HMS Southampton D90

[Nick]

My latest build is, unusually for me, a ship. A Type 42 (Batch 2) Destroyer from the Dragon 1/700 kit. I chose to do HMS Southampton from the decal options given, these are superb by the way.

It is mostly Real World but it's probably different from the real thing in slight details - the one I know of is that the deck code should be SN and not the SP provided 

The box art shows a modern Batch 2 ship (HMS Liverpool), the actual kit is an early Batch 1 or 2 before they applied all the lessons learnt in the South Atlantic and mounted CIWS guns on the side and other things. The funnel top was changed then too but finding the details or pre-refit photos online is very difficult.

The etch for the railings was a steep learning curve in how put superglue in the right spot and not have the parts stuck to your tweezers or hands... 
If I did this again (unlikely!) I would paint each step (masts, superstructure, radar etc) separately before putting them together as a ship.

Halfords Grey Primer for the dark deck surface, Tamiya Royal Light Gray for the sides, Xtracolour red and white, Airfix Matt Black for the funnel.

First shot is the basic kit.


This is after I added more detail and the PE rails.






I might look to replace that flag and mast with better versions in the near future.

[NARSES2]

Come out well Nick 

[Old Wombat]

Nicely done, Nick!


Reminds me that I really should push ahead with building some of my 1/350 scale Navy.

[sandiego89]

As someone who has superglued numerous railings to my fingers, I salute you brave sir 

[Dizzyfugu]

Very nice! I have not dared to use PE railings yet...

[Nick]

Very nice! I have not dared to use PE railings yet...

The trick I used was to measure, cut and bend the railing to fit. I use a piece of glass from a photo frame for the cutting surface so that the etch stays flat.
Create a puddle of superglue on some scrap card, in this case the back of the superglue packet. Then hold the railings with some tweezers and drag the bottom part through the glue.
That should leave enough sticky stuff on the metal to hold it to the plastic. Be very careful not to get glue on the tweezers. Or your fingers....

Some folk use a toothpick or an 'applicator tool' that you put the glue on to apply glue to the exact spot before putting the PE down.

[Rheged]

That's a beauty!!