I can not decide what ship to build for the ship campaign. I cant decide between the Tamiya USS NJ or one of the Panda modern destroyers. Both are high quality kits and the panda comes with photo etch so I can try it out. The Panda is much cheaper but much smaller and I might end up blasting thourgh it, but not leaving enough time to start another ship. Hmmmm....

Well Scunge , I thought about your question for quite awhile. Both ships would be fun builds. But for a first build, I would suggest building the Panda modern destroyer. I think what you learn by building the Panda kit will make building the Jersey later on much more enjoyable.

Just my 2 clams.

Garry

thanks a lot garry. Which ever one I choose will be my second ship, having just completed a fletcher. I might try to get both and do the Panda kit for the group build and the NJ or some other battleship for the campaign

Scunge:

Depending on the amount of detail you gonna do would be the choice here.
If you are planning on detailing Tamiya's Jersey out with all the goodies. (I am asuming that is the 1/350 Jersey). The ship fall practically togather on it's own. It is the masking and the painting, and all the PE that takes up all the time.

I built one not too far back and did it strictly OOB. It took me about 2 months to to get the thing done. I'm slow but if I added the time up it took just to build it it tool maybe about 3 weeks just to glue the thing. the rest of the time was for masking and painting. There is so much detail on the thing OOB. It's amazing.
I have a Missouri on the bench now with all the goodies.. and I have yet to glue a deck to the hull..
In here somewhere is a thread about how long it takes. I broke it down.. I think Tread asked the question but I can't find the link. I wrote as a tongue and cheek post but most of it was true about what i went through..
I know I am babbling at the mouth here but i hope it helps you make the tough call you need to make.
I would go with the Panda First since you have all the stuff there and the time factor. or you could work on the two at once.. Now that would be an amazing feat of modelling.
HTH
Paul

Call it I got 3 months for the NJ and an extra couple of weeks head start on the Panda. It could be done.