Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
- iggie
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Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
Perhaps one of the best known ship names in the Royal Navy, HMS Ark Royal has had five incarnations; this kit represents the third such ship, which was launched in 1937 and sunk in 1941.
The kit is contained in a large and sturdy box, with nice artwork on the top depicting the ship under attack from the air. Inside, you are immediately presented with a view of the impressive size of the kit with both hull halves and the deck being uppermost inside.
Beneath a layer of cardboard you then find all the remaining goodies; several sprues of grey plastic, with sharp and detailed parts abounding. I cannot make any claims with regard to the accuracy of individual parts, or the completed ship as a whole, but it looks darned good to me!.
There are several PE frets too, including rigging for the 5 Swordfish aircraft included, there are also Fulmars and Skuas included, so the deck will be a busy place!
There is no option for building the ship with one or more of the aircraft lifts lowered; there is no internal detail provided for the hanger decks beneath the flight deck, but the internal hull bracing could easily be used to support scratch-built decks etc. if you wish. There are detailed mouldings included for the hull recess decks however, and these will look excellent with a little weathering.
All in all, I suspect this will be an enjoyable build, and will make up into an impressive model of such a famous ship! Highly recommended
The kit is contained in a large and sturdy box, with nice artwork on the top depicting the ship under attack from the air. Inside, you are immediately presented with a view of the impressive size of the kit with both hull halves and the deck being uppermost inside.
Beneath a layer of cardboard you then find all the remaining goodies; several sprues of grey plastic, with sharp and detailed parts abounding. I cannot make any claims with regard to the accuracy of individual parts, or the completed ship as a whole, but it looks darned good to me!.
There are several PE frets too, including rigging for the 5 Swordfish aircraft included, there are also Fulmars and Skuas included, so the deck will be a busy place!
There is no option for building the ship with one or more of the aircraft lifts lowered; there is no internal detail provided for the hanger decks beneath the flight deck, but the internal hull bracing could easily be used to support scratch-built decks etc. if you wish. There are detailed mouldings included for the hull recess decks however, and these will look excellent with a little weathering.
All in all, I suspect this will be an enjoyable build, and will make up into an impressive model of such a famous ship! Highly recommended
Best wishes
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
Thanks for taking time to do this Iggie. Interesting the bits they have done in etch, from what you show. The "rigging" is something I had seen concept done with bits for 1:600 planes on some (WEM I think) sets a while back, but they were so fiddly... these may be more easier to work with.
I am tempted but need now to consider size, as I am moving into a smaller space for all future modelling and 1:350 carriers such as Lusty and this might be a squeeze too much in there - but I need to test the space first.
I am tempted but need now to consider size, as I am moving into a smaller space for all future modelling and 1:350 carriers such as Lusty and this might be a squeeze too much in there - but I need to test the space first.
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Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
Oh man, this looks to be a great kit of this famous carrier. I'm currently still slogging my way through my build of the old Airfix 1/600th version. I look at some of the stuff provided in this beauty with considerable envy
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
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Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
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- lancfan
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Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
For such a simple kit the price is not so good, at £110 they can keep it.
David.
David.
David.
If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
- iggie
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Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
A bit harsh David surely? Admittedly there is little internal detail (but then that is true of the Tamiya 1/25 Tiger 1, and that sells for over £90 when it's available and without PE) and aircraft carriers also tend to be a little sparse up top too (like me ).lancfan wrote:For such a simple kit the price is not so good, at £110 they can keep it.
David.
The shape is accurate (oops, not like the Tamiya Tiger 1.... ) as acknowledged by others better qualified than I to judge such things, the PE set is of superb quality and probably the biggest point is that it's the only kit at this scale!
If you look hard enough you can find it for sub £100 as well
Best wishes
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
Jim
If you can walk away from a landing, it's a good landing. If you use the airplane the next day, it's an outstanding landing
"Never put off till tomorrow, what you can do the day after tomorrow"
- lancfan
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Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
I would pay £50 for one but but not a penny more.
David.
David.
David.
If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
- splash
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Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
It looks a great kit, I wonder why they don't make the a/c in clear plastic as that would remove the problem of what to do about the canopies.
The PE rigging for the stringbag's looks like a sensible design, just fold them into a box and add between the wings, that should resolve any alignment issues.
Regards Splash
The PE rigging for the stringbag's looks like a sensible design, just fold them into a box and add between the wings, that should resolve any alignment issues.
Regards Splash
My work bench is starting to look like Portsmouth Naval Dockyard.
Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
I'm with David, the price is well OTT
All models are equal. Some models are more equal than others.
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- lancfan
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Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
Perhaps Airfix may do this ship to 1/350 someday at reasonable cost ?
I can wait.
David.
I can wait.
David.
David.
If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
If you forget the past, you may lose the future.
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Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
Whilst not wishing to get into any arguments about kit pricing, £110 is a bit steep for me as well - I try to keep my hobby relatively cheap and have a self-imposed upper limit of £35 for a single kit, any more than that and I tend to feel a bit guilty (more the fool me perhaps ). I still think it is a good looking kit though.
Doing - Tamiya 1/35th Universal Carrier.
Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
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Work is the curse of the modelling classes!
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- Dazzled
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Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
Personally, I think it's priced about right when compared with some of the new 1/350th offerings from Trumpeter and Hasegawa. Despite it being a little out of my current main area of interest I'm still tempted.
If somebody brought out an Ark Royal IV in 1/350th though........
If somebody brought out an Ark Royal IV in 1/350th though........
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Wherever there's danger, wherever there's trouble, wherever there's important work to be done....I'll be somewhere else building a model!
Wherever there's danger, wherever there's trouble, wherever there's important work to be done....I'll be somewhere else building a model!
Re: Merit International 1/350 HMS Ark Royal 1939 #65307
I guess I am with Daz, this variant is nice, and as much as I could drool over the plastic in the box quite happily with anyone.. I would rather build a later variant in all honesty, plus, the space in which I shall seek sanctuary for modelling now; is at all large, and so I will have to be a lot more sensible/restrained with purchases for larger items from now on, despite having been told to buy more detailed and challenging projects which take longer ... so I churn out less
Trying to Build kits and not Buy kits