Greetings fellow ship modellers.

I have had the Flower Class Corvette sitting in my stash for at least 10 years now and I think it is time to start it. I have had a look at it and I think it would enjoy the attention of some seriou PE input, namely that from David Parsons in the UK. My question is has anyone out there used any of this PE and what is it like. Also, are there any other PE options out there? I had a look at the White Ensign sit ebut they don't appear to produce PE for the Flowers anymore.

Also, again, if anyone out there has any sets they no longer require and would like to offload I would be more than happy to discuss the terms of surrender of the items..

Regards
Warren

Not a case of White Ensign not producing PE for the 1/72 Flower class any longer: we never did. And we've never stocked the Great Little Ships sets as he won't sell to dealers. You'll have to deal direct with David.

Go for the great little ships sets Warren and buy as many as you can afford. I bought several sets a couple of years ago when I was building my "Snowberry".
David provides excellent and speedy service.
cheers,
Julian

Thanks for that Julian. Have you used them yet?

Partly,still havent finished The Snowberry completely. The hedgehog is great, I also bought two oerlikons and The pompom. À small portion of what is available.
Cheers,
Julian

Yes, I have been to the site and I need about AUD$440 to get a complete set. That is not really TOO bad as with the kit in the end it will cost about the same as the 1/350 Hasegawa Akagi with all it's updates like the wooden deck. We will see..

Are the kit parts really that bad?

Thanks again Julian.

Are they really that bad: by today's standards they are but don't forget that the model came on the market about 30 years ago. As a base to work from I consider it not too bad but it takes a lot of love and care to get a good result, (which is why my build came to a grinding halt just abaft of the funnel. I lost patience and it now lives in the sauna along with a couple of other projects that ground to a standstill).
cheers,
Julian

Hi Warren, hello Julian...I dont mean to but in, but I am building the Snowberry using all of the GLS sets currently. I agree..the kit parts arent really up to snuff( in my opinion).
The full GLS compliment for the ship is labour intensive, but I think it is exquisite.
Ive been focusing intensely on the build for the last six months going from bow to stern and im just now ready to add the bridge...they make a beautiful model...so far Ive used only a handful of kit parts, noteably the hull...cheers

Welcome aboard Jim, I have been meaning to add à note to your magnificent Flower Power builds. Great PE work and great paintwork ! Mine did not turn out like that
Cheers
Julian

Thanks Julian..I think if youre using the GLS sets your Snowberry will look great!..its just very labour intensive stuff..

Please feel free to butt in at anytime Sir! My Snowberry has been sitting in my stash for years and I think it is about time that I started on it. Well I glued the hull together years ago but that is a s far as I have gotten so far. I am not going to sand all the platting off and start again as I am more interested in the looks of the little ship above the hull..

I think I will start collecting the various sets asap. Which set would you suggest getting first?

I suggest starting with the Deck Set, the main screw, and the Scuttles if you are so inclined. I sat on my sets for quite some time before starting, just going through the construction process in my head and studying the diagrams. When using these sets, you really cant avoid sanding off the raised details...at least on the decks-it is required in order to mate the surfaces..


The next set to do would be the 4 pounder gun, then the bridge set, then the funnel set( although, have a look at how I did the funnel on HMCS Trillium)

the next after that would be the pom-pom, then the depth charge set and the depth charge detail set. Custom decals can be obtained from my good freind Darren at Resin Shipyard.

I started work on my ship starting at the bow, finishing at the stern, as in the kit instructions. To me it was the most logical approach..

I have no problem with sanding deck details etc, just not the hull plating...

I didnt sand the hull plating off completely ..I just sanded it down to a dull roar and took off that crazy keel.

I did wonder about that keel. Would be good for the radio controlled version, but not a static display item. I think I need some reference photos from somewhere of one being built or in dry-dock.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ro5jQzvD420&feature=player_embedded
heres a link for you showing a corvette on the slipway...it shows the keel and the boot really well...