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German Battlecruiser SMS Seydlitz HobbyBoss 1:350 SMS Seydlitz was the fourth German battlecruiser, and was essentially an enlarged version of the previous Moltke class ships. She was 46 feet longer but 3 feet narrower, carried the same main armament of ten 11.1in guns, and had a designed speed one knot faster (although her actual top speed of 28.1kts was lower than that achieved by the Moltke). The Seydlitz was Admiral Hipper’s flagship from June 1914 until October 1917. She took part in the Gorleston Raid of 2nd – 4th November 1914, the first attack on the British coast during the First World War, and the attack on Hartlepool on 16 December, where she was hit by three 6in shells from the coastal guns, The Seydlitz was hit three times at the battle of Dogger Bank (24th January 1915). The second of those hits, a 13.5in shell from the Lion, hit the upper deck aft and penetrated the barbette of “D” turret. The flash ignited some of the cordite in the reloading chamber, causing a fire that spread up to the gun house and threatened to detonate the magazine. Only the actions of Pumpenmeister Wilhelm Heidkamp, who flooded “C” and “D” magazines, saving the ship. The damage spread to “C” turret when some of the crew of the “D” turret attempted to escape through a connecting hatch. The same thing would happen on four British battlecruisers at Jutland, destroying three. In the aftermath of the battle of Dogger Bank the Germans modified the way their cordite was handled. Automatic doors were installed in the ammo hoists, much more care was taken to reduce the amount of cordite charges in the turret, and the fore charges were to be kept in their tins until they were about to be used. These changes almost certainly saved several German ships from destruction at Jutland. The Seydlitz was Hipper’s flagship at the start of the Lowestoft raid of 25th March 1916. Early in the sortie she hit a mine, which blew a 90 meter hole in her side and let in 1,400 tons of water. Admiral Hipper had to transfer his flag to the Lützow, significantly delaying the raid. The Seydlitz needed two months of repairs, only coming back into service on 29th May. The High Seas Fleet sortie that led to Jutland was delayed until the Seydlitz was ready to take part. Once again she was very badly damaged in the battle, although not until after she had played a part in the destruction of HMS Queen Mary. The Seydlitz opened fire on the Queen Mary at 15.50. The British had the best of the early duel. A hit at 15.55 knocked out the starboard forward switch room. The significance of the changes made after Dogger Bank was demonstrated at 15.57 when the working chamber of “C” turret was hit. The turret was knocked out, but without the disastrous results that followed at Dogger Bank. At 16.36 the Queen Mary suffered from the lack of anti-flash precautions on the British battlecruisers and exploded under fire from the Seydlitz and Derfflinger. The Seydlitz continued to take damage throughout the battle. In all she was hit by 25 shells and one torpedo. C, B, D and E turrets were all hit, and she began to take on water. At 2.40am on 1st June she scrapped across Horns Reef, taking on more water, and by 2.30 that afternoon only her buoyant broadside torpedo room kept her afloat. She was rescued by two pump ships, and reached the entrance to Jade Bay by 2nd June, where she was briefly beached. She was repaired by 1 October 1916, taking part in most of the remaining High Seas sorties of the war. At the end of the war she was interned at Scapa Flow, and was scuttled on 21 June 1919. The Model Hobbyboss are continuing to release plenty of new and exciting maritime subjects. It’s even better now that they have started to manufacture German ships from WWI with this release of the SMS Seydlitz. Although it has actually been out a little while, it has proved so popular that we have only now been able to acquire a review sample. The kit arrives in a nice attractive box with a dramatic painting of the ship making way at sea. Inside you will find the instructions and hull sprue on the first level, then, once the cardboard shelf has been removed the rest of the kit, on seven sprues, along with three deck pieces and eight separate parts in grey styrene. There are also four sheets of etched brass, a length of chain and a small decal sheet. The moulding of all parts is superb, with no sign of flash or other imperfections other than the necessary moulding pips. The build begins with the joining of the two hull halves. These are strengthened with five internal bulkheads. The aft deck section is then attached, but before the mid section can be added, twelve two piece barbettes must be fitted to the hull and four to the underside of the deck. The foredeck can then be fitted and work begins on the underside of eh hull. There are four plated in propeller shafts, two A frame supports for the middle pair of shafts, four propellers, the main rudder and auxiliary rudder. With the hull turned upright work can then begin on the superstructures. Now, these ships didn’t really have much in the way of superstructures, there being three islands, the bridge, consisting of three decks, the top deck including the bridge wings, an eleven piece mast, plus a lower structure aft of the lower bridge, which contains two more tow piece barbettes. The bridge is then further detailed with PE railings, vertical ladders, halliard tie base and binnacle. Just behind the bridge is the fore-funnel structure. This consists of the three piece funnel split horizontally, three PE foot and hand rails, two piece funnel cap, with another pair of PE handrails. Eight individual auxiliary chimneys, a searchlight platform with two separate supports plus four searchlights, two lookout stations and four goose necked cranes. The whole structure is detailed with PE railings, vertical and inclined ladders. The bridge and fore-funnel assemblies are then glued to the foredeck lower superstructure section and the bridge unit is fitted with the forward mounted armoured control bridge, with separate rangefinder on top. In front of the control bridge, there is a ships wheel and separate binnacle, which are then encased in a deckhouse which is open to the rear. The lower bridge wings are made of PE parts are fitted, as well as some more PE inclined ladders, and railings. The foredeck is the detailed with the addition of the breakwater, capstans, windlasses, bitts, cleats and storage boxes. These are followed by the anchor chain, jack staff, three anchors, boat booms, inclined ladders between the main deck and fo’c’sle, bow torpedo tube cap, and ships crests either side of the bow. The after funnel is assembled with the single piece base attached to the main deck, along with five two piece cable drums. The three piece funnel is then fitted out with five hand/foot rails either side, and eight auxiliary chimneys before being fitted to the base, as are two ships crane king posts. Railings are then attached, as are two vertical ladders, one for each king post. The four piece jibs are then glued to the base of the posts and two top mounted cables are fitted to each crane. The after superstructure si made up from the base, main block, to which five platforms are attached followed by the main mast lower section. Several PE vertical ladders are glued into place, as are four searchlights, rear director tower with separate rangefinder, four lookout posts, and the top of the main mast which consists of eleven parts. The rest of the railings are attached as are two inclined ladders before the assembly is glued into position to the rear of the main deck. The quarterdeck is then fitted out with the paraphernalia that ships are known for, the bitts, cleats, ensign staff, stern anchor, nameplates, storage boxes, a host of skylights and other fittings. On the main deck the ships boats cradles are folded from PE parts and glued into position. The ships boats are assembled next, each of the ten boats multi-parts with separate hulls, decks, and rudders, the steam pinnaces then receiving a roof and smoke stacks. The completed boats are then glued to their respective cradles. The final assemblies are the five twin turrets of the main armament. Each turret is made from the base, two guns, separate trunnions and trunnion mounts. The barrels are well moulded and not too thick, so you could get away with not replacing them with brass parts should you so wish. They also have a nice indented end representing the interior of the barrel. The turret is the slid over the barrels and glued to the base and PE ladder fitted between the barrels. The turret assemblies are then fitted to the barbettes, one forward, two en echelon amidships and two aft. The model is finished off with a complete set of main railings and two three piece PE accommodation ladders The kit does come with a nice nameplate which can be painted as per the modellers wishes.. Decals The small decal sheet provides the ships name plates, ships crests and white identification circles for turret Anton and turret Dora. They are nicely printed with good opacity and in register. The ship is painted in Dark blue Grey hull and superstructure tow the height of the foredeck, then light grey above that, with red antifouling and no boot topping. Depending on the date for which the model is being built, and you will have to check your references, the modeller may choose to paint the aft funnel red. Conclusion This is another very welcome release, finally giving the modeller a German WWI battlecruiser. While this kit is pretty accurate, certainly with the hull form, which to be fair is quite simple, there does appear to be a slight discrepancy in the secondary armament. The kit has the rear mounted barbettes between the main and quarter decks as per her 1913 fit, but not the bow mounted barbettes, which had been removed by 1918, as had the rear barbettes. Easy fix though, just leave the barbettes out as their opening stayed unplated, although you will need to box the area in with plasticard. That said, it’s still a great looking kit. Review sample courtesy of

