1:350 HMS Exeter (Trumpeter 05350)

Flyhawk 1:350 wooden deck, HMS Exeter

An accessory for modelers of ships in 1:350 scale from the brand Flyhawk. It is a deck of thin wood veneer, cut to the shape of the decks of the British heavy cruiser HMS Exeter. The deck is prepared for one particular kit of this cruiser in 1:350 scale, so it may not fit other models. The kit of the ship is not included in the package, and the set is not assembled, only glued onto the finished plastic deck. The veneer carries the grain of real planks, so once it is glued down the deck has a depth that painting plastic cannot achieve.

The real subject

HMS Exeter went down in history with the Battle of the River Plate in December 1939, where together with two light cruisers she attacked the German pocket battleship Admiral Graf Spee. She suffered heavy damage in the fight but forced her opponent to withdraw to Montevideo, where the crew decided to scuttle the ship. Exeter herself was sunk in 1942 in the Java Sea.

Use

• clear the plastic deck of engraved detail and level it flat
• lay the veneer on dry and check that it meets the superstructure and the openings
• glue it in sections from the center toward the edges, pressing with a flat tool
• once glued down, the wood need only be evened out with a matte varnish; there is no need to paint it
• finish the edges around the perimeter with a fine point so that nothing stands proud

The set is intended for more experienced modelers who are building a ship model with an emphasis on detail. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.