1:700 / 1:1200 Bismarck models with paints

The Bismarck in two scales - a Revell gift set

The package contains two separate kits of the German battleship Bismarck: the larger one in 1:700 scale and the smaller one in 1:1200 scale. The manufacturer encloses basic shades of paint, glue and a brush with them, so building can start without further buying. Once finished, the larger of the two hulls measures roughly 36 centimeters, the smaller one around twenty.

The real subject

The Bismarck was the largest warship the Kriegsmarine committed in the Second World War. She was launched in 1939, entered service a year later and was made famous by a single combat sortie in the spring of 1941: in the Denmark Strait she sank the British cruiser Hood and then succumbed herself to a chase of several days, into which dozens of British ships and aircraft were drawn. The name Bismarck has since held among the most frequently built naval subjects.

Building and painting tips

In small scales cleanness of work decides: sand the parting lines of the hull down and offer the superstructures up dry, so that gaps do not arise. Darken the deck with a shade somewhat darker than the one you see in period photographs, as after it has dried and been dry-brushed it looks more faithful. Apply the camouflage stripes from the spring of 1941 over a thin mask, since on a small hull a run edge is told immediately. The finished model shows itself off nicely on a dark base with a fine suggestion of the water surface.

Who the set is for

• for lovers of ship models who want both sizes together
• as a gift for a modeler who likes to build a subject in two forms
• for collectors of naval hardware of the Second World War
• for builders with experience of small parts

Both ships arrive in an unassembled state and without a coat; according to the manufacturer the enclosed paints and glue cover the basic needs of the build.