The IAR 80 was a small-series Romanian-built WW2 fighter plane. Built with very limited resources and under many unfortunate circumstances, the plane behaved pretty well during its operational life, on all fronts. This little forgotten fighter is really close to my heart so I was very happy to see that Hobbyboss decided to offer a plastic kit dedicated to IAR 80. Now let's see what's in the box: Dry-fitting of the main pieces is very good and also the kit seems to be pretty accurate in dimensions. It really looks like an IAR80:) But this is where the good news is over, because the kit has some errors probably caused by sloppy documentation work (no wonder for Hobbyboss). Hopefully, with some love & tenderness, most of these can be properly addressed. I also acquired the separate PE instrument panel released by Yahu Models for IAR 80. It can be seen in the above picture with the canopy and windscreen. Although it looks like difficult to assemble (it is not the traditional just-stick one-piece IP from Yahu, this set consists of many small pieces that must be assembled together), I strongly recommend it for those interested in IAR 80, because it is a HUGE improvement over the kit's parts. The kit itself comes with a small PE fret containing the seat belts...but unfortunately these seatbelts are not correct for the early time-frame of the IAR 80 series. This type of seatbelts were indeed fitted to IAR 80/81 but only starting with summer 1943. They were also usually retro-fitted to earlier models of the plane, but of course starting with 1943. A 1940-1941-1942-early 1943 machine would not be fitted with such seatbelts. As said, the IAR 80 was produced in very limited numbers, only some 450 machines were built and it was used operationally only by the Romanian Air Force, mostly on the Eastern front and home defense missions. As an example, when fighting the Americans during the Ploesti oil fiend missions, it was usually mistaken with the Fw190:) Anyway, there is very limited knowledge about this plane and a very good reference work on the subject is the book "Romanian Hunter" authored by Radu Brinzan. Very solid work, it contains lots of details needed for an IAR 80 model. I greatly recommend it to anyone interested. One of the main problems of the Hobbyboss kit is that the original decals are almost unusable and the painting instructions are largely incorrect. There are decals for 2 airframes in the box: aircraft no.42 and aircraft no.137. But no.137 was a 6-gun wing model, while in the box we have the 4-gun wing model. Of course, some modifications could be made, but the idea is that OOB the markings for no.137 are incorrect for this model. The remaining variant, no.42 airframe, was indeed a 4-guns wing, but the King Michael's crosses are not the right ones for this model. But again Radu Brinzan came to help with this lovely decal sheet dedicated to early series on IAR 80, which is offering some very nice and correct markings and painting instructions for the earliest IAR 80 airframes. Another problem is related to the guns. As represented in the kit, they are not very correct and anyway under-represented. The early IAR 80 series were armed with 4 FN machine guns. These were some Belgian variations of the classic Browning 303. I looked to find some decent aftermarket for these and I found appropriate only this Quickboost set designed for the new Airfix P40B kit, which contains 4 browning 303 barrels. While not perfect, they are the closest match I could find for the FN's installed in the early IAR 80. Anyway, I intend to represent an early IAR 80 airframe, one of the machines built in the first series. The airplane was built in small batches, first series spanning from No.1 to No.20. I will probably go for a pre-war marking (1940 to early 1941 time frame), so the most probable candidates are no.2, no.9 or no.17 from Radu's decal sheet. That's all for the moment . Thanks for looking and cheers,

Hello Everybody ... So Im almost done over in the Carrier group build with my F-18 Hornet. Time to set this one up. For this build im going to use Hobbyboss’s easy build Me.262 A1a. Im not sure if i will use the kits markings options though. Im thinking a bit outside the box for this build. Im thinking of something like these two profiles might be the direction i go. Again i may or may not go with kit markings or profiles. I have a bit of time to think on it. I will also try to add a little to the cockpit to help the lack of detail for that. If im brave enough i will have a go at cutting the canopy, as its a single unit currently. I will take some photo’s of the sprue’s and box contents as the week progresses. I will post them before the start of the build. Any comments ? questions ? Or jokes ? Dennis

HobbyBoss is to release in 2016-2017 1/72nd Northrop P-61 Black Widow kits. - ref. 87261 - Northrop P-61A Black Widow - ref. 87262 - Northrop P-61B Black Widow - ref. 87263 - Northrop P-61C Black Widow Source: http://scalemodels.ru/modules/news/img_9588_1449141963_13.jpg.html V.P.

