1:350 HMS Abercrombie (Trumpeter 05336)

Flyhawk 1:350 wooden deck, HMS Abercrombie

An accessory for ship modelers in 1:350 scale from the Flyhawk brand. It is a deck of thin wood veneer, cut to the shape of the decks of the British monitor HMS Abercrombie. The deck is prepared for one specific kit of this ship in 1:350 scale, so it need not fit other models. The ship kit is not included in the package. The veneer carries the grain of real planks, so once laid it has a depth that cannot be achieved by painting plastic.

The real subject

A monitor was a ship built for a single purpose: to shell the coast with heavy guns. Abercrombie carried two 381 millimeter guns in a turret on a low, broad hull that had a deep draft and little speed but stood up to torpedoes superbly. She was committed to the landings in Sicily and in Italy, where her fire reached deep inland, and she was damaged by mines.

Use

• strip the engraved detail off the plastic deck and level it flat
• offer the veneer up dry and check that it lines up with the superstructures and the openings
• lay it section by section from the center outward and press it down with a flat tool
• once laid, the wood only needs evening out with a matte varnish; painting it is unnecessary
• work the edges around the perimeter with a fine point so that nothing stands proud
• once finished, weather the area only lightly; a new deck looks too clean

The set is intended for more experienced modelers. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package, unless stated otherwise.