Russian Ironclad "Andriej Pierwozwannyj"

On the 7 th October 1906 the launching of the ironclad "Andriej Pierwozwannyj" took place in St. Petersburg. This ship and its twin the "Emperor Paul I" were the last of the Russian pre-dreadnoughts. The construction of both ships was based on the early "Borodino" type. Characteristic of this type was the division of the main artillary into two calibres: 4 guns of 305mm in two turrets and 14 guns of 203mm in four turrets and in casements. The next class of ship possessed only one calibre of main armament ("Gangut" 12X305mm).
The ship was constructed with the concept of a squadron in mind, where the individual ships could engage targets independently using the most appropriate gun for each target. At that time there was no installation of equipment for simultaneously aiming and engaging a target with all guns of a ship.
At the beginning of 1911 both ships were incorporated in the Russian Baltic fleet. The relatively long period between launching and induction into service is partly explained by political circumstances, the outbreak of war with Japan, the revolution of 1905 as well as the appearance in the British fleet of the battleship "Dreadnought" armed with 10 calibre 305mm guns, which was more powerful than any other existing heavy battleship. 
Ultimately it was decided to finish building the ship with a few modifications.
Two high lattice masts (50m) were built modelled after those of short American battleships in 1914 -  because of the high funnels these provided an excellent vantage point to direct the gun fire at enemy ships. A disadvantage was the forward protrusion of the underwater bow. Underway this caused the bow to "sink" with flooding of the bow deck. This defect was corrected by re-building the bow with less of a "protruding nose."
At the time of commission, the ship was already obsolete both in terms of armament and speed.
The combat history of the ship is not impressive. The outbreak of war found it in dry dock. After completion of modifications, it joined the battle fleet to assist in providing artillary cover for cruisers and destroyers on blockade duty. These tactics in the period 1915-1917 were not very successful and they returned to base. During the February Revolution of 1917 there were many mutinies in the fleet of crews against officers. However after the October Revolution the former crews supported the revolutionaries. In April 1918 the ship joined the so-called "frozen" Baltic Fleet. On the 16 May 1918 at a time of re-organisation this ship and four Dreadnoughts joined the naval force at Kronstad. Often they had to defend against British attacks. On the night of the 17-18 August 1918 it was torpedoed by a British torpedo boat. The damage was considerable and the ship made for the closest dock. The crew were disembarked to take part in the Red Armies fight for its homeland. Repair was not considered worthwhile due to obsolescence, cost and lack of crews. In the period 1921-1923 the ship was scrapped at Kronstad. The model you will be making represents the ship as it was at the beginning of the First World War.
Technical Data:
Displacement: 18,750 t, length 140.2 m, breadth 24.4 m, draught 8.8 m, speed 18.5 knots, range 3,300 sea miles, armament 4X305 mm, 14X203 mm, 12X120 mm, 4X47 mm, 2 torpedo launchers, 8Xmachine guns, armour (mm): sides 79-216, casements  for 203mm guns -127 or casements for 120mm guns - 79, turrets for 305mm guns - 64 or for 203mm guns 60-178.
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Model creator: Dmitrij Hotkin, Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Building Instructions:
(Number of asterisks next to parts give a relative indication of thickness of reinforcing cardboard but no guidelines are given.)
Assemble the hull framework using the traditional method(see photos). The oblong segments are joined together with the aid of gluing tabs (S1-S3). The assembly is according to the following sequence: insert frames W1-W16 in the slots in parts P1-P3, these are stabilised by attaching parts V1-V3. W17 is split in two parts and glued at the end phase to the hull framework. The deck parts are united using tabs (1a-3a) - for parts 4L and 4P see photos at back of book. Before attaching part 1 cut out the anchor chain openings. The sites marked with dots for the lower end of the railing uprights (and for other parts which are made from wire according to the templates provided) are pierced with a needle.