The pounce of the 9 completed cats so far - So I have become a tomcat fanatic recently (1/72) and have decided to embark on an epic saga starting with this load of hobbyboss kits before moving onto some Hasegawa ones. I got these from creative models and mjwmodels over various special offer weeks when they were knocking them out at around £12 a kit. I would like to try to do some lesser seen schemes but pretty limited with decals because most kits and AM sheets come with normally the colourful cag birds etc... The kit that started it all was an ebay bargain revell kit, see here - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235005611-revell-172-f-14b-tomcat-vf-103/ This WIP will hopefully document all of them, most of them concurrently/in pairs, then as they are completed they will have individual RFI threads. I won't document every single thing, as most things will be duplicated (eg the polishing and dipping of several canopy mold seams - i'll just show one) but i will try to highlight any problem areas I encounter or things different to that particular machine. The plan is to try and do at least the following for each variant: - completely 'out of the box' - tweaked with a basic cockpit set and maybe weapon upgrades & AM decals - dressed up with an advanced etch set, resin bits & weapons, AM decals etc. I will also be trying out some different paints on each of the builds, with some of them having the corresponding metallics too. To play with I have collected: - Ak interactive air USN set and their xtreme metal. - Vallejo model air USN set and Vallejo metal color. - Mr color and mr super metallic. - Mr hobby aqueos and mr metal color. -Akan and their metals. -Mr Paint -xtracrylix -Tamiya -mission models and their metals -Hataka red and now the new orange line too. Some of these will be used with alclad metallics too. Also is the revell nato pilot set, one of the builds will have a pair in the cockpit with the nose gear in the squat position, and then maybe one or two may have a figure on the wing walks. And then for fun there is a hasegawa F14 eggplane and a felix mascot. (From Hannants) It says 90mm I guess thats how tall it is when finished? Tamiya 10ml clear for size/scale. So the planned planes are: (unless I discover/purchase some other decal options between now and starting them!) F-14 B's - planes 1, 2 & 3 1: B - V102 - hasegawa decals. bombcat configuration. Pilots in, nose down and nozzles closed getting ready for launch. Tamiya paints - COMPLETED - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235022364-hobbyboss-172-f-14b-tomcat-vf-102-diamondbacks/ 2 - vf101 grim reapers. Tacts Training loadout - ak air paints - COMPLETED - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235010536-hobbyboss-172-f14b-tomcat-vf101/ 3 - vf 74 adversary scheme from a hasegawa kit. Mr Paint colours F-14 D's - planes 4, 5 & 6. 4 - OOB vf 31. Plane 101 tomcat sunset. Empty bombcat configuration. Vallejo paints - COMPLETED - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235009559-hobbyboss-172-f-14d-tomcat-vf31/ 5 - A VF2 decal option. This build will have a dream model color cockpit etch and some Hasegawa upgrades from my little casting project. 6 - vf 213 101 nose art decals with advanced etch set (interior/exterior) Also Aires resin nose wheel doors for front u/c bay. Bombcat - gbu 24's and lantirn from the Hasegawa sets. Mr color paints - COMPLETED - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235012670-hobbyboss-172-f-14d-tomcat-vf213/ F-14 A's - planes 7 onwards. 7 - Vf32 desert storm decals. Standard 4/2/2 missile loadout. Mr hobby paints - COMPLETED - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235018482-172-hobbyboss-f-14a-tomcat-vf32-swordsmen/ 8 - vf 103 sluggers 1983 in gull with tan nose and black anti glare. Mission paints - COMPLETED - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235032819-172-hobbyboss-f-14a-tomcat-vf-103-sluggers-mission-models-paints/ 9 - vf 111 low vis grey - fcm sheet. 4/4 loadout of brassin sparrows and winders. Quickboost pilots. Akan/mr color paints. - COMPLETED - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235026681-low-visibility-sundowner-172-f-14a-tomcat-hobbyboss-vf-111/# 10 - vf 21 Freelancers 1991 Late A in TPS by Mission models paints. - COMPLETED- http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235028103-172-hobbyboss-tomcat-vf-21-freelancers-1991/# 11 - vf 14 Tophatters 1993 iron bomb cat. Late A in TPS. Mig Ammo paints - COMPLETED - http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/235025164-172-hobbyboss-f-14a-tomcat-vf-14-tophatters-1993/ Phew thats a lot of waffle! During this WIP I will refer to them as planes 1 to number whatever to reduce the amount of confusion/easy reference. If there are any super geeks out there who can spot any faults with the above then feel free to chime in, any help is greatly appreciated. I have done a bit of research but everyday is a school day! I started a couple weeks ago near the start of july so have lots to post already, so over coming weeks so the replies (hopefully) can spur me on as I anticipate I will start getting fed up towards the last couple builds. I have made a start on planes 2,4 & 6 Let the fun commence!

Started today, the old Tristar kit in the Hobbyboss box Work starts with the two sets of road wheels - steel rimmed for the front and rubber rimmed for the rear. I've left off the rubber rims at the moment - they can go on after paint Then on with the bogeys Then finally for the day, the drive sprockets This is a typical Tristar kit, a lot like Bronco - lots of detail, and tiny pieces but everything so far fit's really well. Peter

Geschutzwagen 1:72 Hobbyboss The Wehrmacht made good use of the European railway network during the Second World War, moving men and material to the front line quickly and effeciently. The railway network became an obvious choice of sabotage, which in turn meant that armoured trains were a natural requirement of operating in dangerous areas where partisans might be present. Mike reviewed Hobbyboss's BR57 armoured locomotive some time ago (and quite by accident because he forgot to check the scale, the poor old goat) and now we're going to take a look at their armoured wagon. In classic Hobbyboss style, the kit is tightly packed into a sturdy box, with everything meticulously wrapped to ensure it survives the journey from China to wherever you are. The kit is unbelievably simple, comprising just six slide-moulded parts, a sprue of smaller parts and then two sprues holding Hobbyboss's standard track sections. Also in the box are the instructions, a glossy A4 painting sheet and, unlike the BR57, a small sheet of generic decals. The detail of the slide-moulded parts is excellent, with crisp and fine surface details. This is going to be a short review. Construction begins with the lower chassis, which is a long narrow ladder into which the axles and wheels fit. The brake blocks are moulded in place on the wheels, while the leaf spring suspension units are seperate parts. The wheels are boxed in from the inside, but I can't fathom out why as no other interior detail is included. The buffer and couplings (sorry, I'm not a railway buff like Mike) are provided for either end, as well as some grab handles that run along the outside. The upper part of the wagon is incredibly simple; so much so that there is nothing to explain that cannot be deduced from the picture above. The track is broken down into four sectios, the joins in which are cleverly matched to the natural breaks and joined with nicely moulded fish plates. If you want to ramp the detail up a notch then you might want to use OO gauge track, or at least dress the provided sections with some PVA glue and ballast. Only one colour scheme is included on the sheet; a base of Dark Yellow, over which Red brown and Field Green stripes are applied in a similar fashion to contemporary armoured vehicles. Given how filthy railway gear got due to the soot and grease, there is then plenty of scope for the modeller to express themselves with weathering. Conclusion One thing I will say about this kit is that it rails (ho ho!) against the trend of producing models with ever increasing levels of detail and complexity. It will make a great model when paired with the BR57, perhaps in a diorama with some partisans springing an ambush. Whatever you decide, you can't deny that it's nice to have a mainstream model of this interesting subject. Recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hello everybody. A long time due to a lot of life reasons I was absent on a forum. There were many interesting things happened during this time that will give us hope for the future. But I am sincerely happy to see everybody again. Today I would like to present you a new my single engine jet fighter from the Korean War. Let's meet with the legendary "Thunderjet". This is one of my favorite aircraft of those times. The WIP process was very complex and very simple at the same time. I don`t know the reason of it, I know it sounds strange, but it's true. I have focused primarily on cockpit details then exterior. There are four metallic colours I used for the outher skin pannel`s effect. Let's together sit on the sofa and look at the pictures. Hope You like it. Thanks. Andrii.

