Reviewed September 2021
by Martin J Quinn

HMS Aurora, an Arethusa-class light cruiser, was laid down at Portsmouth Dockyard in July 1935.  Launched in August 1936, she was commissioned in November 1937. 

For the first several years of the Second World War, Aurora served with the Home Fleet, participating in convoy escort duty, being involved in the Norwegian Campaign, and joining, at one time or another, searches for German warships, including Scharnhorst, Gneisenau and Bismarck.  Transferred to the Mediterranean in late 1941, she joined Force K and was involved in numerous altercations with Italian/German convoys to Africa, helping destroy more than one of these convoys.  She was also involved in the First Battle of Sirte in December 1941.   Shortly after this engagement, she struck a mine, necessitating repairs. 

After her repairs, she returned to the Med, joined Force H and participated in Operation Torch, the Allied landings in North Africa.   During this period, she sunk or drove ashore three Vichy French destroyers over the course of a few days.   Later, she was involved in the invasion of Sicily and the landings at Salerno, before operating in the Aegean Sea, where she was damaged by an aircraft bomb.   Repaired again, she was present for Operation Dragoon, the landings in the south of France, then returned to the Aegean, where she helped liberate the Greek capital of Athens. 

Sold to the Nationalist Chinese Navy in May 1948, and now named "Chonqing", she defected to the Communist in February 1949, but was sunk just a few weeks later, in March, by Nationalist aircraft.   Salvaged with help of the Russians, she spent her remaining years as an accommodation and warehouse ship, being scrapped sometime after 1965.

For more on Aurora, visit her Wikipedia page here, which is where this abridged history was pulled from.

The Flyhawk Aurora

Flyhawk’s 1/700 HMS Aurora comes in a black cardboard box with artwork showing Aurora underway, main battery turrets trained to starboard.   Inside the box is the usual copy of the box art, which is suitable for framing. Being a "Bonus" edition, along with the injection molded sprues, which are all wrapped in cellophane or enclosed in small plastic bags, you'll find an flat clear envelop with photo-etch and another with brass parts.   There is also a small plastic container containing 3D printed parts.   These enable you to make the "1941" version of Aurora.  Flyhawk has already kitted a 1945 version and Chinese version of the ship.  Rounding things out are the instructions - specific to the 1941 version - and a metal WL plate.

My box was heavily damaged in transit, resulting in damage to some of the contents.   

Included in the kit are a waterline plate, a lower hull and the upper hull.  The hull scales out pretty much perfectly in lenght and beam to the real ship.   My lower hull was damaged, with a significant bowing on the port side just about amidships.  Luckily the upper hull was not damaged.  The aforementioned upper hull has lots of nice detail on it - bollards, chocks, ladders, hull plating and eyebrows of the portholes.   In photographs it almost looks overstated - especially the hull plating.  However, to the naked Mk1 eyeball, it looks good.

DECKS

There are two parts that make up the deck.  Part E1 is the forward deck (fo'c'sle) and part F1 is the main deck.   The fo'c'sle has tread plating on the forward most section (this may be slightly overstated), anchor chains, a capstan, planking with butt ends, bollards, vents, hatches and cable reels.   These last items are the weakest item on either of the deck parts.

The detail on the main deck is similar - planking with butt ends, hatches and boat cradles.   The planking is especially nice.   Once painted, a wash will bring out all that detail. 

Flyhawk has a unique way  having "sprues" that consist of just one part in many of their offerings, and this kit is no different.  There are six separate superstructure/deckhouse parts, of various sizes, in the kit, all in in assorted bags.  Detail all around is quite good.  Parts M1 and O1 have planking (again with butts ends), while you'll also find W/T doors, piping, open hatches on the bulkheads and vents.  

The Q sprue has props, struts and shafts, rudder, boats, a small deckhouse and what look to be raised director towers.

There's more superstructure parts on this sprue, along with shelters for the secondary guns (these are nicely done), injected molded radar antenna for the secondary gun directors, prop guards (these might be the most underwhelming parts on the kit), a lantern radar and the main director tower.   While, overall, the detail is nice I actually found a little flash and raised mold seam on a few parts.  

 This small sprue if for the funnels, of which there are three, each a different height.   The extra funnel may be for one of the later versions of Aurora, or for the Penelope.   Detail is really nice, with what looks like riveted surface details and piping protruding up from the recessed funnel openings. 

This very small sprue has a small raised platform, what looks like a AA platform and another structure.

Here are the anchors, plastic crane and jib and breakwaters.  You'll definitely want to replace the crane with photo-etch.

Plastic supports for the boat deck.

Ready ammo boxes.  Each gas hinges and handles for each door.

There is a small set of decals in the kit. Here you’ll find several different versions of the White Ensign.

The instructions the usual Flyhawk format, in color and on heavy glossy paper. There is a manifest of all the parts, six steps detailing the build, and color chart and a the painting and marking guide. This shows both plan and profile (both port and starboard) and an overhead view of Aurora, painted in Mountbatten Pink.

This is Flyhawk’s 1/700 HMS Aurora, kit number FH1157.  Overall, it's a great little model.   The only downside to all of these upgrades is the price.  The cheapest I see it online is around $49.95 (not including shipping), from China, and as high as $98.95 (again, not including shipping), from one of our sponsors.  While this is a "bonus" edition, with photo-etch, 3D printed parts and turned brass barrels, there is no wood deck or deck masks included (these are available separately), and some modelers might blanche at paying $100 for an injection molded light cruiser.

Recommended, due to the overall quality, but I think this will mostly appeal to serious RN fans, who really want to build the 1941 version of this ship.  For anyone else, especially those who may be on a modeling budget, this isn't the light cruiser you're looking for. 

Thanks to Flyhawk for the review sample. This is an in box review.  I can't vouch for the total accuracy, and your mileage may vary once you start assembly.