Japanese Armored Cruiser Chiyoda
Reviewed by Timothy Dike
| Modelkrak, has released this new kit of one of Japans first Cruisers. A small but fast ship she was armed with ten single 4.7 inch guns. The Chiyoda was present at the Battle of Yalu in 1894 and the Battle of Tsushima 1905. | |
| My kit came well packed in a sturdy cardboard box and the hull was secured in bubble wrap to prevent shipping damage. The hull is nicely cast with very fine detailing. The deck planking is finely scribed and the surface detail is well done. The anchors and boarding stairs are cast onto the hull. The hull is cast on a thick resin wafer that will take a little extra effort to remove. |
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| The superstructure parts are pretty fine with thin shields and nice surface detail. The amount of casting gate material on these parts is a little excessive, but not hard to remove. The gun turrets and barrels are well cast, as are the various fittings. Like other Modelkrak kits this one does not contain a mast and the modeler will have to fabricate his own. The other parts are cast on resin sprues and one will have to be careful when removing them as there is little allowance for a saw kerf. |  |
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| The instructions are this kits weak point as they are just plain poor. You will need other references to finish this kit properly. Many parts are not shown and I was left wondering what they were and where they were placed. There is a plan and elevation view that is so small that one can not tell what all the parts are. The text is in Polish with no translation provided. |  |
| Conclusions:
Thanks to Pacific Front Hobbies for the review sample. This kit is listed for $28.00 in the latest Pacific Front Update. |
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