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Greek Trireme

This was my first experience with a Zvezda kit. The parts go together well enough, but I did need a bit of filler to fill in some gaps. The instructions took some getting used to, though, particularly when it came to the sails and rigging. Nitpicks aside, it is a great looking kit. And the only one of its kind, so hats off to Zvezda for making it. A note on the scale: the box says it's scale 1:72, although my Italeri 1:72 Greek hoplites seem to be a little on the large side for it.

You are given the option of building the trireme with its keel in place, so you can display it on a stand (which is included), or you can build it waterline up. I chose the latter and glued it to a 5 mm sheet of polystyrene. The sheet measures 50 x 25 cm, which is too narrow to display the ship with its oars extended. I therefore chose to shorten the oars as if they were retracted during sailing. I painted the polystyrene sheet with different shades of blue and then painted on a coat of Vallejo Water Texture. The wave crests I made with polyester toy filling that my wife uses to stuff her amigurumi. The filling was soaked with the Vallejo Water Texture and then shaped using a brush. 

Not sure whether the kit is a bit on the brittle side or whether I'm just clumsy, but I managed to break off the tail thingy by knocking into it with my hand while painting. Rather than trying to glue together the shattered tail piece, I cut out a new one from a 3 mm sheet of polystyrene. It's a little cruder than the original one, but it'll do. I admit that I also cut a few corners when it came to the rigging, but I think the end result looks pretty good.

Greek trireme

Greek trireme

Greek trireme

Greek trireme

Greek trireme

Greek trireme

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