1/700 HMS Penelope 1940 Wooden Deck w/Masking Sheet & PE for Flyhawk kit FH1109S

The real subject

HMS Penelope was a British light cruiser of the Second World War. In 1:700 scale the model comes out slender and long, so every thin element stands out on it: railings, ladders, platforms and the grain of the deck planking. It is precisely these details that decide whether the finished ship looks like a model or like a miniature of the real thing.

What the set contains

The set brings together three different kinds of parts and each of them addresses a different weak point of the kit. The wooden deck replaces the plastic surface with real wood that has a grain of its own. The masking sheet serves to cover surfaces during spraying, so the transitions between colors come out sharp and without paint creeping under. The photo-etched parts add elements that in injection-molded plastic are necessarily many times thicker than the scale calls for.

Building and painting tips

Treat each part of the set differently. Dry fit the wooden pieces first and clear the base of any unevenness; check the method of attachment in the instructions from the manufacturer, as it differs with wooden decks. Stick the masking sheet on before spraying, press the edges down and take it off before the paint has cured completely so that it does not tear. Cut the photo-etched parts from the fret with a sharp blade on a hard surface, bend them in one movement across the full width of the part and glue them with cyanoacrylate applied with a pin; degrease the metal before painting and go over it with primer.

Who it is for

The set is intended for modelers who are building the Flyhawk kit number FH1109S and want to take it beyond the out-of-box state without hunting down three accessories separately. The kit, paints and glue are not included unless stated otherwise.