introduction

Artist Hobby is a fairly new company to the modeling world specializing in detailed photo etching in the 1/700 scale realm. Comprised of a team of Senior Photo Etching Designers, Artist Hobby is able to render highly detailed etches from prints along with listening to their customers to meet the expectations of the modeling world.

The kit

Artist Hobby’s photo etch set AH 270003 Warspite in WWI (1914-1918) is specifically made for Trumpeter’s 1/700 scale HMS Warspite kit model number 05780. Designed on the drawing and photographs of the original ship along with the specifications of the model, the parts included in this set will take the kit model and enhance its appearance greatly. The Artist Hobby kit is packed with a tremendous amount of photo etch parts spread out over 8 sheets into one nice little package. Along with the photo etch sheets this kit contains resin part and turned brass parts as well. If you are into ship building and specifically 1/700 scale, you will be amazed at what this kit offers.

Inside the Box

The Warspite in WWI set comes in a sturdy flip top box with graphics on all sides with a brief showing on the underside to what is in the box. Upon opening the box you are greeted with the four, two-sided pages of instructions. The AH 270003 Set is actually made up of a total of three sets sold by Artist Hobby for the Trumpeter Warspite kit; AH170007, AH170008 and AH170009. Looking past the instructions, next to be removed from the box, is a lovely flip top divided plastic organizer. This was interesting to find in a photo etch kit but the reason is soon apparent when you begin to manufacture the tiny components from the set you will need the storage unit to hold all the delicate parts as they are constructed. Last to come out of the box is the 8 shiny brass sheets of photo etching. If you have never had the chance to work with 1/700 scale photo etching or any scale photo etching for that matter, you will want to take you time and familiarize yourself with all the parts and cross reference the parts from the photo etch set with that of the plastic kit instructions.

Now that everything is out of the box here is a quick list of the contents of the AH 270003 Set:

1 – Divided plastic organizer
8 – Mk 15”/42 turned brass barrels
14 – M XII 6”/45 BL turned brass barrels
2 – Cast resin 3” Mark I guns
2 – Cast resin 6”/45 BL Mark XII
16 – Cast resin searchlights
8 – Sheets of Photo Etch parts
4 – 2-sided instruction sheets

Once you get past looking at the exquisitely turned, hollowed out main 15” and 6” barrels you will begin to look over the 8 finely etched sheets of parts. There is 765 photo etch parts over the 8 sheets…yes, I counted them. I will briefly run through the sheets and what is offered in the set.

The first sheet I looked at is labeled AH 170008. This is the main turret detail set. This sheet contains four sets of top riveted plates to enhance the main turrets along with ladders for accessing the tops of the turrets. For a short period of the Warspite’s early life there was grating mounted to the B and X turrets. Also, this sheet contains the two deck mounted 6”/45 BL Mark XII gun shields and two 3” Mark I gun mounts.

Sheet A, labeled for the individual set AH 170007, was next up for a look. There is two side plates for the aft section of the lower superstructure with the embossed name of the ship on them, just like on the real ship, various ladder works and gangway ladders, davits, square aft potholes with covers and some of the anti-torpedo netting rigs.

Sheet B, labeled for the individual set AH 170007, has a multitude of deck railings, anchors, two configurations for the forward breakwater, two of the anti-torpedo netting rigs and some of the many port holes.

Sheet C. labeled for the individual set AH 170007, contains 150 portholes, the anchor chain plates, anchor chains and two sets of railings.

Sheet A, labeled for the individual set AH 170009, contains the complete sections for the lower aft superstructure base, many cable and hose reels, water tight doors and small storage lockers.

Sheet B, labeled for the individual set AH 170009, Contains mast spars and rigging, funnel top grating and detail ribbing, range finding clocks, main mast frame works, the bridge house and two choices of crane rigging for the aft mast.

Sheet C, for the individual set AH 170009, The bulk of the top rail detail works for all of the life boats, oars and deck supports for all of the lifeboats is contained on this sheet.

Sheet D, for the individual set 170009, contains two configurations for the starfish observation deck, bases for the spotlights, remaining lifeboat top rail details and supports along with wind breakers that were originally installed on both funnels and forward mast.

The instructions

All of the instructions for the AH 270003 are printed on heavy stock paper and are in color. The instruction for assembly is shown with exploded view pictures, step by step showing the bends and all attachment points. Each page of the instructions are labeled to correspond with the photo etch sheets as these are sold separately as well as in this set.

Part one refers to the photo etch sheets labeled A, B and C under the kit number AH 170007. Outlined on the two page instruction is the installation of the railing on the weather deck of the ship, the breakwater shield just forward of the A turret, anchors, gangway ladders, anchor chain deck plates, various superstructure parts and the placement of the torpedo net rigs.

Part two refers to the photo etch sheet labeled AH 170008, the turned brass barrels and resin upgrade parts. Outlined on this two page instruction sheet is the construction of the Hotchkiss 3-pdr deck guns, top plating for the 15 inch gun turrets and barrel installation, construction of the airplane grating that was installed on top of the B and X turrets, constriction of the 3 inch Mark I deck guns and the construction of the 6 inch BL Mark XII deck guns.

Part 3 refers to the photo etch sheet labeled A, B, C and D for the AH 170009 set outline the construction of all of the life boats and officers’ launches, the starfish platforms on the fore and aft masts, crane and railing sections for various superstructure parts. There is a small separate instruction sheet for Part 4 which show two different configurations of the funnel and mast wind deflectors.

Conclusion

This is one incredible photo etch kit for improving Trumpeter’s HMS Warspite. There are hundreds of parts and most are extremely delicate as well as tiny. If you are unfamiliar with photo etch, construction and installation of these types of parts, you may want to get plenty of practice before tackling this set. There are a few complex parts, like the various superstructure parts that can be tricky at best to bend and secure. As with anything else, research and take your time and you will end up with a beautiful static display model. I was fortunate to have had the chance to review Trumpeter’s 1/700 Warspite (seen [url= http://inscale.org/public/?p=4191]HERE[/url]) and I am really looking forward to building the ship and complimenting her with Artist Hobby’s AH270003 HMS Warspite in WWI (1914-1918) Photo Etch Detail Set.

Please take the time to visit the Artist Hobby website to check out there other products - Artist Hobby

Keep your eyes open for more upcoming reviews. Artist Hobby’s 1/700 HMS Tiger in WWI (1914-1918) and 1/700 USS DDG-51 Arliegh Burke.

Great Warspite References:

http://www.warspite.dk/

http://www.wunderwaffe.narod.ru/Magazine/BKM/QE/Draw/index.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Warspite_(03)

1/700 HMS Warspite Review - http://inscale.org/public/?p=4191