Hi everyone, Here it is...my first ever build. When I say first ever, I really mean my first ever plastic kit build of any type. As this is the case, I'm expecting lots of critiquing, but this is exactly what I want!!! Fire away! It is the easy assembly Hobby Boss 1/72 Mig 3. I attempted the white colour scheme for the first time build. Crazy right? For the light blue underside I used a brush and for the white I used a spray can. I used a white primer for the whole thing and also added a couple layers of varnish at the end. What I learnt during the process of my first ever build: 1. Canopies are a b*tch. 2. Long, big decals like the red arrow are a b*tch. 3. Painting is really hard to get right, but is enjoyable. 4. Getting the wheels into position is frustrating. 5. Keep cats out of the workshop. 6. I want to do more more more!!! Here it is:

Hi All Welcome to Part 2 of my Chu Lai build. Those of you that followed my Cougar build you will know that I found out that the Cougar was the FAC aircraft for MAG 13 based at Chu Lai between 1966 and 68. A bit of research showed that between MAG 12 and 13 all the main Marine combat aircraft types used in Vietnam were based there around that time. I am going to stretch the "around that time " a bit as I really like the A4E when it is fitted with the extra Avionics /ECM "Hump". While there were A4E's based at Chu Lai in 68 it is a tad of a stretch to include the hump. Kit wise I settled on the Hobbyboss kit mainly due to the extensive ordinance included in the kit. I looked at the Hasegawa, but by the time I had bombed it up it was going to be a very expensive build. I wanted to try etch seatbelts rather than a resin seat this time and after my detail painting issues on the Cougar I opted for the prepared etch for the A4 to bling the cockpit up a bit. I know not much was going to be visible, but it is partially a practice for my next build which is going to be an F4B in Black Knights livery that was also at Chu Lai at the time. The other issue that is a bit of a first is going to be dropping the front slats on the wings. Its something new, and was a good excuse to buy some tiny razor saws from RB Productions. These are really nice little saws, and they worked well on some practice cuts. We'll see how I get on on the real thing, but having a go is the only way to learn new skills. Enough chat here are the obligatory box and sprue shots. Wings - Razor saw practice for the use of- It looks like Hobbyboss expect people to make this mod as the leading edge of the wing is folded as part of the upper wing, so should be the right shape when it is removed from the rest of the wing. There is a nice panel line that should be a good guide for the saw, and I will tape a ruler to the wing to act as a further guide. We'll see how the practice matches up to the theory. On to the aftermarket. First the Etch The gorgeous AOA decals I am going for the VMA 311 Tomcats with the hump. The decals are printed by Cartograph, are awesome. Any problems will definitely be pilot error. Into the build. The kit has some nice raised details, but they have to go so the etch can go on. Smoothed off Etch on I also added some tissue soaked in PVA to provide a bit of texture to the seat cushions. It looks a bit rough, but hopefully it will look ok under the paint. Primer on I dug around in my paint box and turned up some Hataka Dark Gull Grey. It turns out I actually have all the paint I need for this build, which makes a nice change. The Hataka is nice painting goes down very smoothly, but I do get a bit of tip drying. I am going to use their Insignia White, so I will have a play around with some flow improver and thinners to see if I can sort it out. Stage 1 etch is on the main IP and the sides of the tub. Finished IP Bang seat ready for the belts and a wash to tone it all down. I think the seat looks ok but the cushion is a bit on the dark side, so I will probably give it a dry brush with something a bit lighter. Thats about it for tonight. Tomorrow I'll get the pit finished off and the fuselage closed up. If that goes well its on to the wings. Thanks for looking in and apologies for the large number of images. Yeoman

Here's my HB Su-34 modified to be the Su-32, second prototype 43 Blue T10V-2. I always liked the color scheme. It's about 99% finished, still some panel lines and small weathering things to do. This more or less involved a reshaped nose, reshaped tail sting with some bumps, Su-30 front wheels and mudguard, scratchbuilt ladder, a slightly modified Su-15 pitot tube and the proper antennas and sensors. Lots of plumbing for the landing gear and Armory rear wheels. I have the Polygon Su-34 book which has a lot of walkaround closeup photos of 43 Blue's details and it's different camouflage which was invaluable. I had few fit issues, not sure if I ever used filler. Paint was Akan and mixed myself. I'm looking forward to doing some production Su-34 versions with the Kittyhawk whenever it comes out but I wouldn't rule out doing another Hobbyboss, perhaps the brighter "Greenbottle Fly" 45 White T10V-5 that I saw at Farnborough years ago. Cheers, pb

Treated myself to a couple of HobbyBoss easy-build aircraft after my struggles with Revell's Bf-109's. I like these: they're fun, and usually pretty accurate, within limitations. One limitation is that the trailing edges are very, very thick. A lot (a very large lot) of sanding and scraping is needed, and some post-sharpening work to re-scribe control surfaces and replace trim tabs will be needed. Note also the sprue attachment point on the rear fuselage, that would do credit to a short-run resin kit! Another limitation is the cockpit: it has some vestigial details, but it's not even a remote resemblance to the actual aircraft. Another issue is that it's much too shallow. The cockpit floor is basically the upper surface of the nose wheel bay, but the kit version is about 3.5mm above where it ought to be (about 10 inches in reality, so too much even for me to ignore). I drilled down to establish the right depth, then chopped out with a chisel to get rid of the "seat" and flatten out the floor. The instrument coaming position is wrong (it's too short) but that's a problem for a future version of me!

