Dragon

1/700 H.M.S. Sheffield Type 42 Destroyer Batch 1 (Premium Edition "2 in 1"), 25th Falklands War anniversary

Kit Number: DRA 7071

Reviewed by  Rod Lees, IPMS# 10821

MSRP: $27.95 www.dragonmodelsusa.com For those who are unaware, a real, (albeit short) shooting war occurred in early 1982 between Argentina and Great Britain. At the time I was one year (i.e. freshly commissioned) in the USAF, and we watched proceedings with much interest. This was before CNN and live satellite coverage for the non-participants to assist in televised judging those doing the hard job… It involved a massive logistics tail across the Atlantic, extremely long range flights of combat aircraft, and a lot of expended munitions. It was a war of firsts; one unique aspect was a U.S. designed helicopter, built in the U.K. and powered by turbine engines (Wessex HAS 3 XP142 , "Humphrey"), was credited with depth charging and seriously damaging one former U.S. submarine, the "Santa Fe" (previously in U.S.N. service as a Balao class sub, U.S.S Catfish, SS-339); after the rest of the Royal Navy joined in the attack, the damage was extensive enough the sub was beached, and later deemed past salvage and scuttled. Vulcan bombers also held a record, at the time, for the longest conventional bombing missions of any war, flying over 8000 Nautical miles round-trip, exclusively over water, to their targets and back. And the Sheffield, the subject of this build, had the unfortunate title as first British ship sunk during the conflict. This occurred on the 4th of May, when Sheffield is hit by an Exocet missile launched by Argentine Super Entendard fighters, and subsequently sinks. Plenty of web resources and opinions are available; feel free to read more there. The Dragon kit is the first I have built in this scale. I tend to build 1/350 ships because, well, my old hands just don't care for holding the super small bits. Add to the mix almost microscopic photoetch, and I am in modelers' hell. However, I never turn down a challenge, and when Dave offered this kit as a build, I took the bait. First: I like Dragon kits. They have excellent detail and the molding is something I've not had much difficulty with. The 1/48 JU-88 series held no fear for me; Just apply modeling skills and you have an '88. I've built one or two of their armor kits, and was pleased. Same for their ships and submarines. The Sheffield was an easy build in that it (1) fit well, and (2) looks good when complete. I constructed the model in three days, (one for the photoetch) and took an evening to paint it. What is not in the photos is the Sea Lynx helicopter, because I've never seen one just sitting on the fantail of one of these ships. Photoetch rotors are, by they way, included for the strong-willed among us. On the ship I left off the lower prop shafts, props, and rudders, as I intend to do a small at sea diorama. This kit appears to have been originally designed for waterline construction, but the lower hull and associated machinery are included in this kit. A stand with a "Sheffield" name plate is also included. This was the only part of the kit requiring filler; the lower and upper hull parts didn't like each other much; a smear of white putty, a sanding stick and it's done. I used the enclosed photoetch rails for the kit, but did not use the aerial masts as that would have seriously taxed my sanity. I know many others can work with 1/700 micro bits, but I am not one of them. Stupid lesson one: I bent three rails beyond repair just removing them from the fret. Rule for the day: Use a curved blade on the glass and roll the blade over the attachment tag. Do NOT drag it over the tag. This is where the "combo" of the kit comes in; the instructions state you can build the Sheffield, or the "Hercules" of the Armada Republica Argentia (their spelling, I don't know). Painting is generic; I followed the instructions for an OOB build of the Sheffield because of it's historic place in the war. I used Dark Ghost Gray for the superstructure and hull, and Ocean Gray for the deck surfaces. Shoot me for not researching the exact colors, it looks good to my eye. Paint yours pink if you want. My assessment: An excellent project. Photoetch I didn't have to obtain from aftermarket is a plus for me. The subject was well done and there are myriad gun turrets left over for other projects for those so inclined. A pleasant weekend build. Well done to Dragon, and a gracious "Thank You!" for the review kit.

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