Scale Model Gallery

Background

Ropucha Class had been built at the beginning of 1970s. Standard displacement 3,900 tons; Full load displacement 4,400 tons; Full length 159m; Board 24.5m; Daught 6.5m. Powered by 4 dissel engines (20,000 SHP), maximum speed is 20 knots. Weapon system includes one 76mm single dual purpose gun, two 30mm CIWSs, and BM-21 rocket launcher (in some vessels).

Ropucha class vessels were not built in the shipyards of the former Soviet Union, instead, they were built in Poland. This was the navy's decision to order them from other country as to free the building capacity of it's own to built other fighting ships.

This class consists of two type. The main difference is that Type I equipted with two 57mm twin guns, Type II replaced it with one 76mm single dual purpose gun and two 30mm CIWSs.

Althrough Ropucha class displaces only 4,400 tons, which is lighter than the former Alligator Class(4,500 tons), the carrying capacity is much higher. The Ropucha LSTs, together with the Alligator LSTs, are the major equipment of the Russian amphibious force.

Modelling

The Ropucha actually was not in the highest place of my building priority. It was because I got only two 3R photos of the class when I started the project, and both of them were photos of Ropucha I only. It took me quite a lot of time later during the building process to collect more information.

The building method was the same one I used in building the Slava: Using CA glue to cement the acrylic boards first, then let the electric grander to grand the right shape of the body. The bow was refined by applying putty. Once the putty dried I sanded the bow to the right shape and used P-knife to engrave the bow doors.

The actual time that I've spent on building the hull was much less than my last attempt, however, the whole building period of the hull was extend instead. It was because the lack of information such that I needed to spent time on collecting photos and hull line info at the same time of the building.

The bridge took me 2 to 3 months to complete. It was constructed by Tamiya stylene sheets. I drilled the windows/port holes one by one such that they could be see through from one side to another. The weapon equipments such as the 76mm guns were taken from the DML's "Soviet Guided Missle Crafts" kit.

Painting

I sprayed the model mainly using Gunze paints. This time I wanted to do some experiment on weathering, the main corcern was to make the bow more eye catching.