Corrected & improved HobbyBoss kit with Aires cockpit, Eduard Bullpups and EagleStrike decals. Hope you like it Best regards from Czech. Andrew

KrAZ-260B Tractor with 5P85TE TEL S-300PMU Hobbyboss 1:35 (HB85511) The KrAZ-260 was designed in the 1980s but not publicly unveiled until the 1985 Moscow parade where it was towing 152mm Nuclear capable artillery guns. The 260B is similar to the 255B it replaced but with a more angular bonnet to accommodate a turbo charged diesel engine. The 260B has only been produced for the military and not offered for civilian sale. The unit used for towing S-300 missiles is a 6x4 drive with a slightly longer chassis of 1.88m. The S-300PMU is a modernisation of the S-300P with the NATO reporting name of SA-20 Gargoyle. This has a detection range of upto 120KM with the 30N6 radar unit. Using a 5N64S radar range can be extended to 300km. The missile itself has a range of 150km with a height envelope of 10m to 27km. 4 missiles are carried on the TEL. The Kit The kit arrives in a fairly substantial box. There are 24 sprues of plastic, 2 sets of missile tubes, two sheets of PE, some flexible hose and a set of window masks. The missile tubes are one part hollow mouldings. Construction starts with a very detailed engine unit for the KrAZ. This unit has so many parts that the first 3 pages of the instructions deal only with its construction. Once the engine is done the gear box/transmission is made up the two can then be fitted into the chassis as it is made up. Again there are plenty of part for the chassis, the front bumper is also added along with the 5th wheel plate. The exhaust system is added along with the axles and transmission shafts. Suspension units and springs are also added. Air tanks and the battery box are also added. Last up for the chassis the mud guards are added and the wheels. Next up the cab is built up, follwed by the front wings/mud guards and finally the bonnet. This can then be attached to the chass. Last up for the chassis is attaching the spare wheel carrier which sits behind the cab. now its time to assemble the TEL. The base unit is first made up along with the unit used to raise it into the launch position. The top support unit is also made up. These can then be attached to the main beam box section which is also assembled at this time. Once this sub assembly is completed it can be put to one side. The main bed of the trailer is then assembled, onto this fit the suspension units, axles and wheels. Stabiliser plates are also fitted for use when the launcher is erected. The modeller can either have these extended or stowed. Once the main bed of the trailer is finished the reels for the control cables can be added to the front along with control boxes. The TEL parts can then be attached. Lastley the missile tubes are assembled and added to the final trailer. The tubes being one part moulding just need their end caps fitting. The trailer can then be attached to the cab. Decals Markings are provided for two camoflaged examples, and three in iverall green with different coloured missile canisters. No information is provided as to units etc. The Conclusion This is an will build up into an impressive looking kit. Hightly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Merry christmas one and all! I was hoping to get this finished with its diorama base, but the post held up the snow.........or by the snow :-) But i have been working on this beastie (its huge compared to a spit or a 109!!) between studies for the last few months, its a great kit with a few fit issues around the wings area. I tried a few new techniques out on the kit as I wanted to explore a few more avenues to make my models look more realistic. I started by priming the kit and doing a black pre-shade and then doing the full camouflage out the topside of Russian green (Mr Hobby 135) and black (Tamiya XF-1) with the underside painted with light blue (Tamiya XF-23). Then I de-canned some hairspray and coated the craft with my spray gun to get a better coverage on the kit, over the top of this I sprayed white (Tamiya XF-2 with a drop of brown and blue so the white wasn't a brilliant white) and then weathered it by using a stiff brush and warm water to lift the paint (very scary moments). Then its was gloss coated and decals set followed by a matt coat and post shading, the post shading was my first attempt at it and I am very happy with the result. There maybe a few inaccuracies, so please be aware I model on a 'it looks good, so its good for me' basis. Forgive the photo's on a white background as I had nothing else to use, but I ended up using the Sturmovik's base that will be grassed and snowed....when it turns up, I will update photos when it does :-) All comments and criticism is welcome, as criticism is how we improve. Many thanks for looking. Thanks for looking

Why fight the inevitable? Every time I finish a kit I need to start a new one, no matter how many I have at the go at the moment. Serial kitstarter, thats me! This time I choose a subject a which will not have RAF roundels, nor a propeller. Almost scary! Why not some US Navy stuff from the fifties? White bellies, lovely rounded shapes and more often than not underpowered engines. Sounds a little bit like FAA Lets start with the obligatory shot of the box, complete with a quite bad painting: I got this used, and it included a little resin bangseat. No Idea who made it or anything, but it looks better than the kit item. Since this will be a relaxed build, that's the amount of aftermarket stuff I'll use. If need be, I'll scratch it. Anyway, I really liked option 2 with the nice blue stripe. The markings are for a FJ-4, but the kit itself is a FJ-4B so there is an abundance of Bullpup missiles and air brakes which will not be needed. Also, all the nice detail in the airbrakes are fictional so I'll close them. Not to easy to get a decent fit, but some plastic strips should get the brakes to the correct height. The small scoops on top of the fuselage should apparently be sanded down but I missed that, and will happily ignore it going forward. The wing and the undercarriage bay was not a big challenge to fit together at least. Rig Time to sort out that intake and a few other parts. //C

