The Heller of France company has a extensive line of warships in the 1/400 scale. These kits often get past by for the more well none Tamiya 1/350 kits, and also the 1/700 kits made by several other companies. I think a lot of modelers are realy missing out by not taking a closer look at these kits! In 1/400, they are very close to the size of the 1/350 kits. They are not up to the quality of Tamiya kits, but they hold there own! Detail is good on most of there kits. Fit is ok, one might have to trim a little extra flash off the parts, but no big deal! The hulls on these kits are the 2 piece halves that you glue together, again this is know trouble , the fit is good. And I have never had to use any putty on the seams! The kits build into very nice models. And a plus to these kits is that they all come with brass anchor chains. And Heller makes ships in this scale that no other company makes in a large scale. If it seems like I am trying to sell heller kits, it is only that I think modelers are missing out on some realy nice models of interesting ships in a large scale! I have built most of them , and I realy like them! And they are a very affordable value.

Here is a list of kits that they offer.

Jeanne D'arc, modern french helicopter carrier.
Maille Breze 1950's french Cruiser.
Torpedoboot T23, German Torpedo boat.
Zerstorer, German Z class Destroyer, WW-2.
Mar Ceau, French Torpedo boat, 1940's.
Duquesne, Modern French Destroyer.
LCT & LSU Landing craft WW-2.
VIIC German U-boat.
DKM Graf Spee pocket battleship.
DKM Lutzow (Dutchland) Pocket battleship.
DKM Admiral Sheer Pocket battleship.
DKM Bismarck.
DKM Tirpitz.
DKM Sharnhorst BC.
DKM Gniesenau BC.
DKM Prinz Eugen CA.
Charles De Gaulle Aircraft carrier.
Clemeneau French aircraft carrier.
Foch, French aircraft carrier.
Le Doutable, Modern French submarine.
HMS Hood BC.
HMS King George V BB.
HMS Prince of Wales BB.
HMS Illustrious WW-2 Carrier.
Richelieu French Battleship.
Colbert, French Escort ship.
La Fayette Modern French Frigate(New)

I think the Heller kits offer somthing for every one.
Just passing on a good thing mates!

Cheers,

Garry

Hey!

I have the Foch and the Clemenceau!

It was another one of those "I inherited it" deals. I've been wanting to build them...but I need to buy some aircraft to go with them.

I've got a couple of the landing caft ship kits. I even attempted one a number of years back. I don't recall why I stopped building it... maybe I lost interest but, I seem to recall some fit issues. Perhaps it was me as I'm not really into ships other than to just look at.

I haven't had very good luck with Heller kits generally even up until a year or so ago. I doubt that I would ever buy another kit of theirs.

Howdy Kevin!
I realy do agree with you about some of the Heller kits. Mainly there aircraft kits, crude and lots of fit problems. I never have built any of there armor, but I hear that it is not all that great. There WW-2 warships are another story, I like them. The only one that bad is there HMS Hood. It needs a lot of work and also has inaccurate shapes and fittings. There Richelieu, Prinz Eugen and there Pocket Battleships are there best efforts, and build up realy nice!

Thanks for your input!

Garry

There is a Polish company calledMirage that makes all the varieties of the Type I, VII and IX class U-boots. They are qiuite nice for $6 kits. Wish someone would make a few 350 scale U-boots beyond the Type XXi

I never forgot Heller

I offer many barrels sets for this line

I just completed the KGV class super set with mains and 5.25 with brass common axle

I have 2 sets left at the 12% off list price

I'll be doing a Hood superset soon too for the heller 1/400th

They do have one really sweet aircraft kit though...and well worth the money. Their Lockheed Super G Connie....she's a honey!

As for fit of the ships, I dry fitted the hull and flight decks of both the Foch and Clemenceau and there didn't seem to be a problem. The only disappointment in them that I found were some of the parts were a bit clunky and blobbish, but other than that, it seemed ok.

Oh..I guess those are 1/400th aircraft I need for those two carriers.

Who makes nicest set that would include Super Entendards?

Hey Steven , I agree. That Connie is a sweety! As also there C-54 is, and they are the only company that makes them. They do go out on a limb to make kits thats others wont touch. I like that!



Garry

Yes~
I have the Graff Spee, the Schanhurst, and the
Richelieu!!
And will be hitting up Steve for barrels!
Ron

mains for all of those are done
some of the secondary too; I am about to do the secondary for the french in 1/700th for Pavel at JAG

so a rescale and the Heller Jean Bart/Strasbourg sets become super sets

The Charles de Gaulle is only a one piece hull, but no brass chain either, but about 1/5 the cost of a 1/350 carrier, it expanded a little at the top of the hull, and has to be brought back in.

Now that won't be much trouble to pull the top of the hull back in, as soon as I figure the hanger hight, I'll glue in a few supports across for a floor, and that will bring the top in.
Kerry

I'll repeat my plea here since it is appropriate to the thread topic.

There is a Heller 1/400 ship called the Duguay and since that' smy last name, I'd love to build one for me and one for my dad.
The only place I've seen one is a well stocked shop 2+hrs from here and they want $40 for it.

None on ebay for a while either..

Hoping someone has one they'll part with or knows of a shop with one on the shleves for less than 40 clams.

Mike

This place in Canada has it listed for around $16 USD


http://www.udisco.com/hobbies/inv/HELL04.htm