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| BRP MARIANO ALVAREZ (PS 38) | |||||
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THE SHIP |
Cyclone Class Patrol ship | ||||
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THE KIT
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Model Kit: Scratchbuild Accessories: Evergreen styrene sheets 0.5-2.0mm, various left-over PE parts, copper wire Colors: Others: |
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PROGRESS
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After seeing other models of the Alvarez built using a Pegasus class hull as a basis, I was thinking about doing the same, but changed my mind after studying the Cyclone class' hull more closely. I decided to build the entire ship from scratch since the unique bow shape and of course the RHIB ramp at the stern would then be easier to model. Unfortunately, I only have very few reference pictures and it took quite some time to get the aft superstructures fairly right. A tough challenge was/is the forward superstructure with all its angles. I first thought of sanding a block of styrene into the right shape but dismissed it as being probably to inaccurate. Also the idea to build the different surfaces with thin styrene plates was dismissed because if I needed to correct something, styrene with that thickness could not be sanded without losing the smooth surface area. This left the only option: building the surfaces out of PE taken from the frame of a used PE set. Disadvantage of course: it leaves almost no margin for error since PE parts can only be glued with instant glue. Also cutting them into the right shaped cost me a large amount of time but I think the result is quite acceptable. In comparison to the original ship: all angled surfaces were now depicted without bending or losing the smoothness of the surface areas. |
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The forward superstructure is
almost complete now with only a few details missing. Even the bridge wings
were a challenge since their railings are also angled, probably for stealth
reasons - not very indulgent for the modeller :) Next up is the complicated
and little mast along with the detailing of the remaining aft
superstructures. Step by step view of the mast construction. It is by far the smallest mast that I have built and was quite a challenge and in the end it turned out not to be much taller than the width of my nail of my forefinger. Construction time of the mast with all its details was about 3.5 hours. For me, copper wire truly is the one most important thing when scratchbuilding.
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The aft superstructure is also
finished and the railings are attached. The same goes for the hull.
Especially the stern ramp was interesting to work on. It would have been
easier to just leave the gates closed and the RHIB inside the ramp, but when
you have a rare subject such as the Cyclones which enable the modeler to
depict the ship in a different state, then why not do it differently.
The ship will therefore be
depicted sitting in the water after just having launched the smaller craft,
perhaps in a search and rescue diorama. The last picture shows the Mariano
head to head with the Mabini, another fellow PN ship. Both of them make up
the most modern vessels in the fleet.
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Added the last few details that
were almost forgotten: antennas on top of the bridge as well as the aft
chaff launchers. Weapons that were built are the MK 96 and MK 38 Bushmaster
20mm cannons. Also the RHIB was was detailed. As part of the diorama, I also
had the idea to add one of the Philippine Air Force's UH-1. The UH-1 is from
WEM and since I want to depict the helicopter hovering above the water with
a few soldiers, the interior was hollowed out and two seats were added.
Also seen here is a little
preview of the future scenario. It will be a fictional situation where a
still unknown vessel (right) has entered Philippine waters and is stopped by
the Mariano Alvarez. The UH-1 will render support while the Alvarez is
sending a few troops on the RHIB. At least that's the theory. |
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The detailing of the ship is now
finished. After taking the pictures I noticed what I had forgotten: the hull
numbers. Those will be added later. As for the black stripe alongside the
hull I decided to use a decal stripe instead of going through the trouble of
masking and painting it black and risk damaging the paint. Also is the RHIB now fully armed and staffed. This will be important for the diorama that I have in mind. |
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The Huey UH-1 has also taken
flight. It was painted in the the Philippine Air Force green and has a
couple of soldiers sitting or standing by the open doors, armed with rifles.
Detailing the UH-1 was also a challenge but in the end I'm happy I took the
time. Also on these pictures to the left you can already get a glimpse of
the almost finished diorama. I also thought I'd add a little tidbit to the diorama: there will also be a local fisherman heading towards the scene. It's not everyday that you get to witness that kind of action.
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The finished diorama: Pagharang - Interception or Mabuhay - Welcome to the Philippines (just don't come uninvited) :) The other ship in the diorama is the ROKS PKM 287. Details here.
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