| This kit represents the British Battleship
Albemarle in her 1903 fit. This ship was a member of the Duncan
Class that was built to counter the ships that the Russian and French
fleets were building. She was a member of the 3rd Battle Squadron Grand
Fleet. Here early service was in the Mediterranean Sea. Transferring back
to the Atlantic Fleet until being placed in reserve. When World War One
broke out, Albemarle was recommissioned and joined the Grand Fleet. She
operated there until 1916 when she served as an icebreaker near Murmansk.
After the war, she was sold for scrap and broken up in 1919. |
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| HULL |
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| The Hull on this kit is yet another example of the fine casting that
Combrig is producing these days. The surface detail is extremely well done
with nicely cast bollards and chocks. The various deck hatches are well
done, and thankfully the anchor chain is left clean, so you can add real
chain (not included). The anchor capstans are cast separately as are several
deck fittings. |
click images
to enlarge
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| SUPERSTRUCTURE |
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| Superstructure parts also well detailed. They feature really nice surface
detailing. Where planking is used, it is well defined. Splinter shields
are thin, but well formed. The windows in the various parts really stand
out and have no flash or resin blobs. The funnels are hollowed out a bit
for a more realistic appearance. |
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| WEAPONS |
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| The main gun turrets are nicely shaped and the casting gate is on the
base. Thanks to the way the hull is molded you probably won't even need
to remove them as they fit nicely into the openings provided. The main
gun barrels are cast in resin and are nicely done. |
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| The small guns are very finely cast and delicate. Be careful when handling
them. |
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| SHIPS BOATS |
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| The ships boats are the best I've seen in this scale. They are almost
little scale models in themselves. The main launch has rudder detail cast
on. The steam launches have hollowed out funnels and vents and even the
planking on the bottom of the whaleboats can be made out. |
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| SMALL DETAIL ITEMS |
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| The kit includes many small fittings such as cable reels and anchors.
They are very well cast. The searchlights and other items feature many
of the most intricate detailing, especially when one considers these tiny
parts can barely be seen with the naked eye. |
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| Boat davits and cradles are well cast. The davits are surprisingly
durable for such thin parts. |
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| Several lengths are provided for the pole masts and booms. These are
OK, but for I would suggest replacing them with brass rod for strength. |
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| INSTRUCTIONS |
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| The Instructions are two pages done in the typical Combrig
style. A plan and elevation with specifications and historical info. A
bill of materials and pictures of the kit parts will help you identify
the parts. An exploded assembly view shows parts placement. These are the
weak point of the kit. Combrig has been working on their instructions,
but this is one of their earlier offerings.
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| CONCLUSIONS |
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 Yet
another high quality Combrig kit, and another fine addition to the early
war battleship fleets. This one features state of the art casting with
unbelievable detail. I wouldn't recommend this kit for a beginner, but
any one who has built a few ships should have no problems with this one.
At only $40.00 (US), this is a fantastic price for a ship of this size
and detail. It will make a fine addition to your Grand Fleet.
Thanks to Pacific
Front Hobbies website for the review sample. They carry the entire
line of Combrig ships and Bill Gruner has personally helped bring many
of these kits to the market.
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