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1/350 Premium Collection Graf Spee Turrets
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February 2024 |
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| One of the projects I am currently working on is my build of the Academy Models 1:350 scale Graf Spee kit. While I like the kit overall, it is admittedly lacking in detail in certain areas. One of those areas are the kit’s triple 28cm (11-inch) SK C/28 gun turrets. Now various photoetch producers have released dedicated detail sets for this specific kit which include parts to spruce up the kit turrets, but even then, they still lack a lot. With the advent of 3D printed parts, I knew the answer would be there. While Micro Master of New Zealand focuses on Royal Navy subjects, they have produced items for the Deutsche Kriegsmarine. However, there was nothing in their catalog for the Graf Spee. I reached out to Simon Percival directly in the latter part of 2023 to ask if he had plans to at least design and produce the Graf Spee’s main turrets and he said he would consider it after getting some other designs complete. Fast forward to January 2024 my request came to fruition and I immediately ordered a set. | |||||||||||||
Click to enlarge images |
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| THE PARTS | |||||||||||||
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The
turrets and separate barrels come on a printing raft with numerous thin
attachment points. The turrets themselves include details such as rivets,
open sighting hatches and periscopes. The rangefinders are integral to
the turret unlike the Academy kit offerings and the vertical ladders on
the turret sides look realistic. The barrels are printed separately which
will allow for any elevation the modeler would like.
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| CONCLUSIONS | |||||||||||||
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As
you can see when compared to the Academy kit turrets, the Micro Master
versions are far superior in terms of detail and are a welcome replacement.
I cannot speak to the Trumpeter kit’s turrets in term of detail or lack
thereof, but I am fairly sure that they would also be an improvement. The
set runs for $26.00 US and my order (which also included some Royal Navy
items – look for some future reviews) arrived in about 11 days, not bad
from New Zealand to Long Island, New York. You can check these and plenty
of other items in the Micro Master Premium Collection by click on the Micro
Master logo on the main Model Warships webpage.
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