This is a first impression of the new RN destroyers in 1/700 from IBG. IBG has promised six G-H-I class destroyers and these are the first two ORP Garland and HMS Ithuriel. They each come in a pretty big box with lively box art. They are waterline only. Coverage of these kits in polish but well illustrated can be found at: http://www.kfs-miniatures.com/1-700-orp-garland-1944-g-class-destroyer-ibg-models/http://www.kfs-miniatures.com/1-700-orp-garland-1944-g-class-destroyer-ibg-models/ORP Garland 1944. Attachment:
garland.png [ 84.75 KiB | Viewed 1781 times ]
Galand was a G-class destroyer which originally served in the RN but was transferred to the Polish Navy in May 1940. You won't learn this from the copious instruction leaflet because it does not include a history of the ship. In the 1944 fit portrayed here there are 4.7in guns in A and X positions and a hedgehog in B, the Y position being used for deph charge stowage. The forward set of quadruple TTs is present but the aft is gone and is again devoted to DC stowage. AA armament is six 20mm in bridge wings, between the funnels and on the ex-searchlight platform aft of the tubes. Radar antenna 291(?) at foremast head and a 271 on the bridge, HF/DF on a short mainmast. Each of these kits has just the parts you need to make the ship in the designated fit. Thus Garland has four sprue frames. Frame A is the only one which is common between all six ships. It has the hull part, one piece, very securely mounted in the frame, no risk of warpage here. The other parts on frame A are boats, deckhouses, one funnel and two 4.7 turrets. Frame C has a main deck specialised for the escort configured ships, with slots for the DC stowage, DC racks, gun decks. Frame H has the aft funnel, one set of tubes, a boat, carley rafts, more DCs and a 20mm platform. Frame H has a forecastle deck without breakwater and an early flat-front bridge in three parts. There is a small decal sheet which is common to all the kits and includes a tiny Polish ensign. Each kit has its own PE set. You'd better like PE because there are no alternative plastic parts for bridge wings and splinter shields. You get 20mm shields and shoulder rests, 271 lantern, all ladders, no aztec steps here. Of course there are railing too. The instruction , well, it's almost a book, eight pages, again dedicated to the ship and fit with many CAD-derived illustrations, PE bending details and a rigging scheme. The colour guide has port and starboard and overhead views. Moulding quality is good, not short-run in any way, it compares well with Tamiya's E-class which was the only game in town for an injected 1/700 A to I. It compares pretty well to Flyhawk too, at half the price of the standard kits and a quarter of the Deluxe versions. As far as I could measure it is very close to correct at least in length. 2mm shorter than the Tamiya, which is right where it ought to be, Es being 6ft longer overall. HMS Ithuriel 1942 Attachment:
ithuriel.png [ 77.25 KiB | Viewed 1781 times ]
Ithuriel was a Turkish I-class. Four I-class-like ships were building for turkey when the war began. Two were in fact sent to Turkey, two were bought into the RN, Ithuriel (the name of an angel in Paradise Lost, in case you were wondering) and Inconstant. The Turkish ships were mostly the same as the RN ships but differed in a few details. Gun directors, the lack of a breakwater ahead of A turret and in the case of this kit having quadruple tubes instead of the quintuples the I-class had. The ship was heavily involved in the war in the Mediterranean. The kit has her in 1942 fit, with full armament, four 4.7in and 2 x quadruple TTs, 6 x 20mm in bridge wings, between the funnels and on the aft deckhouse. My references do not agree on the quintuple tubes, but the ones supplied are quads, NOT quins with the centre tube removed which was a later modification to save topweight. This kit has only two frames, the universal A frame and a frame G with both decks (both different from the Garland decks), two 4.7 turrets, the two sets of tubes and the later angled bridge front, good for I-class, Hero and Hereward of the H-class and the Brazilian Hs too. The forecastle deck has no breakwater, which seems to be correct from pictures of Ithuriel but not for Inconstant. PE, decals and instruction as with Garland. Still to come: HMS Glowworm, G class but with quintuple tubes in 1938 fit but probably good for her short but glorious combat career, HMS Hotspur 1941, a standard H class, HMS Harvester 1943, a Brazilian contract H class in an earlier escort configuration than Garland and HMS Ilex, a standard I class, should have quin tubes but maybe only one set and a 12 pdr AA in the aft position. These kits are highly recommended at around 20 dollars each. I'm very impressed by the provision of just the right decks for the ship's configuration rather than a one size and layout fits all. I'm a little disappointed by the lack of optional parts which is the natural result. However, when all six ships are issued any A to I class destroyer except the leaders will be easily modelled in plastic for the first time in this scale. This is a first impression of the new RN destroyers in 1/700 from IBG. IBG has promised six G-H-I class destroyers and these are the first two ORP Garland and HMS Ithuriel. They each come in a pretty big box with lively box art. They are waterline only.
