USS Virginia SSN 774

[Shar2]

USS Virginia SSN 774

1/350

USS VIRGINIA is the lead ship of the VIRGINIA - class of nuclear-powered attack submarines. The submarines in this class are the first US submarines designed for battlespace dominance across a broad spectrum of regional and littoral missions as well as open-ocean, "blue water" missions. The VIRGINIA - class achieves the right balance of core military capabilities and affordability.

Virginia was delivered to the Navy on 12 October 2004, the 104th anniversary of the commissioning of Holland, the Navy's second submarine. She was commissioned on 23 October 2004 under the command of David J. Kern. This class of submarine is unique in that it features a Photonics Mast Program (PMP) that freed ship designers to place the boats’ control room in a lower, less geometrically-constrained space than would be required by a standard, optical tube periscope. It is additionally unique in the U.S. Navy for featuring all-digital ship and ballast control systems that are manned by relatively senior watchstanders and a pressure chamber to deploy SEAL divers while being submerged.

The Model

This model will not be a challenge to many modelers, particularly in parts count. There are just 20 plastic and 16 etched parts in total, the majority of which are used on the sail.

The hull sections comprise two parts split horizontally, so it will be possible to build a waterline display. If building full hull, the seam looks like it will be quite hard to get rid of due to the large number of moulded projections all over the hull. Although dry fitting shows that the fit is good, care should be taken to get everything aligned correctly.

The only sprue contains all the parts required to complete the model. The propulsor unit is nicely done although the shroud is split horizontally, meaning another seam will need cleaning up on the outside. Due to the construction of the propulsor unit with the shroud fitting around it, the internal seam will be practically impossible to cover, and without building the kit it will be difficult to see how much of this will be visible once everything is fitted together.

Having researched some pictures of the USS Virginia it seems that Hobbyboss have gone a bit overboard on the sail external sensor fit, as whilst some are quite pronounced, others are almost flush, whereas the kits sensors are all the same thickness. A bit of light sanding to reduce their thickness will be required.

The rest of the build is pretty straight forward with the rudders, diving planes fitted fore and aft, and periscopes/aerials fitted to the sail.

The etch sheet contains even more sensors for the sale, plus hatch cover for the forward aerials. There is also a very fine railing to go around the manned surveillance opening.

There is a small sheet of decals giving you the emergency hatch markings, depth markers and waterline markers.

The kit is finished off with a small stand for those who wish to display the full hull option.

Conclusion

Having built a few of the Hobbyboss fleet of submarine kits I am always keen to get a new release. With this kit they fail to disappoint in giving us a lovely kit of this modern attack sub. It is less complicated than some other companies’ releases, but it no less a model for it. If you take care of covering the hull seam along with careful painting and weathering this can be made into a really good looking kit.

Review sample courtesy of

[Paul A H]

Looks nice. I've been trying to fight off the temptation to pick up their 1:350 Kilo. If they did a Typhoon or Delta class...

[Mandrake]

Looks nice. I've been trying to fight off the temptation to pick up their 1:350 Kilo. If they did a Typhoon or Delta class...

I miss Alanger

Hopefully HobbyBoss or Bronco will provide us with a decent Delta or Typhoon again soon.

In regards to the Virginia, thanks you for the review but looking at the sprues some of the details seems overdone and overscaled.

[Shar2]

I miss Alanger

Hopefully HobbyBoss or Bronco will provide us with a decent Delta or Typhoon again soon.

In regards to the Virginia, thanks you for the review but looking at the sprues some of the details seems overdone and overscaled.

Certainly on the sail they are. But when I checked with photographs, areas like the passive sonar bumps aren't actually that bad, they just need some better blending.

[Flankerman]

Hope you don't mind me chipping in ???

I've finished mine......

It's a bit of a 'Plain Jane' - not very colourful at all (but then it isn't supposed to be!)

I've just started the Cybermodels USS Maryland (Ohio Class SSBN) and USS Chicago (Los Angeles Class SSN) - a double kit.

They have slightly more colour - with red anti-fouling lower hulls.

Plus the new Hobby Boss French SSBN Le Triomphant - plain black all over - not even a decal in sight.

My collection of 1:700 scale subs is here - scroll down to the bottom for my growing collection of 1:350 scale ones (Trafalgar, vanguard, Astute etc...)

Ken

[John Ballman]

Just got my copy of this kit yesterday at Hobbytown USA Fresno.

At first glance I was scratching my head WTF, why? I am a retired USN Submariner, so I am a little familiar with ship design and construction. It appears Hobby Boss did an excellent job of replicating the USS Virgina SSN 774 after her Alpha or Bravo sea trials. There is no anechoic rubber on the hull, what you are seeing is a naked submarine. If you do a google search of images of the SSN 774 class you will find pics of the boat with a much smoother hull form. Seawolf was built in similar fashion also. Bronco Seawolf is a good example of what the SSN 774 looks like.

