Piping Aboard

HMS Campbeltown 1942 Deluxe Edition is a new 1/700 model from Flyhawk. It is item 1105.

This multi-media model consists of injection-molded styrene, turned brass and photo-etched brass parts, and rigging filament by Uschi.

Stand watch because this model will soon move into the assembly phase!

Deluxe Campbeltown

Flyhawk has molded another incredible model. The plastic parts are sharply molded with no flash, visible ejector marks or sink marks. Some pieces do have seam lines and yet I only noticed them under strong magnification.

There are 223 parts to build this model:

90 x Gray plastic parts
97 x Brass P/E
22 x Brass P/E
13 x turned brass
1 x Uschi rigging
Decals

Those pieces are held on 15 sprues:

A. Upper hull
B. Waterline hull
C. Hull bottom
D. Life rafts, propeller shafts, screws, rudder
E. Campbelltown main deck, bulkheads, fixtures and equipment, platforms
F-J. Superstructures, weather decks and platforms, fittings, stacks
K. Superstructures, platforms, fittings
GB06. Life rafts
GB23. Oerlikon 20 mm cannons x 2
FH1105S A. Photo-etch
FH1105S B. Photo-etch

Sprues A-D are for a Wickes Class vessel. Sprue E is specific for HMS Campbeltown.

For a model destroyer only a tad over 5 inches long, that's a battleship worth of pieces!

Detail

What makes this model a deluxe edition? The turned brass and P/E frets I suppose. Fret A is amazing in that it not only holds ship parts, it contains 50 British Commandos, with webbing detail etched into them! Fret B holds the base for the ship to rest upon.

Those wee Oerlikons are molded with gun sights, shoulder mounts, and pedestals. Campbeltown main armaments also feature fascinating surface detail.

The upper hull has plate and porthole detail molded along the freeboard.

While the main deck has many hatches and stowage lockers molded on, there are dozens of plastic parts to add. Minuscule dogs and hinges are molded onto hatches and doors. Cowl vents and dorade boxes are separately molded, as are some windlasses and winches. Even the life rafts feature interior detail.

The pole mast has a fine diameter. P/E enhances masts and staffs. Photo-etch includes the usual maritime components: railing; anchors; ladders; supports; staffs. The 20mm guns are embellished with P/E shields. Then there is the one-piece P/E brass stand for to display the model upon.

Additional metal parts are the brass bollards for the deck and the single 4in/50 gun barrel.

Finally, Flyhawk includes a length of popular Uschi rigging fiber. A remarkable mount of detail that does count as "deluxe" to me. I think I will need my magnifier to work on this model due to the small pieces.

Instructions and painting

I love Flyhawk's instructions. The single-paper multi-fold is beautifully and clearly illustrated with line art enhanced with color-coded.

Seven colors are presented to paint the ship for the St Nazaire Raid. Five brands of paint are keyed: Tamiya, Mr. Hobby, WEM Colourcoats, and two written in an Asian alphabet.

Launch!

Sorry to enthuse about this model but every Flyhawk model I have examined so far has impressed me immensely. This kit does so with just its plastic molding. The metal and rigging additions that make this deluxe kit deluxe really enhance the kit.

Molding is excellent. The photo-etch and turned brass is sharp. Those 50 commandos are fascinating.

There is nothing substantial about this model that I can complain about. No doubt there are things about it I just don't see but I am satisfied with the model.

Flyhawk's HMS Campbeltown 1942 Deluxe Edition is impressive in every way important to me. I happily recommend it to those interested in this subject.

Please remember to mention to Flyhawk and retailers that you saw this kit here - on Model Shipwrights.