by Jonathan Delplanque |
I was inspired to make this ship after I repaired a Flyhawk model of the SMS Derfflinger for our local museum. Constructing the Lutzow was not an easy task but nevertheless it only took me around 6 months to complete aided in part by lockdown measures imposed due to Covid 19. I added PE detailing from Flyhawk and wood veneer decking from Ship Yard Works. I also bought Gary Staff’s excellent book German Battlecruisers of World War One to use as a reference. I decided after much debate to add the 4 forward 88mm flakguns despite the fact these were never installed on the actual ship. This was because in most drawings (including those by Siegfried Breyer) and museum models the guns are included as originally designed. Two things to watch out for if you are planning to make this model, there is an optional fore funnel provided which is actually correct but not specified by the instructions (I installed the other one and discovered my mistake too late). The other thing isthe bridgework, it does not fit properly and is too high so some adjustments have to be made, it may be best to construct it dry before cementing. The last decision to make was whether to paint the aft funnel red or grey and if it was to be red, how red? I decided to try and copy the shade of red featured on the front cover of the book advertised on this website, German Battlecruisers 1910– 1919 I think the darker red is plausible given the amount of smoke and heat generated.
