Russian Navy Slava Class Cruisers Moskva/Varyag
Quick Review by Sean Hert
| These cruisers, known as Project 1164 are believed to be a "hedge bet" in case the Kirov class
failed. They were laid down in 1976, and the first ship of the class, named Slava was launched in 1979
and commissioned in 1983. Slava was renamed Moskva in 2000, and was assigned to the Black Seas Fleet. Varyag was commissioned in 1989, originally named
"Chervona Ukraina," and was assigned to the Pacific Fleet.
The Slava class is armed with a formidable array of weapons;
Missiles:
Guns:
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| HULL PARTS | |||||||||||
| The hull is molded as a waterline kit with a lower hull option. The upper hull had a little flash, but the hull halves fit together nicely. The one piece deck has a small gap in the bow, but otherwise fit looks good. The modeler has the choice of full hull or waterline display. Flat waterline and full hull options are molded in red. Another nice feature is that the locator holes are not open all the way through, so you won't have to fill them if they are not used on your ship. In fact, one of the few differences between these kits is which holes you open. | |||||||||||
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| SPRUES | |||||||||||
| Sorry, my scanner wasn't up to the task so the images are poor. The parts look good in person though! No flash to be seen. The kit's display base seems to be a default standard for many of Trumpeter's 1/700 kits now; it's the same one in USS Pittsburgh for instance. | |||||||||||
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| INSTRUCTIONS | |||||||||||
| A ten page instruction booklet describe the assembly in great detail with a variety of sub assembly views. These instructions are well done for each kit, with only minor differences modifying a few steps, namely the placement of some holes on the decks and a selection of radars. The instructions from Varyag are shown. | |||||||||||
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| Painting & Marking Guides and Decals | |||||||||||
| The full color Paint & Marking Guides are up to Trumpeter's excellent standards, with the
standared Gunze Mr. Color references.
The decal sheet is identical in each kit; in fact, the decal sheet shows a total of 4 kit numbers, implying a Marshal Ustinov and Vilna Ukraina in the future. |
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| Conclusions: | |||||||||||
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Yet another impressive kit from Trumpeter. These kits, TSM5720 / TSM5721, 1/700 Russian Navy
Slava Class Cruiser Moskva / Slava with a suggested list price of $22.95 US each.
A great price for this nicely detailed, and eagerly awaited subject(s), and much cheaper than the resin
options available. I just wish it had some PE railings included, but it looks like Gold Medal Model's
Set
#700-9, MODERN SOVIET CRUISER/DESTROYER
would be just about right. So, Russian Navy and Cold War
fans rejoice!. Now, how about the same in 1/350? Kirov? An Udaloy or Krivak?
Provided by my wallet via Hobbyland, Columbus OH |
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