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Hello all! Over the past year or so I have been tootling away with trying to create something from this massively expensive (£4.95) kit. Before I started, I had had a conversation on another forum with Jeff ( @ArnoldAmbrose) who very kindly gave me some pointers as to how to improve it. At first I thought this kit appeared to be the Airfix HMS Cossack. The parts breakdown was the same, but the runner layout was different. It was supplied with the original stand rather that Airfix’s current style, and I suspect it was a copy. Some of the parts supplied were beyond belief, and I cannot remember them being like that when I built the original Airfix Cossack only 9 years ago. The kit needed some help! · Propeller shaft supports were lengthened (shafts were not angled downwards) · Replaced propellers (from the Manxman – the kit parts were ‘dodgy’) · Portholes (scuttles) were sanded down and drilled out (they protruded on the hull!) · Fore breakwater was replaced with thin card · All deck splinter-shields were replaced with thin card · Added ammo boxes, storage lockers and watertight doors to superstructure · Added vertical and inclined ladders · Replaced masts with soldered brass rod, with plastic rod supports · Replaced the ‘crow’s nest’ · Scratch-built a new torpedo tube assembly · Replaced plastic ship’s boats and Carley floats with Shapeways 3D-printed items · Added plenty of photo-etch detailing The model was painted to represent HMS Eskimo as during 1941-43 when she was painted in RN White and Western Approaches Blue (as per Sovereign Hobbies website) using AKAN acrylic paint, and rigged with .02mm Rigging Line by AmmoMIG. I have deliberately kept the pennant number off, as it is probably a hodge-podge of Tribal Class destroyers, but it was an ideal excuse to use up some of my left-over White Ensign photo-etch. I had a huge bundle of fun building this, it certainly was better than my experiences with MisterCrafts 1/500 HMS Harvester. As you may have noticed, drilling scuttles in a straight line is not my strong point! I also think my white balance on the camera has been fooled, the Western Approaches Blue is not that grey on the model. Although I thought the Akan paint was okay, the more I used it the less I liked it. It was brush-painted, but is probably better sprayed. I want to do another kit with a similar scheme then I can try the ColourCoats versions that I have in stock. Finally, to show you the quality of the Shapeways ship's boats, here they are (please remember they are under huge magnification!). The whaler's thwarts were hollow underneath, and the cabin was hollow on the cutter. Absolutely incredible, but, oh boy! they were expensive. I also got the Shapeways Carley floats, and they were great too, but there were a LOT of them on the frame so they will come in handy for other projects. That is it for now, thanks for looking, Ray

I feel I must build this. For some reason it reminds me of a manatee. I will also be building it in flight--for two reasons. The first is to save a little space on the Cold-War WarPac shelf. The second is that the landing gear parts supplied in the box are utter rubbish. However, it does include a very nice clear plastic stand! I'll dig around the spares box and find a pilot willing to fly this MisterCraft kit...😉 I would like it to be the flashy Polish 'Red 01' in 1955 but if the decals fall apart it'll be 'Yellow 52' from the Ukraine '53... My little scheme... Not a very complex looking kit. The antithesis of Eduard. --John