To the outer edges of the rib frames and parts V1-V3 are glued to strips of cardboard of 4mm width to act as tabs for the outer sheathing. The attachment of the lower hull sheathing is started(see photos) with parts 5P and 5L, the split of each is closed and has small tab 5a glued underneath.  Narrow strip part 23 is attached at the front between parts 6(P and L) and 7(P and L), narrow strip part 24 at the back between parts 21(P and L) and 22(P and L).
Glue the superstructure framework parts 25, 25a, 25b, etc. (see photos) to its marked position on the  deck. On top glue part 26.
It is neccessary to assemble the sides of the ship as units before attaching to the framework(don't separate parts 28 at line completely, only cut from each side up to the small marks). The lower belt of armour (parts 31-34) overlaps the upper belt (parts 27-30). In attaching the side sheathing it is neccessary to work neatly, carefully and accurately and to avoid the development of hollows between frames. Glue parts 35 (hawse hole edges) to their marked positions on sides i.e. parts 27, glue discs 36 to 26.
Make the framework for the lower casements (37, 37a, 37b, etc.) in the same way as that of the superstructure (25)(see photos). Before attaching 38, glue 38a and 38b underneath it at front and rear. Part 39 is glued to the front part of the superstructure, part 40 to the back. Next attach 42 and 43 and their interior formers.
Roll and glue part 44, within glue part 44a, on top edge glue part 44b. Attach parts 48 to the uncoloured area strip on each side of 38 near the front. Glue 49 to the back edge of the part(see side view plan for 48, 49).
Build the upper casement (parts 50-52) in the following order: to 50(P and L) glue 51, next underneath 51 glue part 50a. Attach 52. The side pieces of 51 are folded and glued to the edges of part 52 (see photos).
Stairs (53) are glued inside the rectangular cutouts of 38(see plan). Bottom of stairs nearest ship midline, top near ships side.
Next assemble the lower fore-funnel sheath (see photos): part 55 is shaped appropriately and the edges are bent inwards so that a mounting groove is formed for the antenna inlet(163). Inside glue parts 54 (and 54a as former). Assemble the second lower funnel casing (56, etc.) in the same way. Doors (59) are glued to their respective positions on parts 39, 40, 55, 57, 58.
Glue 60 to its position on 56. Score and bend the edges of part 60a down, then glue to part 60 with the notch to the front.
The main mast base is made from parts 61-66 and pieces of wire using templates A1 and A2 (see diags. and photos): In part 61 carefully cut the notches for the wire pieces. Part 62 is curled, joined and formers 62a and 62b are glued inside. Attach 62c to 62a - it forms a socket for the heel of mast A36 later - see lower diagram of entire mast. Glue 61a around the edge of 61. Glue 63 to the protruding part of 61a(should be 62?, not 61a) and only glue around 63a after assembling the wires. Glue parts 64, 64a to the top of 62a(?should say 62b). Attach the wire pieces made from templates A1 and A2, to the end of these glue 65 and 65a, then to this glue 63a, 64b, 65b and 66. The completed base is glued to its correct marking on part 38. Make sure that the mast base is assembled vertically with no warping. The foremast base is assembled in the same way (parts 67-73, templates A3 and A4).
Glue under the front of deck cover 74(see plan) and rear 76 pieces of card to reinforce them, and glue under these respectively parts 74a and 76a. These parts are mounted in such a way that the wings are inside the sides of parts 51-52. Right-angle brackets 78 are glued to 45 and 75 at markings (some markings are for drum reels - NB see photos. Also for parts 77,78,79,80,81,83,84,85,86,89,90,93,95,96 - see plan). Drums 79 are glued as in diagrams and photo. To imitate lines, you may wind a smooth, even layer of black thread on 79a. The completed drums/reels are glued to 76a. Parts 80 P and  L are shaped according to the marking (rectangular with extension - forms bulwark with arm of "L" sticking up) for them on 38, then glued in position.
Glue part 89 and right-angle brackets 90 to the top of 88a (NB see diagrams). Arrange part 91 between pieces of wire made from template A5. Glue 92 to the sides of the wires so that they lie at right angles to the ships axis(NB diagram is split in two - left part side view, right part front view).
