Model Forum / General / Models / September 2005

I have the two sets, and your question is a problem for me: the 2 ones
are so good one and the other one, but some parts are present in the
Eduaurd set and not on the WE one... and some others are present on the
WE and not on the Eduard one.

In fact, the perfect set would be one with the 2 sets, and without the
parts twice.

If I would have to choose one? WE maybe...

On 9/2/05 6:25 , in article 43183665.456857@news.starhub.net.sg,

Oh lordy what a question!  I've about gone mad sorting out all the
aftermarket things for this kit.

The WEM SKC/30U gun I cannot comment on, I have not seen it or plan on using
it.

About the two photo etch sets you mention, first let me say they are both
wonderful quality but no photo etch set currently available is complete.  I
have them both and can say they are both high quality.  Not counting the
differences in the duplicated items, the major differences are:

The Eduard set has the metal end plates on the deck for the wooden decked
boats that the WEM set does not include.

The WEM set has the metal access panels for the wooden deck, several
different styles of radar, and closed inner torpedo doors in scale for
showing the exterior doors open; the Eduard does not include these.

Neither set includes the full metal deck or lower vents.

ModelBrass includes a full metal deck and lower vents; they are the only
ones to do that.

As a side note, the Eduard and WEM sets are thinner than the Modelbrass set,
they require a bit more care when working with them.  I suggest using the
duplicated items from the Eduard or WEM sets for a more accurate depiction
in scale.

If you want a fairly accurate wooden decked VIIC, you need the wooden deck
from Nautilus, the Eduard set for the metal deck ends, the WEM set for the
metal deck access hatches, and the Modelbrass set for the lower vent, both
fore and aft.

Also available are the upper pressure hull (Yankee models) to view if you
drill out all the upper vents and want to avoid that hollow look, metal
periscopes and barrels (which are absolutely fabulous...in scale and
beautiful, from Steve Nutall!), Interior compartments for the forward
torpedo room, command section, and engine room are available along with a
torpedo loading set with lifting boom and torpedoes (CMK).  Warhammer offers
a separate set of two conning towers to depict changes in design over the
years (the kit has these also). Of course all of the scale guys running
around on deck, about 9 sets now and counting.  ULAD offers 3 sets of decals
that cover just about any boat or flotilla. Oh, almost forgot, resin supply
sets for depicting a boat in it's pen re-supplying.

IMHO all the above are worthwhile except the Warhammer conning towers, the
kit towers look just as good with very little work.  Definitely not enough
work to justify buying the Warhammer kit.

The Steve Nutall scopes and barrels can almost be considered a requirement,
those supplied in the kit are massively out of scale due to the limits of
injection molding.  He also makes propeller shafts that look great.

If you can find the Houshinya scopes and barrels you're lucky.  They are
allegedly (I do not have them) as good or better than the Nutall items, but
were made in Japan by a now defunct company, so the prices vary wildly when
they do surface (sorry for the pun).

Propellers are a different story.  If you want something more accurate than
the kit, I don't know where you'd find them. The pitch on the blades is
supposedly wrong, but I myself am happy with them anyway.

Coming soon are alternate conning towers to depict flak U-boats with all the
extra decks to hold the extra flak guns.  This will require radical surgery
of any deck out on the market today to be accurate.

The best advise would be to go to Uboat.net (link below) and read through
all the old posts in the forum section concerning building this kit.  All
the different variations between the boats are well depicted, and it will go
a long way in determining what you'll need for the boat you choose to build
(wood vs metal deck, conning tower styles, paint scheme, etc); and watch
Ebay closely!

I own all the sets mentioned above except the interiors (they average $55
apiece and will be after Christmas before I start buying them one at a time)
and two of the decal sets (the boat I'm depicting is on the #2 set only) and
I'm debating about the interiors.  Well over a year collecting all the
pieces necessary and rapidly closing in on a grand invested.  I'll be
building three by the time it's over (have two kits, both gotten for under
$40 on Ebay - still looking for the third one).  One will be a tricked out
(U-134 -- the only U-boat to shoot down a blimp!), the other for a friend
using the unused photo etch from the first one (generic U-boat with the most
commonly seen incorrect red hull), and of course one OOB (the U-552 Red
Devil boat commanded by Erich Topp).

I'm thinking I'll have them finished by the end of the decade.

Maybe.

Hope this helps!
TMB

http://uboat.net/index.html
Or
Www.uboat.net

The White Ensign set has a LOT of parts that are particular to the Type
VII with the dual wintergarten conning tower - so unless you are
planning a conversion (which will also require yo to stretch the hull,
make new planked decking, and build a conning tower), you will use more
of the parts from the Eduard set, which is the one I've chosen and why.

The only shortfall of the Eduard set is that it does not contain parts
for the ballast vent plates - so you have to scratch those if you want them.