Reviewed by Timothy Dike
| Sealine is one of the early Japanese Resin kit manufacturers. They produced some unique subjects that no one else had attempted to do. This used to be the only Virginia class CGN on the market, it is now out of production. These kits still turn up on E-bay and swap meets, so here is a look at what you get if you find one. | |
| The hull is fairly well cast though it lacks a lot of surface detail. Mine was pretty straight and had only a small amount of flash on the bottom. |
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| Superstructure parts are cast in several pieces. Some are right and left halves that have to been joined. I'm not a big fan of this type of construction and it leaves a rather large seam to fill. Surface detail is better on the superstructure than on the hull, but still a little on the shallow side. |  |
| Miscellaneous parts are cast on resin sprues similar to injection molding processes. The parts are pretty well cast with a thin layer of resin flash that needs to be removed. Plastic and brass rod is also provided for making some of the mast parts. |  |
| Instructions are two pages with exploded views on one side and plan and elevation views on the other. The views are adequate to figure out where everything goes, but an english translation would help explain the process. |  |
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| Conclusions:
I wouldn't work too hard to find one of these kits. It is an early example of how kits were cast. Today JAG has a Virginia Class CGN on the market that if far more detailed and easier to build. Seeing this kit gives me a far better appreciation of the amount of work that went into the masters and the quality of casting that takes place at JAG. |
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