1/700 HMS Tiger 1918-1919 (Combrig)

This is my Splendid Cat that I have been building for the best part of the last two years. It is often stated that Tiger was the best looking capital ship of her day, and while this statement is obviously subjective, I tend to agree. However I do not agree with notion that the addition of a mainmast to the derrick stump has spoilt the balanced look of this fine ship. I find the more substantial bridge structure quite imposing and tried to depict her at this stage of her career.  The resin kit from Combrig is excellent in many ways but the Artist Hobby upgrade set really transforms it to something spectacular.  It was easier to adapt the appearance of the model to the state after the Great War using parts like a complete photoetched bridge structure including a correct pattern fighting top and after searchlight tower to name just two of the magnificent details included in this prodigious set which contains ten frets of photoetch, resin parts (main turrets, AA guns, searchlights) plus brass barrels for the main and secondary guns. Other upgrade sets  used were from WEM, Flyhawk, Lion Roar, Admiralty Modelworks GMM and Eduard. Painting and weathering was done using Humbrol and WEM enamels plus AK Interactive washes. Rigging is a mixture of stretched sprue, Caenis and lycra. Crew figures, 80 in total, and suitably thickened were selected from the sets of Eduard, GMM, Flyhawk and Lion Roar. Figures with adjustable limbs found in the latter proved to be most useful to show deck activity. Signal flags spell out the name of my father who had passed away while this model  was under construction.

I am grateful to Jim Baumann for providing me with the files used to produce decals for the deflection scales on turret B and Y.

A build log can be found here.

Gallery updated 12/15/2015

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