Modeling solutions:

Your gonna hate me.

1) Remove all that raised conduit looking detail. That chisel tool by Mission Models is going to be working overtime.

2) Those oval looking protusions are support mounts for the lifeline stantions gotta go.

3) Sand smooth and Re-scribe ballast tank/missile drains on bottom of the boat.

4) Sand smooth the rectangular shapes on keel by the aft rudder area. Scribe ballast tank drains on bottom of keel.

5) Mooring cleat detail is too pronounced. These are flush when retracted, sand smooth and rescribe detail.

6) AN/BSY-2 sensors (six total) need to be sanded to remove some of the thickness, look at Bronco Seawolf as example. Putty might be a help here to smooth it out.

7) Sail, remove all that raised detail, except the Port and Starboard running lights, they are the small protusions on each side by bridge access.

8) Sand smooth bow plane mounting. Too pronounced.

Check your references on the web, I was suprised on how many detail pictures I have found. The commissioning pictures are the ones that really show what the Boat is supposed to look like. Hydrodynamically smooth hulls have always been the hallmark of US subs. Nice and boring equals sleak, stealthy, and most importantly deadly.

Or putty over entire ship and sand till all smooth. I don't like this last option at all.

All in all not a bad kit, small amount of parts, molded very nicely, just heavy on the detail. Hull goes together very nice, no steps if glued in stages. The one thing I really liked seeing was the access hatches are raised not

flush on the hull just like the real thing. I always have to cut out disks and laminate them over the hull areas to get it to look right to my eye. All Subs have the access hatches like this to accomodate the DSRV hatch mounting

gear.

Hope this helps

John B.

[Staffan]

Just got my copy of this kit yesterday at Hobbytown USA Fresno.

At first glance I was scratching my head WTF, why? I am a retired USN Submariner, so I am a little familiar with ship design and construction. It appears Hobby Boss did an excellent job of replicating the USS Virgina SSN 774 after her Alpha or Bravo sea trials. There is no anechoic rubber on the hull, what you are seeing is a naked submarine. If you do a google search of images of the SSN 774 class you will find pics of the boat with a much smoother hull form. Seawolf was built in similar fashion also. Bronco Seawolf is a good example of what the SSN 774 looks like.

Modeling solutions:

Your gonna hate me.

1) Remove all that raised conduit looking detail. That chisel tool by Mission Models is going to be working overtime.

2) Those oval looking protusions are support mounts for the lifeline stantions gotta go.

3) Sand smooth and Re-scribe ballast tank/missile drains on bottom of the boat.

4) Sand smooth the rectangular shapes on keel by the aft rudder area. Scribe ballast tank drains on bottom of keel.

5) Mooring cleat detail is too pronounced. These are flush when retracted, sand smooth and rescribe detail.

6) AN/BSY-2 sensors (six total) need to be sanded to remove some of the thickness, look at Bronco Seawolf as example. Putty might be a help here to smooth it out.

7) Sail, remove all that raised detail, except the Port and Starboard running lights, they are the small protusions on each side by bridge access.

8) Sand smooth bow plane mounting. Too pronounced.

Check your references on the web, I was suprised on how many detail pictures I have found. The commissioning pictures are the ones that really show what the Boat is supposed to look like. Hydrodynamically smooth hulls have always been the hallmark of US subs. Nice and boring equals sleak, stealthy, and most importantly deadly.

Or putty over entire ship and sand till all smooth. I don't like this last option at all.

All in all not a bad kit, small amount of parts, molded very nicely, just heavy on the detail. Hull goes together very nice, no steps if glued in stages. The one thing I really liked seeing was the access hatches are raised not

flush on the hull just like the real thing. I always have to cut out disks and laminate them over the hull areas to get it to look right to my eye. All Subs have the access hatches like this to accomodate the DSRV hatch mounting

gear.

Hope this helps

John B.

All good advice, I have been sanding mine as a man possessed, and as you stated the fit of the parts were truly great, another no filler sub... great to see a bubblehead here! thannks for the input and advice, I dare think about the noiselevels thes boat would have without the anechoic tiling.

Staffan

[CyberGolem]

Another USN Bubblehead here. I'm looking forward to building it despite the sanding and grinding required to get the boat "sat".

Warning to anyone wanting to build this as a waterline display. The hull appears to be split in the middle, which would be far below the actual draft of any modern sub. These boats are designed to sink, so they sit very low in the water (ready to do their thing), so think "iceberg" when setting the draft.