Coverage of these kits in polish but well illustrated can be found at:
[url]http://www.kfs-miniatures.com/1-700-orp-garland-1944-g-class-destroyer-ibg-models/[/url]
[url]http://www.kfs-miniatures.com/1-700-orp-garland-1944-g-class-destroyer-ibg-models/[/url]
ORP Garland 1944.
[attachment=1]garland.png[/attachment]
Galand was a G-class destroyer which originally served in the RN but was transferred to the Polish Navy in May 1940. You won't learn this from the copious instruction leaflet because it does not include a history of the ship. In the 1944 fit portrayed here there are 4.7in guns in A and X positions and a hedgehog in B, the Y position being used for deph charge stowage. The forward set of quadruple TTs is present but the aft is gone and is again devoted to DC stowage. AA armament is six 20mm in bridge wings, between the funnels and on the ex-searchlight platform aft of the tubes. Radar antenna 291(?)
at foremast head and a 271 on the bridge, HF/DF on a short mainmast.
Each of these kits has just the parts you need to make the ship in the designated fit. Thus Garland has four sprue frames. Frame A is the only one which is common between all six ships. It has the hull part, one piece, very securely mounted in the frame, no risk of warpage here. The other parts on frame A are boats, deckhouses, one funnel and two 4.7 turrets. Frame C has a main deck specialised for the escort configured ships, with slots for the DC stowage, DC racks, gun decks. Frame H has the aft funnel, one set of tubes, a boat, carley rafts, more DCs and a 20mm platform. Frame H has a forecastle deck without breakwater and an early flat-front bridge in three parts.
There is a small decal sheet which is common to all the kits and includes a tiny Polish ensign.
Each kit has its own PE set. You'd better like PE because there are no alternative plastic parts for bridge wings and splinter shields. You get 20mm shields and shoulder rests, 271 lantern, all ladders, no aztec steps here. Of course there are railing too.
The instruction , well, it's almost a book, eight pages, again dedicated to the ship and fit with many CAD-derived illustrations, PE bending details and a rigging scheme. The colour guide has port and starboard and overhead views.
Moulding quality is good, not short-run in any way, it compares well with Tamiya's E-class which was the only game in town for an injected 1/700 A to I. It compares pretty well to Flyhawk too, at half the price of the standard kits and a quarter of the Deluxe versions. As far as I could measure it is very close to correct at least in length. 2mm shorter than the Tamiya, which is right where it ought to be, Es being 6ft longer overall.
HMS Ithuriel 1942
[attachment=0]ithuriel.png[/attachment]
Ithuriel was a Turkish I-class. Four I-class-like ships were building for turkey when the war began. Two were in fact sent to Turkey, two were bought into the RN, Ithuriel (the name of an angel in Paradise Lost, in case you were wondering) and Inconstant. The Turkish ships were mostly the same as the RN ships but differed in a few details. Gun directors, the lack of a breakwater ahead of A turret and in the case of this kit having quadruple tubes instead of the quintuples the I-class had. The ship was heavily involved in the war in the Mediterranean. The kit has her in 1942 fit, with full armament, four 4.7in and 2 x quadruple TTs, 6 x 20mm in bridge wings, between the funnels and on the aft deckhouse. My references do not agree on the quintuple tubes, but the ones supplied are quads, NOT quins with the centre tube removed which was a later modification to save topweight.
This kit has only two frames, the universal A frame and a frame G with both decks (both different from the Garland decks), two 4.7 turrets, the two sets of tubes and the later angled bridge front, good for I-class, Hero and Hereward of the H-class and the Brazilian Hs too. The forecastle deck has no breakwater, which seems to be correct from pictures of Ithuriel but not for Inconstant. PE, decals and instruction as with Garland.
Still to come: HMS Glowworm, G class but with quintuple tubes in 1938 fit but probably good for her short but glorious combat career, HMS Hotspur 1941, a standard H class, HMS Harvester 1943, a Brazilian contract H class in an earlier escort configuration than Garland and HMS Ilex, a standard I class, should have quin tubes but maybe only one set and a 12 pdr AA in the aft position.
These kits are highly recommended at around 20 dollars each. I'm very impressed by the provision of just the right decks for the ship's configuration rather than a one size and layout fits all. I'm a little disappointed by the lack of optional parts which is the natural result. However, when all six ships are issued any A to I class destroyer except the leaders will be easily modelled in plastic for the first time in this scale.
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