by Nick Dogger
1/700 RM Conte di Cavour 1940 (Waveline)
This is my attempt the WW11 Italian battleship "Conte di Cavour", as in 1940.
It's the 1/700 Waveline model, to which I have added as much extra detail as I can (eye sight and patience permitting!). I used GMM crew members (I painted them with dress uniform) and GMM "fine-scale" railings (with the stanchions painted in grey and the railings in black-silver).
I also used some parts from WEM photoetch sets. The funnels are hollowed out, as is the bridge (with the "windows" being created from stretched sprue and white glue). The four searchlights received similar treatment. Various other parts are scratch-built, such as the port hole "eye-brows", funnel top grilles, awning stanchions, 20mm AA gun barrels, and the rear mast upper platforms. Getting these latter into the correct position was a particularly fiddly job, as was installing the railings around the 37mm AA gun platforms. For extra effect and colour I added some additional life rafts (with paddles).
Several of the hull port holes were plugged with slightly raised circles of sprue to try to simulate the small covered port holes on the real ship. Some of the upper platform railings were also filled with white glue and then painted over to simulate the canvas "dodger" covers, while still allowing the railing outlines to show through. On photos of the real ship these covers appear a dark colour. - I had to guess at this on the model.
I spent a bit of time detailing the ship's boats (I added four on davits to the quarter deck for extra detail), including putting rings around the portholes of the main boats to try to define these better. The rigging (not a strong point and requiring much patience!) is stretched sprue.
With fore deck aircraft recognition stripes, wooden aft deck (in slightly different shades) and Italian flag at the stern, plus my attempt at a "Mediterranean-blue" sea, the model is quite colourful despite its overall light grey (perhaps too weathered) hull and dark grey deck scheme.
Hopefully, the finished model has a bit of atmosphere about it. To my eye, the Italian WW 11 battleships were fine looking vessels - I already have my sights on the Regia Marina Caio Duilio!"