Soviet MBV-2 Heavy Armoured Rail Cruiser HobbyBoss 1:35 History The MBV-2 was a very large, self propelled armoured train or rail cruiser, as they were sometimes called. It was fitted with three turrets armed originally with the 76.2mm KT-28 guns removed from old T-28 Medium Tanks. These were replaced by the newer, more potent, 76.2mm L-11/F-34 series guns and turrets taken from T-34 Medium Tanks. They also carried four maxim machine guns within the hull with a further three DT machine guns in each turret. For anti-aircraft protection, the turret mounted DT’s in AA mounts were augmented by a Quad maxim in a retractable mounting between the control tower and first of the rear turrets. A pyramidal structure amidships formed something of a command cupola jutting out of the angled, armoured hull. This hull was simply fitted over the existing train car. Unlike other armoured trains built before, the MBV-2 included its own power pack - a diesel engine mated to a hydraulic transmission system - which allowed it to be self-propelled removing the use of a dedicated locomotive. In practice, MBV-2 trains were generally deployed as ranged fire support weapons and as deterrents along key fronts. Its firepower was capable of stopping all known light- and medium-armoured German tanks of the war which made German war planners take their threat seriously. However, the MBV-2 trains suffered from what other armoured trains suffered from - they were confined to existing railroad networks and weighed down by their heavy armament, ammunition, and armour. Fortunately for the Soviets, the country managed an extensive railway network - its value already proven in the First World War. Additionally, if disabled for any reason, these trains could also serve in a valuable static defence role. At least one (the second) MBV-2 armoured train was present along the Leningrad Front where it served as part of the 14th Independent Armoured Train Battalion (23rd Army). This example was saved from the scrap heap following the war to find sanctuary as a showpiece of the Kubinka Tank Museum. The Model The kit comes in a large new style of box. It has a nice artist’s rendition of the rail cruiser on the front and a clear panel, through which you can see part of the main hull. Opening one end, you will find three of the main parts separate from the sprues, which are contained in two top opening boxes. On opening the smaller boxes the modeller is confronted with a box full of medium grey styrene, twenty sprues in total, along with separate hull, floor, bogies, control cupola, and turrets. There are also five rail ballast sections and a sprue of rails and sleepers in a light grey styrene. All the parts are beautifully moulded, particularly the single piece hull of the cruiser, with no sign of flash and only a few moulding pips, so cleaning up after removal from the sprues should be a bit of a doddle. Be aware that this is quite a large kit measuring out at 570mm in length and 94mm in width. The cruiser construction begins with the bogies, one is fitted with a frame, three sets of brake pads, three axles and three pairs of wheels. With the wheels fitted, the two side plates/axle bearings plus the front and rear plates. The second bogie is of similar construction, but with only two sets of wheels plus driving connecting rods and counterweights. The main body is then fitted out with the four two piece maxim machine guns from the inside. The floor is then attached followed a pair of air bottles and a single cross member. Two sets of control rods are then assembled and glued to the underside, followed by the two bogies and a pair of accumulators. The underside is then finished off with a pair of angled side skirts. Probably the most complex build is that of the quad AA maxim machine gun mount. The frame is assembled, followed by the four machine guns with separate handles. A connecting frame is attached to the front of the gund and two elevation arc frames fitted underneath. The ammunition boxes are glued to the guide frame which in turn is glued to the underside of the machine guns. The main mounting is part solid pyramid, part tripod with a two piece mount joint on top. The machine gun assembly is fitted to the joint and the completed assembly slid into the compartment just aft of the control tower hole. Unfortunately there are no bulkheads to this mounting position, so you can see straight through the main hull, including the previously fitted maxims, which are only the muzzle sections. You may wish to close this are in, but don’t forget any access doors. On the bow of the hull there is a three piece machine gun mounting for a DT gun, along with the two, two piece buffers, mid mounted dome and a load of handrails all over the hull. The six piece control tower/cupola is glued into place, along with more hand rails, as are the couplings fitted fore and aft. Four hinges are made up and attached to the hatch covers for the maxim pit, these can be made operable or just glued into the chosen position. Each of the three turrets are assembled from single piece upper sections, turret ring section, five piece coaxial DT machine guns seven piece main guns, two piece periscopes, and the separate commanders and gunners hatches. Two of the turrets also have another five piece DT machine gun fitted on the turrets rear face, while all three have a DT AA mount on the roof made of 10 parts. The completed turrets are then placed into their respective positions and the completed cruiser placed onto the rails. The three sections that make up the majority of the track are joined together and fitted with the two end pieces, one of which needs to be modified to fit. The sleeper sections are then fitted from beneath, again with one section requiring modification to fit. The rails are then slid through the ties and joined together with two fishplates per rail. Since most of the track laid in Russia seems to have been pretty much straight onto the ground surface, it might be best to leave the track bed parts and lay it onto a board or such like as part of a diorama. Conclusion I really love these armed rail wagons. Having got all the German armoured train components, it’ll be great if Trumpeter/Hobbyboss continues with further releases of the Soviet trains. The build of this one isn’t at all complicated and would be a good first build for anyone interested in these trains, or those wanting something unusual in their collection. The camouflage possibilities are interesting, with a few photos on the web showing how the two cruisers were painted. Review sample courtesy of

German Molch Midget Submarine Hobbyboss 1:35 (HB85508) The Molch or Newt/salamander in German were designed as one man submarines or mini submarines. This was the first designed for the German Navy, however it was to prove unsuccessful in combat and suffer heavy losses. The submarine was ultimately based on torpedo technology given its size. Designed for coastal operations it was totally electric in nature with a large battery providing a range of approx 60kms at 5 knots speed. A complicated system of trimming tanks made the boat hard to control which did not help operations. Armament was two G7 Torpedos. The combat record of the 393 boats built was less than spectacular. In their first outing in the Med in 1944 a flotilla set out to attack allied battleships taking part in the invasion of Southern France. Initially 10 of the 12 boats were lots, quickly followed by the last two being sunk by allied warships. Other operations would also result in little or no victories. Out of 102 sorties in early 1945 70 boats were lost for only 7 small ships being sunk. The Molch was quickly relegated to a training role for other small submarines. The Kit The kit is a fairly basic one and arrives on three main sprues, a clear sprue, a small sheet of PE and a small decal sheet. Construction starts with the cockpit, not really in the aeroplane style but the small compartment which contained the operator. A seat and full controls are provided for the compartment which fits into the main hull. How much will be seen especially if you fit the main hatch will be debatable? The entry hatch and periscope are also fitted into the main hull along with a stern part. once these are in the main hull can be closed up. The rear drive is then added along with the main hatch and the stern control surfaces. Next the two side torpedos are made up. These are each in two halves with the drive propellers to be added. Once complete they are added to the hull. Decals There is one small sheet which proves a shark mouth for one of the painting options. There are four options with two solid grey ones, and two with multi grey camo. No information is provided about the options. Conclusion It is good to see these smaller eccentric submersibles being provided in a scale large enough to make them look good. The only omission I can see is some kind of stand to display the finished model. Overall recommended. Review sample courtesy of

44M TAS Rohamloveg Hobbyboss 1:35 (HB83898) The 44M TAS Assault Gun was a design of assult gun based on the German STUG III by Manfred Weiss Steel and Metal Works in Hungary. The gun had advantages over a tank of a lower profile, it was cheaper; and more open to the defensive war the Axis was fighting in 1944. The chassis was from the 44M TAS Tank with the body replaced by a fixed hull with sloping sides. The frontal armour was 120mm as opposed to the STUG's 80mm. Planned armament was the German 88mm. Only one prototype was ever built as the allies heavily bombed the factory. Additionally shortage of materials and the Russian invasion of Hungary put paid to any production hopes. The Kit The kit arrives on 8 spures of plastic as well as the upper and lower hull. An additional 3 sprues of tracklinks are provided. A small PE fret and a length of brass wire round out the contents. With a fixed hull there is not a great deal of construction needed past the running gear and tracks. First up 6 suspension units are made up, three for each side. Each unit will end up carrying a double set of road wheels. These are then attached to the lower hull along with the mounting plates for the drive and idler wheels. Plates for mounting the return rollers are also added at this time. The Wheels are now made up and added. All road wheels are a double set. The tracks are made up from 86 links per side, clean up is easy with the sprue gates on the edge and no other marks to remove. Once the tracks are on then construction moves to the upper hull. The mantle for the gun is added along with hatches, pioneer tools and a few other hull fittings. Inside the hull the gun mounts which can move up and down, but not traverse. The rear bulkhead is then added along with the side skirts. Exhaust fittings and brackets for the tow cable are added, and the cable; followed by the blisters for the two frontal machine guns. Lastly the main gun is made up and added. Once this is done the top hull is complete and can be added to the lower one. Decals The sheet for this is very small and contains national makings and code numbers only. Conclusion This is an interesting gun platform that never made it past the prototype stage and its good to see it in model form, whether you want to do the prototype or a whif, it's to be recommended. Review sample courtesy of

Hobby Boss is to release in 2015-2016 a new tool 1/48th MiG-31 "Foxhound" kit: MiG-31 - ref.81753 and MiG-31B/BM - ref.81754. Bad news for the AMK project (http://www.britmodeller.com/forums/index.php?/topic/234946328-mig-31bm-avantgarde-model-148/?hl=foxhound#entry1401014). Source: https://www.facebook.com/TrumpeterModel/photos/pb.103526326472636.-2207520000.1418316818./393657967459469/?type=1&theater Still no 1/48th Yak-28 "Brewer" family nor (injected) Il-28 "Beagle"... V.P.

