1:700 Imperial Chinese Navy 'Chao Yung&Yang Wei' (For S-Model PS700003)

Chao Yung and Yang Wei veneer deck, 1:700 scale, Artwox Model

An accessory to a plastic kit, not a model of the ship. The set is intended for the pair of sister cruisers given in the name and is cut to the shape of the decks of one particular kit. The veneer has the printed laying of the planks and a self-adhesive back, so it is stuck on without glue.

The real subject

The Chao Yung and the Yang Wei were cruisers of the Imperial Chinese Navy from the beginning of the 1880s, built at Elswick in Britain. They belonged to the type of fast, lightly built cruiser with disproportionately heavy main armament, two large-caliber guns in shields at the bow and at the stern. Both ships were lost in 1894 at the Battle of the Yalu River. For a modeler they are an unusual subject from a period when the design of warships changed from year to year.

Gluing tips

A small cruiser in 1:700 scale means decks a few centimeters in size and segments of veneer a couple of millimeters wide. So handle them with flat-jawed tweezers, not with your fingers: once a piece is stuck down you will not move it again. Pull the film off the back with the tip of a scalpel and carry the piece on a needle or a toothpick with a drop of wax. Do not guess the overlap around the outline but trim it with a new blade once it is glued on, with the edge of the deck supported. Smaller areas dry and age faster, so be careful with a wash: at a format this small a very thinned mixture is enough.

Who the deck is for

• Builders of historic cruisers of the end of the 19th century.
• Modelers who collect less usual subjects outside the mainstream.
• Those who have a steady hand and enjoy working with small parts.
• Anyone interested in 1:700 scale who wants the texture of real wood even on a small model.

This is an accessory to a plastic kit, not a model of the ship. The kit, glue and paints are not included in the package.