Reviewed by Timothy Dike
April 2013
| The USS Chimo was originally built as
a Casco class single turret monitor. Because of a flawed design, she was
too heavy and was refitted as a torpedo boat without the heavy turret.
In it's place a single pivot-mount 11 inch Dahlgren cannon was mounted.
Two retractable torpedo spars on the bow gave this ironclad a unique appearance.
Chimo survived the war and was decommissioned in June 1865. Her name was changed to Orion 15 June 1869; to Piscataqua 10 August 1869, and she was finally sold in 1874. Flagship has followed up on the original design (USS
Casco) with this redesigned version of the class.
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| HULL | ||||||||||||||||
| The full hull is well cast with a casting gate on the stern. The latter should clean up easily without damaging critical details. The deck features plating with recessed lines in the typical staggered pattern. The sides have a series of rivets holding the plating on. |
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| RESIN DETAILS | ||||||||||||||||
| Other parts include the crows nest and pilot house, the canon assembly, anchors, boats, and a whole lot of other bits and chocks. Most parts are cast on resin runners with some flash to clean up. |  |
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| PHOTO ETCH AND METAL PARTS | ||||||||||||||||
| A relief etched fret includes the crows nest splinter shields, stantions, ships wheel, block and tackle with rigging, and boat deck just to name a few details. There are also some lengths of plastic and brass rod to fabricate some parts. Metal chain is also provided for realism. |  |
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| DECALS | ||||||||||||||||
| Flags are provided in two sizes. The feature 34 stars and are sharp and well registered. There are also some stairwell decals to give the impression of a staircase disappearing into the depths of the ship. |  |
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| INSTRUCTIONS | ||||||||||||||||
The Instructions are two pages with assembly notes showing
just about everything aspect of the build. These are excellent and among
the best instructions in the resin ship business.
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| CONCLUSIONS | ||||||||||||||||
 The
USS Chimo was a unique appearing ironclad. This one should stand apart
from the usual turreted monitors and offer some variety for your Union
fleet. It would make an interesting comparison alongside the Flagship
Casco. The kit itself is not for the beginner, but anyone who has worked
with photo etch should be able to handle it. This is kit #FM19229 USS Chimo
Torpedo Boat (14.5" long) with a list price of $95.00. You
can order it direct from Flagship
Models via it's online ordering system.
With such a simple shape the painting and weathering be what makes this kit standout. Not to worry, as Flagship has a line of How to CD's that will help you out in many topics from Building Resin Ships and Working with Photo Etch Parts to Making Realistic Water. |
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