Hi Crew,

It's been a slow start, and still moving at No Wake Speed and yet here's the beginning of my Flyhawk Campbeltown build.




This model has some minute parts - and then there are the photo-etch!

More pix soon.

Looks like you're off to a great start Fred! The parts are tiny...but nicely detailed! Looking forward to seeing what you make of her!

I have the Flyhawk Ward kit, but I have not started it yet. I will be ship modeling vicariously through you!

I also have this kit and will be watching this build. It sure does look small, I think my fingers are bigger than the hull.

Ha! Mine too, at least it won't take up much display space!

One update per month? Not as often as I'd like but, hey, RM Roma wasn't built in a day.

This model is a dichotomy for me. Flyhawk has created an extraordinary model of Campbeltown and this kit is their deluxe version of it. Part of the deluxe are the many p/e and milled brass superdetail parts. Some of those are individually turned brass bitts and plates to mount them into.

Per the instructions I carved four sets of bitts off the bow. Then over the next 90 minutes I assembled four little sets of brass bitts and affixed them to the model. That I accomplished with bright light, Optivisor magnification, needle-sharp curved tweezers by Wilder, and CA. And lots of consternation.


If you tackle this kit, let me strongly suggest two tips. Carve away the bitts before you glue the deck into the hull. Then use a box to assemble these items and place them on the ship. Have all the loose parts and the model in the box. Have some noisy paper laying underneath so if you drop a bitt out of the box, you can perhaps hear it hit the paper.

Another thing I noticed is that the anchor chain is so thin that I can deform it by blowing on it! Fine etching, indeed.

I hope you have more pictures soon.

Hi Fred,

Never built a FlyHawk kit, looks to be pretty good.
Really like the t/b bollards.

Good luck with the build.

Harry

I am sure glad I chose the non deluxe version. I will watch how you tackle this micro wonder I also have the Mirage 1/400 (along with the real old Revell 1/240?) kit buried in the stash.

Cheers

Nice work! Thanks for the heads up that info was worth the wait, looking forward to more.

It takes a month to find the tiny pieces when you drop them my friend! Looking great Fred! The Premium version is the way to go, even if you don't use all of the bling added to the kit. At least it is all there if you need/want it! Keep up the good work....looking forward to see this come about!

If I was to use the PE and brass bitts (I built this model, but not this deluxe version) I would assemble them (the bitts) first before cutting the molded-on ones from the hull. That way, if I lost any of the brass parts (the bitt posts are not much bigger than a grain of sand) and had to abort that plan, I would still have the plastic ones intact.

Biggles, Harry, John, Robbie, Todd,

Thanks for looking. Biggles, that is sound advice: ...I would assemble them (the bitts) first before cutting the molded-on ones from the hull.

Robbie, Revell's was a wonder model for me. I built it before I started painting and it survived long into that era of mine before finally succumbing to firecrackers. I just bought another, 1969 version, still in shrinkwrap. I plan to start it soon as a fun build.

I'll be back with more soon.

It is funny you say that, my earlier builds in my younger years ended up under the firecracker and/or bb-gun. I think I built the entire Revell (and others) catalog only to have them meet their demise floating on a creek, ditch or perched on a tree stump to be blown up and/or shot at. It is sad, have you seen the prices for those old Revell kits - USS Kearsage, CSS Alabama, Thermopylae to name a few. Egads, I could of retired by now if I hung onto those kits.

I will be watching this to see how you handle all those microscopic parts. I wonder how many watch repair/jewelers are now modelers

Cheers

Nice work, Frederick. Those tiny bitts are gorgeous!