¹⁄700

PLAN Shi Lang

Chinese Carrier Shi Lang...

MFG: Trumpeter
Scale: 1/700
Medium: Plastic, resin, PE
Artist: David J. Salvin

The Chinese purchased the former Soviet carrier, Varyag, from the Ukraine in 1998 for about $20 million dollars (US). The Varyag was the newer, sister ship to the Russian Kuznetsov. But the Ukraine government had never finished the carrier after the fall of the Soviet Union and had tried to sell it to various concerns. As a result, the carrier fell into a state of disrepair.

The Chinese bought the carrier and indicated that the holding company that had purchased it planned to tow it to China and make it a floating casino. This is a bit of a kit bash using the Trumpeter Admiral Kuznetsov to start, but adding the resin island “upgrade” kit from dream model. This island’s resin isn’t particularly well poured, and comes with PE railings that don’t quite fit the actual dimensions of the decks. I replaced most of the railings with the much better Lion Roar Soviet Ships pack. Also added were the new weapons systems installed by the Chinese. These were resin upgrade kits as well.