This kit is comprised of the resin sub hull, with nicely cut details, and two PE brass frets for bow fins, stern fins, rudder, and prop guard. The stand is also assembled from photo-etched brass, to keep it in scale with the diminuative submarine:
Assembly is straightforward. Resin pour-stub was removed and received minimal putty to smooth out.
The hull is beautifully cast and required no other putty. PE is provided for rudder, bow and tail fins, propeller, and prop guard. Circular prop guard and propeller not yet mounted:
Having a hard time imagining that your US or Soviet Cold War Task Force collection needs to have a 206-a in the mix? Check out this photo from a joint naval exercise in the Caribbean, taken by Type 206-a U-24:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Uss_e ... by_U24.jpg
Sez Wiki: "The Type 206 is a class of diesel-electric submarines (U-boats) developed by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche-Werft AG (HDW). Its design is based on the preceding Type 205 submarine class. These small and agile submarines were built during the Cold War to operate in the shallow Baltic Sea and attack Warsaw Pact shipping if the war turned hot. The pressure hulls were built out of non-magnetic steel to counter the threat of magnetic naval mines and make detection with MAD sensors more difficult.
"ProgrammeTen Type 205 submarines were constructed between 1962 and 1968 with hulls constructed of a new non-magnetic steel. The early boats, however, suffered from cracking due to stress corrosion and an urgent programme was initiated to develop a new steel which overcame these problems, which received much publicity at the time. The new high-strength, non-magnetic, austenitic steel has greater elasticity and good dynamic strength, and has proved very satisfactory in service, thoroughly overcoming the doubts that were raised by those early problems, although it has never been selected by IKL's many export customers and thus remains unique to German Navy submarines. Subsequently, the Type 206 was designed by IKL in 1964-65 and a production order was placed on 7 June 1969 for eight from Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel and ten from Rheinstahl Nordseewerke in Emden.
"Of the 18 submarines built for the Bundesmarine (West German Navy), 12 were modernized in the early 1990s and were re-designated as Type 206A; the others have been decommissioned. The current German Navy is starting to decommission some 206A vessels, with more of the new Type 212 submarines being commissioned. In June 2010 the Ministry of Defence announced that all six remaining vessels were to be retired from active service immediately and to be decommissioned by the end of 2010 to cut costs.[1]
"A slightly modified variant of the Type 206 (which includes the distinctive dome, or bulge, in the front of the boat), the Gal-class submarine for the Israeli Navy was built to Israeli specifications as the Vickers Type 540 in the UK rather than Germany for political reasons. Three such boats were built, the first being commissioned in 1976. When the Israeli navy received its new Dolphin-class submarines (also built by HDW), the Gals were retired. As of 2006, one had been scrapped and two had been sent to HDW in an attempt to find a buyer for them. When no buyer was found, one of the submarines was returned to Israel for display in the Haifa naval museum.
The low emission profile allowed the submarines in exercises to intrude even into well protected opposing forces such as carrier formations with their screen."
