Hey Max,
Thanks for the hints... can't see your pictures though :-( I just get red X's... would love to see them.
I'm still not sure if I'm going to need to smooth it out or not... if it all comes together like the Halinski P-51 I'm building now then I won't need to
Anyhow... I have all the build pics of Scorpio's Bismarck... and I have read everything he has had to say about it in Polish. I just can't decide which one I want to work on...
1) the color scheme is not the best for the Bismarck on the HMV, the deck planks are a pale yellow as opposed teak looking (like on the Halinski or GPM model both models in this regard are superb - print quality second to none). The side of the hull also does not have the jagged reverse wave camo that looks soo cool. The Halinski even has the tops of the gun turrets in yellow. This painting scheme was ordered by the captain in the logs but there is no photographic evidence to suggest it happened before she was sunk. Still it's a nice touch on both the GPM and Halinski, not to mention the swastika flga on both the GPM and Halinski which adds a huge spash of color to the model, not that this feature is important since it got painted over as soon as the ship entered enemy waters to help camoflage her against enemy planes...
2) You can get an unbelievable photo etch kit (almost $200 CDN) for the HMV that makes the ship an incredibly detailed piece of art (over 7,000 pieces in total)... and the HMV instructions are so good that they actually include the photo etch kit application details so the build is relatively easy from that perspective - very little guess work.
3) The GPM is very nice in terms of color and print but I have read one bad review about the fit of pieces (like ladder pieces not being long enough to touch the floor they are supposed to reach) and that the planes are out of scale and don't make sense relative to the scale of the ship. But you can get a very small photo etch set for the GPM along with pre fab'd gun barrels. This being a 1:200 model means that the same photo etch kit and gun barrels can be used on the Halinski model as well. Because the photo etch kit is only two sheets it doesn't come even remotely close to the detail level of the HMV. Well see for yourself by following the links below.
4) The HMV instructions for the build are the best. The Halinski instructions leave alot to be desired and both the GPM and Halinski can never be as detailed as the HMV but they are more attractive from a color perspective but not from a finish perspective... :-(
5) Also, there seems to be a better selection of 1:200 ships out there from WWII so I'd like to stay in one scale if at all possible if I decide to build another one... so this is another consideration. (The HMV is 1:250 and both the Halinski and GPM are 1:200.)
I just can't decide... each one has pros and cons ... I actually have the Halinski Bismarck at home and I have been studying it intensely for some time now but hesitate to start because of the those point above that I keep mulling over in my mind... that's why I'm looking for some more opinions. The Halinski frightens me a bit because the instructions on Halinski models are not very detailed... they are more like a puzzle... where as the HMV instructions are more like plastic model kit instructions.
Oh by the way if you are interested in seeing the Halinski work in progress:
http://konradus.com/forum/read.php?f=1&i=41992&t=39413#reply_41992
And here is the GPM model:
http://www.kartonwork.pl/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2598&start=0
Cheers...
-Greg