MAN LKW 5t MIL GLW Truck Hobbyboss 1:35 (HBB85508) In the 1960s the Bundeswher was looking to replace its fleet of vehicles which stemmed from the birth of the modern German Army. They wanted a fleet of 2, 3 & 4 axle vehicles in the 4 to 10 tonne payload range which had to be amphibious. As it was a large task it was suggested that bidding companies form a common development company for a unified project. This was set up under the leadership of MAN and included Klockner-Humboldt-Deutz, Bussins, Krup, and Henschel. The specification agreed was for a cross country capable, amphibious, all wheel drive, run flat tyres, steel cab, NBC protection, and a multifuel engine. In 1975 the German Army & MAN signed the contract to produce 4x4, 6x6 and 8x8 vehicles. The 4x4 or KAT I & KAT I A1 vehicle is the type 452 (and 462 with fitted winch). They are powered by a V8 Deutz diesel engine and are mainly flatbed or covered type trucks. The distinctive cab with the cut away corners stems from the need for the vehicles to be rail transported on standard flat cars. Earlier trucks had fixed cabs but later ones tilting ones which made engine maintenance much easier. All vehicles feature a mount for a MG3 machine gun (basically an MG42!). The tank trucks with either a single 4600L tanks, or twin 2300L tanks are also fitted with a pump. These vehicles actually exceed the max gross weight by one fulle tonne. After testing with the manufacture approval was given for these vehicles with the only compensation being higher tyre pressures. The Kit This new kit from Hobby Boss is a reboxing of the standard flat bed truck which we reviewed here. New parts are provided for the tanks. The kit arrives on 12 sprues plus the drivers cab and the tyres, a nice inclusion is masks for the windows. For a standard 4x4 truck the box is packed with parts. Construction starts with the gear box and differentials for the transmission. These are made up and the suspension components (air bags & springs) are added. The tuck chassis is then made up from a surprising number of components and the gear box, differentials and drive shafts are then added. These are highly detailed and made up from a number of components. Once the chassis is finished the wheels can be built up, the tyres added and then they are attached to the chassis. Work then moves to the cab. The dash board is built up with some of the drivers foot controls added underneath it. The base plate of the cab has the gear controls and a few other parts added then the dash is fitted. Once this is in the drivers seat and steering wheel are added along with the bench seat for the passengers. This is then the lower part of the cab complete. Moving onto the upper part the windows added along with a couple of internal parts and the main rear bulkhead. The upper cab can then be attached to the floor. The spare wheel and carrier are completed and attached to the cab, followed by the main doors being completed and added. The rightside equipment locker is also built up and added. On the outside of the cab the front bumper is added along with the roof hatch, mirrors, wipers and parts for the engine hatch. The completed cab can then be added ot the chassis. After this is done the exhaust system is built up and added. Along with some additional parts under the cab. After this the fuel pumps and associated parts are built up for the back of the truck. Plastic hose is supplied for the fuel delivery system. This part is quite complex and builds up from a number of parts and should look good when finished. After this the two fuel tanks and their mounts are built up. The interlink piping is installed onto the flat bed and then the tanks are added. The drop sides for the truck are then added to the bed along with the headboard and tailgate. On the underside of the bed the stiffeners are added along with the mudguards. Underside lockers, wheel chocks and jerrycans are added. Finally the bed is mounted to the truck. Decals Theses are minimal as the vehicles did not carry many markings. Decals are supplied for three temperate camo vehicles. Decals include the Hazardous placards (mising the Class numbers) and Kemler Code panel (which should be orange, not yellow!) for the front. Conclusion It is great to see a modern support vehicle being made available, this gives many diorama possibilities as well as a great stand alone model. The kit is nicely complex and should build up to be a great looking kit. Highly recommended. Review sample courtesy of

...and here I go with my recently finished Corsair, from HobbyBoss. Really great model kit ( but some exaggeration in the rivets ) , and a great fit. Have added a PE set from Eduard, and some scratch for the cockpit and the tiny antennas from the nose. And for the heavy weathering I used oils. Really happy with this one Ricardo.

HobbyBoss next 1/48th "Flanker" is a Sukhoi Su-27UB "Flanker-C" - ref.81713 Release expected in late September 2017 Source: http://www.hobbyboss.com/index.php?g=home&m=article&a=show&id=95&l=en Box art V.P.

Hey everyone, I just got the Winter 2018 ad flyer from Squadron Mail Order, www.squadron.com, a couple of days ago. When I first glanced through it; I noticed the new HobbyBoss P-61 was being offered. I just took it for the P-61A; as it had been reviewed by Hyperscale a few weeks before(and I had mentioned it in a thread about the P-61B started by 72modeler). When I started to look through the flyer more thoroughly; I discovered that SMO has both of the HobbyBoss P-61s: P-61A and P-61B. The kit numbers(Squadron's/HB's) are HY87261 and HY87262 respectively. The P-61B is also under the "Easy Assembly" series. The illustration shows two(2) schemes(as for the P-61A) for the 'B', both in Jet Black. One is for the 547th Night Fighter Squadron, "Swing Shift Skipper"; the other is for the 6th Night Fighter Squadron, "Sleepy Time Gal II". I have not seen either kit "in the flesh". As HobbyBoss most likely is using many of the same parts for both kits(why not? Northup did.); the P-61B will have some of the same inaccuracies as the P-61A(which the Hyperscale reviewer stated were minor). I haven't seen reviewed yet on any other forum. Squadron's price is normally $37.99USD; it is sale priced at: $30.99USD. For my fellow BM members living outside the USA, your mileage will vary. Sorry, I meant to indicate that the price of $30.99USD is for both kits. Joe

