, can't wait to see more!

 

[dansls1]

Wow - that's a big model - looks good so far

 

[Stev0]

heh... go big or go home.

 

[jaffro]

I was just thinking the other day that this would be a good sub to find a model of, while I was reading about the new british Astute class subs... I look forward to seeing how this one turns out, looking great so far... and big.

Slightly off topic... another sub I'd like to build is the "Red October", or whatever class the sub in the movie was based on. If I couldn't find one, the Kursk would be my next choice.

When you say you're not looking forward to the missile bays, is that because the kit lets you build them with doors open and missiles showing? I'm not familiar with any of the commercial sub kits, and it's a feature like that that would increase the likelihood of me buying one.

 

[Paragon]

Red October was a Typhoon Class submarine, and I'm relatively sure I've seen one around somewhere...but I wouldn't go to the bank with that.

I'm sure I used that cliche completely incorrectly.

 

[Lex]

GOD! The Fly Model Kursk?! I'll definitely be looking forward to this build... Best wishes to the brave builder ^^

 

[NYC Irish]

@ Jaffro
Yes the Kursk was not an Ballistic Missile Sub, it was an anti ship/convoy submarine capable of launching 24 Shipwreck Class missiles located in missile tubes angled at about 45 degrees in two bays along the hull.

@Paragon
Yes glue smudges are always a pain but I am using Bostic Contact cement, which I think is a rubber type and I have found that after it spills out between cracks I use a very very very clean finger to build up heat friction and rub the glue off...it comes off with very little effort and leave nearly no shine or any hint of a spill...try it, it is why I switched to this type of cement.

As a note, I thougt that the Kursk was very well known, but for those not as famiiar the Kursk was named after a huge tank battle in WWII and was the submarine lost to a torpedo loading/maintenance accident in August 2001. It was later salvaged in an incredible operation.

Russian submarine K-141 Kursk - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

So I'm getting back to work...thanks for all your best wishes..I'll need em

John John

 

[josve]

Impressive piece of construction!! That model is really big!!
The story of that sub ends in tragedy....
But I'm looking forward tou your construction report!

 

[Bionic Modeler]

The Kursk sank a number of years ago amidst a hail of outcry over how it sank. Some held and there is evidence to believe that it was sunk by an american Torpedo. There was a lot going on in the world politically and the US suddenly paid Russia a few billion dollars to make this all go away. Vladimere Putin refused to acknowledge either way and stuck to their story that it was an accidental expolosion in the topedo compartment. the US also foot the bill for the recovery of the Kursk which was the most expensive recovery of a ship ever. They finally towed it to Russia and recovered the bodies. it was a very sad story because they didn't have to die. Plenty of international help was offered early on to recover the survivors. But Russia was too proud to accept the help. They finally did but it was too late. There you have it. if you want more look it up on the internet.

 

[Bionic Modeler]

Oh I forgot, great build so far. From the attention to what i view as the most thankless part ,the formers, i would say you will have a pretty good end result. Looking forward to seeing it. Check out my Krakus build thread.

 

[Gil]

John John,

That's a lot of flotation..., Kind of a missile orchard of sorts. The missile room on American FBM's was called Sherwood Forest and the engine room was commonly referred to as Disneyland...,
What's also cool is the fact that you can inform your roomy that they've got to pack up cause you need the space for the new model. Some get very rude when informed thusly but they usually get over it once they're gone...,

+Gil

 

[The Hermit]

awesome, i am amazed with how truely big it is.

2 questions,

what type of card did you use for the frames...
it seems very stable and straight, every thing looks like it aligned true in the photos.

how much did th framer card cost and where do you get it?>


i hav eyet to find a satisfactory card for my frames....



thanks

 

[NYC Irish]

Excellent Idead Gil....however if my "roomy" gets upset and moves out she gets to take the dog and half my bank account so....Ill keep a smile on my face and be delighted that I have some space....well that room is only the building room...

The card was purchased from Pearl Paint, Canal Street, just off Broadway in NYC. It cost 20c for 2mm and 10c for 1mm card. 2x3 foot pages of it. When I was moving home I realised that Weight was not a problem for my shipping so I went into that fantastic shop and went down through the 5 floors picking up anything and everything I figured I might ever need back in Ireland for 2 reasons...
(A) they probably wont have it or anything else like it and will be no help in getting it and
(B) they will charge me so much more for it...

Case in hand I can get 2mm card here in a local art shop but it costs me 1 Euro a sheet, so thats $1.41 instead of 20c....and I wonder why a guy running a 250 square foot art supply store drives a Land Rover????

by the way Im not tight...its mostly about the selection....We invest a lot of time and effort in our creations so I think its ok to spend that extra time looking for the right/best materials..

I miss that shop so so much....I had a 7 hour stopover in JFK last month and even my wife was trying to convince me to get a cab to Pearl Paint and go nuts...The selection of coloured card the have makes me cringe when Im tring to get stuff for Mercsims 1/4 Mercury Capsule....over here we have 3 shades of grey available...Grey, black and white....

John John

 

[NYC Irish]

THe first picture is the cone, or bow of the Submarine, I got that togather and placed it on the formers....still wasnt too sure about the place to start plating but this seems to have worked.

The second is the cone in place, worked well and the third is the Port Missile bay, I really like the colour...seems very appropriate to the siuation.

4th is the first plating strip attached directly to the formers, the hole is for the forward diving plane.

Im very surprised that the acoustic tile pattern is matching from strip to strip...well done FlyModel. WHat I dont get is the completely blank strip right behind the Torpedo Door...seems out of place....

Yes that actually is a BBQ...in Ireland??? They do exist over here

Hey guess what I figured out today...

Knowing how much we all try our hardest to avoid compound curves in our lower hulls..well a submaine is like having two lower hulls, one on top of each other... this is going to be the death of me....

 

[jaffro]

What kind of marinade are you using on that weird looking spit roast?

That's looking great so far, can't wait to see more.

 

[airbob]

Irish,
this is looking really good!...WOW!...you're doing a most excellent job!....this is a monstrous model of this very famous Russian sub! jawdrop

 

[NYC Irish]

Continuing the plating...Im very happy with my limited abilities to keep stuff in line, I whole heartedly thank FlyModel for what they have designed, THe double lower hull thing is only affecting the underside of the model...no one will see that...

I know its a submarine so it lacks intricate details and that can allow for a quick build but its still a challenge, Cant say enough about this kit.


The Forrest of Missile Tubes is impressive...Definetly not something Id like streaming at me...And Im not looking forward to assembling them...

John John

 

[Bionic Modeler]

I think you have plenty of detail considering the Missile bays are visible. I thought the Kursk was the most beautiful Submarine in the sea myself. Especiall the logo on the conning tower which I look forward to seeing on your model. It was very intricate and classy.

I think this is an excellent build so far and expect it will continue right to the finished product. What do you intend to do with it when finished? I suppose you could hang it from the ceiling and duck whenever to have to go under it. lol

 

[Gregory Shoda]

Looks like this is not a model for the weak at heart. Looks like a very challenging build. Good work!