Hi James and welcome to uboat.net. This is the perfect place for detailed info about u-boats and building models to represent them. Please use the search function. You can find just about everything you want to know about the kit, aftermarket kits, paint, weathering and the real u-boats.

In my opinion, I would have gotten the Modelbrass kit because the brass deck is much closer to the real deck than the wooden one. The open slots are closer to scale than the kit's or nautilus. The kit also comes with details for the attack scope housing as well as replacement forward and aft lower hull free-flood vent patterns.

What kits and how many you get all depends on how detailed you want to build the model. If you want to get the basic build, then what you have will do. If you want more detail then I would pick up Eduard's kit and maybe WEM's kits. I have used all the photo etch kits (except the YKW's) and I have found the Eduard's kit the best. The parts are very crisp and detailed, they most closely match the real thing and there's a lot of them. More bang for your buck.

As far as opening the flood vents, I use a dremel and grind away the plastic from the inside of the hull until the vents are very thin. Make sure you keep it moving as to not melt the plastic. I then punch them out and clean up the edges with an x-atco knife.

I use brushes too. You can still weather your boat with them you just have to go about it a little differently. More post shading than pre-shading.

I use WEM's Kriegsmarine Colourcoats. They have been cross referenced to more closely match the real u-boat paints. Check out Dougie Martindale's site for more info: [uboatcolours.mysite.wanadoo-members.co.uk]

Check out my site for references:

[homepage.mac.com]?

Hope this helps you out. Keep searching on this site. Tons of info.

Take Care,

Jess