Hunt for red october trio question
 

Something that has gotten into my mind now that I have gotten back into the model making hobby, is that I would like to build the submarines from the Hunt for Red October, namely a Los Angeles, a Typhoon and an Alfa.

I have been looking around and it seems to me that if I want to build them all in the same scale (it would be preferable) I would have to go with 1:350, hobby boss has all 3 ship types in this scale.

Has anyone done something similar before? care to share any tips?
Thanks in advance.

For the 688, you'll want the H-B "3 in 1" kit. Build the Flight 1 version but don't use the "Flight 1" stern planes. The "3 in 1" kit has been reissued and you should be able to find it online. Don't use the DSRV "target" decals. :06: For a realistic build, only use the draft marker decals.

Check the resources thread and you'll find a link for 3D printed screws in 1/350th scale. They are remarkable but also very delicate.

The H-B Alpha is probably available online. Its a toss-up between the Alpha and the Typhoon, H-B reissues them every couple of years and you'll probably find them on EBay or Amazon. The H-B Typhoon in 1/350th scale has only been released once as far as I know but it should be due for a re-release.
Whichever of the two kits is more scarce can cause some headaches or price gouging. Try Amazon first then use EBay as a fall back. A company named Mikro-Mer also offers an Alpha in 1/350th scale but M-M is located in Ukraine. :hmmm: M-M kits are great in terms of scale but they aren't at the same level as H-B in terms of "shake the box and add glue". You'll need some basic modeling skills and several cans of beer. :03:

BE AWARE THAT H-B ALSO RELEASED THE 688 AND THE TYPHOON IN 1/700TH SCALE. ALWAYS CHECK AND MAKE SURE YOU'RE BUYING THE RIGHT SCALE. :yep:


The fixed cleats on the back of H-B 688 are a pain-and-a-half. Check the Resources thread where I wrote about how to use shirt pins and a file to make your own cleats. :up: This will save you a lot of time and frustration and I can almost guarantee you'll lose one or more of the H-B cleats.

Painting is pretty straight forward. Find a jar of Tamiya Titanium Gold (X-31) as the basic color for the screws on all three kits. You can also play around and add some silver or brown but X-31 is already pretty close. Semi-gloss black is also a good fit for the topsides of all three kits.
For the 688, this is a case of where I can't un-see what I already know. All 688's use Insignia Red as the "red lead" under the water line. That water line is also tricky if you want an accurate build. The waterline is basically 20 feet above the keel, however ALL 688's also use a 2 degree up angle to mark the water line. So, if you want accuracy, get ready to spend some time laying out the masking tape. :doh:

For the Soviet boats, try a more "European" color of red lead or else try Tamiya's Nato Black (XF-69) or German Gray (XF-63). :yeah:

BTW, don't forget the USS Pogy. :D Miko-Mer has a nice selection of 594 and 637 class US boats. :yep: You'll want a 594 class sub to be the Pogy.

Thanks for the tips.
When you mean that I shouldn't use the "flight 1" stern plates of the Los Angeles, what version should I use then??

I have looked around in a couple of modelling websites and all 3 models can be found for purchase, the Typhoon is about double the price of the other 2, probably due to being rarer.

One thing that has made me not pull the trigger on this yet is that I have not invested in an airbrush yet, and I get the feeling that modern submarines are the sort of thing that benefit from that tool.
I'm going to wet my toes into submarine model building with a type 7 model that I have ordered from amazon in the meanwhile.

You'll know the right stern planes for the 688 when you see them. :D
The Flight 2 and Flight 3 versions use the "full" planes, the Flight 1 also used them for almost all of their time in commission. H-B included the single-piece, all moving stern planes that were tested on the USS Los Angeles but quickly abandoned for the larger version. The rumor was that the smaller planes made a lot of the crew more religious. :03:

If you can find all three kits NOW, buy them. :yep: All three kits go into "not available" status for years at a time and its always a coin flip if H-B will re-issue them again.

The Typhoon is more expensive because its a MUCH larger kit than the attack boats. You'll see what I mean when it shows up. :D

Painting 1/350th scale kits is a bit of a toss-up in terms of brush painting vs using an airbrush. I would favor the airbrush for the Typhoon due to its size, but the attack boats are easily paintable using a brush.

Good luck and have fun with your project. :salute:

Well I took the plunge and bought all 3 models, and invested in an airbrush and air compressor....now I just need a bit of practice with it before I try my hand at this project, when I start I think I will build the Alfa first, my Konovalov in the trio.

Well, the project is under way, the Alfa is the smallest of the 3, so it was a logical place to start, and is also the one that is never shown in great detail the movie, so this was basically the suggested paint job out of the box, plus a personalized name plate that a buddy with a 3d printer made for me.


https://i.ibb.co/C0p4XG0/20230806-194237.jpg


https://i.ibb.co/znYKdw0/20230806-194329.jpg


further pictures:
https://i.ibb.co/XXFy1pD/20230806-194259.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/GcJ8GCr/20230806-194343.jpg
https://i.ibb.co/0YDnsM4/20230806-194454.jpg