Glue 98,98a to 97a. To the middle glue 99. Arrange pieces of wire (from templates A6 and A7 - 7 uprights and 7 crosses in total). On top glue part 100,100a, next 101 and 102.
Both funnels(103-112) are built in the same way, according to the supplementary diagrams. It is neccessary to paint the inside surface of the funnels and the grids black (e.g. Indian ink). Attach rings A8 and A9 in indicated positions (see both pages of diagrams). Glue completed funnels to indicated positions.
Make the siren skeleton using template A11 as round as possible by sanding a match. Attach 113 and 113a. Glue the complete siren to its marking (dashed line) on the front funnel (diag. and photo). Underneath glue A12. Piece of air-pipe is made using template A13 and glued in place with support of parts 114. Part 114a is glued to the top end of A13. Parts 115, 115a are glued to the base of the rear funnel (part 109 - See black-and-white photo, also marking on part 56 for 115-117).
The main artillary turrets (parts 118-126): turret bases  are made and glued to the deck so that their upper surfaces do not slope sideways and are parallel to the deck. Cut slits into the turret upper surfaces (121) and glue parts 121a underneath (diags. and photos). Attach the completed turrets to the bases. Take note that bollards (191), after attaching will limit the range of rotation of the turret. Polish states I think "to allow free rotation it is possible to not glue/attach 126c - this departs from historical accuracy". Or should it be the following: "To allow the access doors to slide, avoid gluing parts 126c."??
In a similar manner assemble the secondary turrets (parts 127-134). Parts 129b are glued inside to the roof and floor of the turrets. Of the 14 barrels (131, a, b), 8 are for the secondary gun turrets, the rest for the lower casements. Parts 131 are made to protrude by about 2 mm (from turrets/casements??).
The construction and size of the various smaller parts are evedent from the auxillary diagrams. The anchors (148, 150, 155), bollards and cleat notches are coloured black.
The winch pulley block of the ships boats (173) should be trimmed to hang about 2 cm. 
The sites for the small ventilators (pipe with dome) (parts 181, 182) are visible in the top view general plan - see diags. and photos to assemble.
The crutches for mounting the ship's boats are assembled as per sketches (197 and 198 - see plan for position, etc.). Before building the cutters 199, curve them with coloured surface inside, glue tabs to outside. Colour the inner surface of the funnel (parts 202, 202a) with black ink, interior of cup(203) is coloured red (see diag.). Completed cutters are glued to crutches in line with fore-aft axis of ship.
The slits in the hulls of the ship's boats (parts 208-211) are joined by gluing strips of paper inside. The inner surfaces are coloured grey. The completed boats are arranged on the storage crutches (parts 162) and hanging from boat cranes, made according to templates A30-A32. (Diags. and photos).
The masts are made according to templates A33-A38, flagstaffs according to templates A40-A44. The flags are attached to the poles using thread.
The main deck and superstructure railings can either be manufactured from scratch or one may choose to use the printed railings from one of the sheets. It is also possible to use railings made by photo-etching. Such railings are attached near the deck edges. If making the railings yourself, it is possible to use drawn, heated polystyrene plastic ("sprue") from a plastic model.
The model is completed by making the chimney stays and the rigging using cotton thread, as shown in the general plan. Between the mast yards A34 and A37 with the aid of parts A45 install the antennae. The sketch of the antenna arrangement is amongst the auxilliary diagrams (note the dashed lines at the ends are drawn at the wrong angle to show how they attach to yardarms). The length of the antenna between parts A45 is about 16 cm. The branch antennae are joined at a distance of about 5 cm from the top, one end is trimmed(after this there should be only one thread from each). Two forward branches are led forward to the front antenna outlet. The antennae outlets at the back are intended for their respective antennae branches (L for left, P for right). A slight droop in the antennae and rigging conforms to historical accuracy.
The completed model is placed on a stand which can be individually designed or made from the provided printed parts glued to two layers of card. The edges of the parts are covered with the narrow strips.