HMS Lord Nelson 1:350 Hobbyboss History HMS Lord Nelson was a Lord Nelson-class pre-dreadnought battleship launched in 1906 and completed in 1908. She was the Royal Navy's last pre-dreadnought. The ship was flagship of the Channel Fleet when World War I began in 1914. Lord Nelson was transferred to the Mediterranean Sea in early 1915 to participate in the Dardanelles Campaign. She remained there, becoming flagship of the Eastern Mediterranean Squadron, which was later redesignated the Aegean Squadron. After the Ottoman surrender in 1918 the ship moved to the Black Sea where she remained as flagship before returning to the United Kingdom in May 1919. Lord Nelson was placed into reserve upon her arrival and sold for scrap in June 1920. HMS Lord Nelson was laid down by Palmers Shipbuilding and Iron Company at Jarrow on 18 May 1905 and launched on 4 September 1906. Her completion was greatly delayed by the diversion of her 12-inch (305 mm) guns and turrets to expedite completion of Dreadnought, and she was not fully completed until October 1908. Although she was not the last pre-dreadnought laid down for the Royal Navy, she was the last one commissioned. Lord Nelson displaced 17,820 long tons (18,106 t) at deep load as built, with a length of 443 feet 6 inches (135.2 m), a beam of 79 feet 6 inches (24.2 m), and a draft of 26 feet (7.9 m). She was powered by two four-cylinder inverted vertical triple-expansion steam engines, which developed a total of 16,750 indicated horsepower (12,490 kW) and gave a maximum speed of 18 knots (33 km/h; 21 mph). She was armed with four 12-inch guns arranged in two twin gun turrets, one turret each fore and aft. Her secondary armament consisted of ten 9.2-inch (234 mm) guns, eight in twin gun turrets on each corner of the superstructure, and a single gun turret between them. For defence against torpedo boats, Lord Nelson carried twenty-four QF 12-pounder 18 cwt guns and two 3-pounder guns. She also mounted five submerged 18-inch (457 mm) torpedo tubes for which 23 torpedoes were stowed aboard The Model We’ve yet to see many British ships in this scale from WWI, but it’s great that we are at last seeing some pre-dreadnoughts being released, and long my it continue as there are some great subjects that I’m sure we’d all like to see on our work benches at some point in the future. This kit of HMS Lord Nelson comes in a relatively small box, as these weren’t the largest of ships compared with later battleships. Inside there are nine sprues, one separate part and the deck all produced in light grey styrene, four sheets of etched brass, a length of chain and a medium sized decal sheet. Now I hope you’re all sitting down when you read this, as it appears that Hobbyboss have got the hull pretty much spot on with this kit, well, certainly according to R A Burt and his excellent books on British battleships and also the constructors model which used to be on display at the Science museum. The rest of the parts are very nicely moulded with plenty of detail, although there will be some who will want to add even more. There are no signs of flash or other imperfections, but there are quite a few moulding pips, which means a little extra cleaning up of parts. Construction begins with the two piece hull being joined together and strengthened with the three bulkheads and two end beams. The single piece deck is then attached, making a pretty solid and strong hull. On the underside, the tow propeller shafts, A frames and propellers are fitted, as is the single rudder. With the hull upright, the three piece, fully PE, Admirals walkway is fitted to the stern, followed by the PE rails fore of A turret barbette and aft of X turret barbette. The myriad of windlasses, cleats, bollard and ventilators are then glued into their respective positions, as are the Jack and Ensign staffs and their supports. Amidships there are seven deck houses to be fitted along with four cable reels and three winches. The superstructure is made up from a single piece item to which twelve supports are glued to the underside before being glued into position over the previously fitted deck houses. Remember to add the pair of foreward mounted 12 pounders that fire from ports at the forward end of this “flying” flying, as you won’t get them in once the deck is glued down. The superstructure longitudinal bulkheads are then attached, as are PE four inclined ladders, four side mounted windlasses, two boat booms and the anchor chains. To the upper deck, four, three piece winches, sixteen 12 pounder guns and five deck houses are fitted. This deck is then covered by a two piece 03 deck, with the aft section supported by six vertical columns. The main bridge deck is then attached foreward and small mezzanine decks aft with two inclined ladders leading to the 12 pounder deck. Each of the two funnels are made up from two halves, a base and funnel cap. To these, PE funnel cap grilles are added, along with PE hand and foot rails, and two auxiliary vents. The three piece armoured bridge, two deck houses and the two piece ships wheel are attached to the bridge deck. The two funnel assemblies are then glued into place along with two vertical columns aft. The boat deck is fitted out with eighteen PE boat cradles and a rescue float. There are fifteen boats in total, most of which come with separate hulls and decks, and some also have separate rudders. The three steam pinnaces and eight rowing boats are glued to their respective cradles, and then two other rowing boats are crutched within a larger boat. The main mast is made up from lower mast section, a two tier observation top with PE support brackets, upper mast section and yardarm. The lower section is then fitted with three PE blocks, and the three piece goose neck for the boat crane boom, which is also fitted with PR blocks and a PE hook. This is then fitted aft of the boat deck and supported by two angled support arms, finished off with two PE vertical ladders. The foremast is of similar construction, just with a slightly small boat handling boom, three yardarms and a searchlight in the lower of the two tier observation top, it is then glued just aft of the armoured bridge deck house. The PE bridge house surrounding the ships wheel is then folded to shape and glued into place, with another deck above it supported by two PE braces. Two binnacles are attached to this deck and inclined ladder. Six 12 pounder guns and eight searchlights are fitted around the boat deck and the PE bridge wings attached wither side of the bridge deck. The bridge deck and aft boat deck railings are then attached, as are the two long ladders to the foremast observation platforms, and two pairs of davits to the aft end of the superstructure. Four more two part ships boats are assembled and fitted to the two pairs for davits either side of the quarterdeck. The anchors, fourteen anti-torpedo net booms are then attached to the hull, along with the two PE rear mounted accommodation ladders and the PE folded netting that is fitted to each side to the ship. Each of the two main gun turrets and six secondary turrets are made in the same way with the barrels fitted with separate trunnions and trunnion mounts glued to the base with the turret slid over the barrels and glued into positions. Some of the turrets are fitted with 12 pounders and some with 3” gun on their roofs and all have PE vertical access ladders attached. Once assembled, they are fitted into their respective barbettes. Finally the main PE railing is attached to the main deck, completing the build. Well, I say completed, but if you want to do a proper job you will probably spend more time with the complex rigging than you had done for the whole build. Good luck with that. Decals The single decal sheet contains a selection of White Ensigns and Admirals flags as well as a pair of funnel bands. They seem pretty well printed, with good opacity and in register. Conclusion At last, a British pre-Dreadnought in injection moulded plastic, and another on its way, with hopefully more to come, a golden age of modelling, or what? This does look an excellent kit and is not too large so can be displayed in a relatively small space. The rigging will, however, be taxing, to say the least if you want to go the whole hog, but will look good with a representative amount should you blanche at the idea. Review sample courtesy of