WonderWoman

The ninth keel section, with holes, I'm guessing for the wiring to come through

Main gun accessories and and attaching the hangers to the deck Nice to see some detail nbeing added around the main gun barbette - it was looking a bit bare! Then some more of those little breakwaters But I did forget to add couple more components around the barbette before adding the breakwaters, but easily remedied! ...and here are my two completed hangers (at last) Don't they look great in place!

Catwalks on the hangers I found blunt-ended tweezers best for bending the tabs on the catwalk - takes a bit of trial and error to get them lined up correctly. ...but only a small amount of glue was needed to hold them in place: I found that putting a bit of glue on the cradles and then lowering the catwalks on to be a better option than gluing the catwalks themselves. Two lovely hangers is stage complete. Looks like the hull part is kept for later

This final stage is the construction of two of the aircraft hangers. Firstly adding on doors, lockers, vents....etc! I did both hangers before going on to the boat cradles Roof cradles were next , and then its not only Stage complete, but Pack complete! On to Pack 8 next!!!

Here's a quick stage.... ...but it gives me the opportunity to show the ever-extending hull construction!!! (judging by the shape I'd guess not half way yet?)

Loads more detail for the funnel, and putting the funnel onto the deck (plus adding the foremast - scroll down for a lovely sunset photo!!!!)! There are 6 lockers for the funnel on this stage which are glued around the deck platform halfway up the funnel. Followed by the steam whistle, and the safety railing that was bent into shape in the previous stage The funnel has two supports for the search light platforms, one on either side, which are metal and take a reasonable amount of bending and gluing to complete the final assembly. Such detail! Now that the funnel is at a reasonably complete stage I can add it the lower deck and then connected the funnel to the section in front with a metal platform which will eventually hold the foremast. Tip: use pliers to bend the ladder support tabs, then glue it together I took these two photos and they randomly came out as if one was n a sunset and the other at night but it was just the flash misbehaving; still, they look pretty! The blurred backgrounds look like clouds or islands with a bit of imagination!!! After securing the foremast in place with the struts and the final railing its stage complete!

Another piece of hull (of course) plus some more metal-work Railings attached around ether side of the funnel.

Now for something completely different! We have a 10 rope reels to build. I did the first one in one go, gluing the two halves together and then sticking on the end of rope and winding it around the reel: After that though I found it better to get a bit of a production line going. I could glue a reel together then wind a different one while I waited for the first one to dry. Don't they look great! Then I put them all in place Next step was to create the cranes: and then the swiftly followed by various ladders and hoods.... ...plus the radar antenna

Getting back to some deck detail! but before that, the ever-lengthening hull continues I attached a pair of bollards and roller fairleads to both the port and starboard sides Alitlle bit fiddly to get the next parts in between the main gun, but I was too lazy to plug it in and rotate it out the way! but a pair of tweezers dd the trick Then more parts around the turret, and the final bits I was really thinking I should have rotated the gun turret, but never mind! this is how it looks:

final touches.. the gear unit & motors all connected:

Essentially this stage and the beginning of 73 is attaching the list motor and gun in place on the deck And here they all are in place:

Gearing up a big gun! The second gear assembly for the main gun follows the same technique as way back in Pack 1. The gear cogs are put in place, then the arm attached (make sure you do it the right way round) and then the housing is all screwed together: Next I put the support legs in place and then attached it to the deck and the gun turret

continuing the hull:

The fourth and final (for this part) 15 cm gun Adding the range finders first: Actually, once all four are in place its looking pretty impressive, though they are dwarfed by the main gun! and I hope I am going to be able to keep all this wiring in order!!

Ts another 15cm gun motor! fitted in place: three down, one to go!