Reviews of products for scale ship models, including submarines.

Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
August 18, 2023
Company
Gallery Models
Scale
1/200
MSRP
$829.99

Now that the major subassemblies are complete, it was time to put the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together. I naively thought that it would all be downhill from here, even if it was a gently sloping downhill. I didn’t quite realize how many lengthy flat spots there would be along the way.

Book Author(s)
Chris McNab
Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
August 2, 2023
Company
Casemate Publishers
MSRP
$49.95

By the turn of the Twentieth Century, Great Britain was at the height of its industrial and colonial power, with the largest ironclad navy in the world. By 1904, Britain ruled the seas with 45 “pre-dreadnaught” battleships. Each of these carried a main armament usually consisting of four 12- or 13-inch main guns in two twin turrets (one forward and one aft) along with a number of lesser caliber weapons (6”, 12-pounder and 3-pounder) for close in defense. Other navies, primarily Germany, the United States, and after 1905 Japan followed on Great Britain’s heels. The stage was set for an abrupt alteration in the status quo, as industry, technology and the critical thinking of one man combined to change the face of naval power in the decades to come.

Book Author(s)
Les Brown
Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
July 22, 2023
Company
Pen and Sword Books Ltd
Scale
NA
MSRP
$28.95

Thanks to Casemate Publishers & IPMS/USA for the review copy!

Casemate Publishers presents ShipCraft 31, British Light Cruisers Leander, Amphion and Arethusa Classes by Les Brown from Seaforth Publishing. This heavily illustrated paperback is the ultimate single resource for building accurate models of WW2 British Light Cruisers with twin turret 6in main armaments – the Leander, Amphion and Arethusa classes. Class history, appearances of each ship over time, available model kits, model accessories, many photographs, camouflage examples, line drawings and color plates of finished models make a superb reference for these busy warships with many possibilities for modelers.

Review Author
Michael A. Turco
Published on
June 28, 2023
Company
Hobby Boss
Scale
1/350
MSRP
$309.99

This Report 3 covers the completion of the build from Steps 49 through 64.

As stated in the previous two reports, the fit of plastic parts was excellent. Issues encountered involved the handling and attachment of small plastic and thin PE parts, particularly where there is little if any gluing surface, and with lack of detail in the instructions. None of the issues are deal killers. Each can be handled if you are aware of them in advance and plan accordingly.

Parts and Photoetch Issues

Overall, the thinness of the PE caused some headaches, as it was easy to damage or bend some parts out of shape in the routine handling and cutting of the parts off the sheets.

Examples

Book Author(s)
Venner F. Milewski Jr
Review Author
Dana Mathes
Published on
June 24, 2023
Company
Mushroom Model Publications - MMP Books
MSRP
$52.00

Venner Milewski Jr. has undertaken the monumental task in cataloging each and every US Navy vessel commissioned since 1883, the year congressional funding was approved for America’s first four steel warships. His encyclopedic work is titled Fighting Ships of the U.S. Navy 1883-2019. Milewski Jr.’s compilation provides the physical details of each ship, its specifications, propulsion, armament, etc. as well as the important milestones of its service life. Most of the articles include at least one, and sometimes as many as four high quality photographs of the vessel described. To date, four multi-part volumes have been published, with each part focused on a specific time period. Volume One addressed aircraft carriers while Volume Two covered battleships and New Navy monitors. Volume Three depicts cruisers and command ships.

Review Author
Allan Murrell
Published on
May 9, 2023
Company
ICM
Scale
1/350
MSRP
$18.00

ICM has provided this very unusual subject matter for review, the KFK Kriegsfischkutter in 1/350 scale, and which is also produced in the larger 1/144 scale. The KFK was manufactured in large numbers as it was a very versatile platform for marine operations. It was used in every German WWII theater of war.

Kit Contents

  • One light grey sprue
  • Instructions

The detail quality is excellent.

The assembly is quick and easy.

The hull can be built as a waterline version or full hull, which is what I selected. Then the super structure and deck parts are assembled. I selected to paint the kit while building as it was small and easier to do that way. The kit shows the railing but does not supply material/thread, so I used easy line. There is also a small plinth base to mount the ship in the full hull configuration.

This is a great little kit and I really enjoy building it, it will make a great addition to a small diorama.

Review Author
Luke R. Bucci, PhD
Published on
April 30, 2023
Company
Gold Medal Models
Scale
1/700
MSRP
$19.00

Thanks to Squadron Hobbies for the Gold Medal PE set and IPMSUSA staff for handling the request and publishing this review.

Bottom Line

One of the original 1/700 PE sets for WW2 IJN aircraft carriers, designed to complete at least one carrier and having specific parts for 12 carriers. GMM IJN Carrier PE set is basic, supplying generic railings, antenna masts, 3-bladed aircraft props, flight deck nets, inclined & vertical ladders and two Type 22 radars for any IJN aircraft carrier, as well as specific details for older kits of Akagi, Amagi/Katsuragi, Hiryu, Junyo, Kaga, Ryujo, Shinano, Shokaku/ Zuikaku, Soryu and Unryu from early original-molds Aoshima, Fujimi, Hasegawa and Tamiya kits. Still serviceable for more recent IJN carrier kits, including Hiyo, the sister carrier to Junyo which appeared later.

Review Author
Michael A. Turco
Published on
April 30, 2023
Company
Hobby Boss
Scale
1/350
MSRP
$309.99

Report 2: Midway through Construction

This second report covers the build from Steps 26 through 48 of 64. It is essentially the assembly of the upper decks prior to attachment of the stacks and their associated appurtenances.

Through this point in the build, most of the parts fit exceptionally well, to the extent that some can be press fit together. When you encounter one that doesn’t fit as well, like the life raft stacks, it makes you wonder if you are doing something incorrectly. The life rafts did not stack up evenly when placed one on top of another, so I used more glue than usual and clamped them in place after assuring they were parallel. Although good overall, one drawback of the tight fit is that a mere paint layer could interfere with making a tight joint or may require a pinhole to be reamed out before being able to attach a part.

Review Author
Bill Kluge
Published on
April 22, 2023
Company
Gallery Models
Scale
1/200
MSRP
$829.99

Building a battleship, especially one this large and complex, can easily appear overwhelming. So, as with any large model project, its easiest to tackle it as a series of subassemblies. That’s more or less the way the instruction sequence is arranged, and it simplifies painting, if nothing else (I found out the hard way that the Tamiya spray can and the bottle lacquer are not the same shade of Kure Grey - too different to use the two together). So everything on this model is painted from the bottle through the airbrush. Otherwise, the Tamiya lacquer goes on beautifully.

Review Author
Michael A. Turco
Published on
April 12, 2023
Company
Hobby Boss
Scale
1/350
MSRP
$309.99

This is the first of three reports on the Hobby Boss 1:350 USS Missouri model kit. Two subsequent reports are planned, the second report at approx. the mid-point of the build and the third upon completion.

The USS Missouri was the third Iowa class battleship built for the US Navy and was completed in 1944. It is famous for being the ship on which the Japanese surrender was signed to end WWII. It was an impressive vessel, and this model captures its splendor.