Question about the quality of Lindberg ship models

From Rajen's Ship List, reviews of available ship kits:

http://www.quuxuum.org/rajens_list/shiprevs.html#Lindberg

HOOD :

POOR. Hold your nose, 'cause this one's a real stinker! You would think that in this large scale, they'd have some DETAIL..... The main turrets are way too flat. The kit has nasty panel lines for the steel plates, even on the wooden deck. The hull has no bilge keels, and the hull cross-section is wrong too. Avoid this one. Motorized for pond/pool use. This kit is rumored to be usable as BB-gun target.

TIRPITZ:

POOR. This kit needs some major work. Start by relocating single rudder, then building a duplicate for actual twin rudder arrangement. Shorten fairings for outboard prop shafts and build A-Frames for shafts. Replace outsize central screw with scale-sized one, prototype uses twin rudders with triple-screw drive. Sheer line at top of hull is not accurate for Bismarck-class ships. I chose not to alter mine.

This kit is physically the same as one sold as Bismarck Actually makes a better Tirpitz Rangfinders for "A" turret need to be removed and cover plates added. Conning tower is missing sloped armored roof. Major structural omission is lack of forward aircraft hangers on both sides. Model benefits from PE. I used GMM set for 1/350 Tamiya Bismarck/Tirpitz. Illustration of camo paint pattern sketchy and inaccurate.

The molds are their own from probably 50 years ago.

Did they ever make the Hood available with a simple motor and rudder set up for water movement?  I remember a looooong time ago, as a kid, I bought this USS Hood (don't remember the scale, but it was rather large so the 1/400 kit would be about the right size) that had a motor and I think you could pre-set the rudder by turning the rearmost turet to get different movement patterns.  I have been thinking about this kit all week and can't for the life of me remember who made it.

Brian

I see so I guess they are not worth the trouble despite their low price(In this case 12.99)!

New Hampshire

Did they ever make the Hood available with a simple motor and rudder set up for water movement?  I remember a looooong time ago, as a kid, I bought this USS Hood (don't remember the scale, but it was rather large so the 1/400 kit would be about the right size) that had a motor and I think you could pre-set the rudder by turning the rearmost turet to get different movement patterns.  I have been thinking about this kit all week and can't for the life of me remember who made it.

Brian

Thats the one, I built it when I was about 12 and ran it around in Lake Tahoe.

The reviews are pretty accurate. The kit isn't bad for a kid, lots of big parts to assemble and its kind of fun to run around in the water but it is basically a toy boat.

You really don't even need BB guns, it did a pretty good job of sinking itself after about 10 minutes.

The original issue of Lindberg's HMS Hood had a motorization system with a big toggle switch sticking up through a rectangular slot in the aft starboard side of the main deck.  The deck at the fantail was a separate removable panel held on with a screw that allowed access to interchangable nylon "cams" that allowed the ship to maneuver in various patterns (on the outside chance it was afloat long enough to do so) such as an oval and a figure 8.  There was an arrangement of linkages & rods under the main deck along the starboard side that allowed the four main turrets to rotate and  the guns elevate in unision back & forth, as well as a radar antenna.  This arrangement worked well enough, but resulted in a ship that was much heavier on the starboard side, creating a permanent list.  The entire superstructure was removable as a unit to allow access to the batteries.

New Hampshire

Did they ever make the Hood available with a simple motor and rudder set up for water movement?  I remember a looooong time ago, as a kid, I bought this USS Hood (don't remember the scale, but it was rather large so the 1/400 kit would be about the right size) that had a motor and I think you could pre-set the rudder by turning the rearmost turet to get different movement patterns.  I have been thinking about this kit all week and can't for the life of me remember who made it.

Brian

This has to be it. My dad and I built it almost 40 years ago. We put it to water at a local park lake/pond where it did its pre planned course out to the middle, capsized, and sank with all hands... I still laugh when I think about it.

Is their new Japanese sub any better?

Manstein's revenge

Is their new Japanese sub any better?

Instigator!

Herr Manstein!! why do you choose to instigate?? I thunk youse was a goodfella! He.He.He.   tankerbuilder

What ever put that thought in your mind...???

Herr MANSTEIN- Did you ever finish the tanker youse was woiking on? I would,ve liked to see pics.And yes I,ll join the instigation.The products are rough at best but they have a good point.They are great for using as a basis on a scratchbuild of any non-related model.Thebismark/tripitz is so wrong I started with that hull cut down 1/4 inch and then added an armor belt.Still working on it.Bow is wrong ,stern is wrong.Well you know.Saw the sub,built at my L.H.S., I ain,t getting one anytime soon.!!

Greetings:

Whatever happened to their 1/200 Arizona they were going to release? My understanding was that it was going to be a marvel to behold. LOL.

Michael Lacey

tankerbuilder

Herr MANSTEIN- Did you ever finish the tanker youse was woiking on? I would,ve liked to see pics.And yes I,ll join the instigation.The products are rough at best but they have a good point.They are great for using as a basis on a scratchbuild of any non-related model.Thebismark/tripitz is so wrong I started with that hull cut down 1/4 inch and then added an armor belt.Still working on it.Bow is wrong ,stern is wrong.Well you know.Saw the sub,built at my L.H.S., I ain,t getting one anytime soon.!!

caramonraistlin

Greetings:

Whatever happened to their 1/200 Arizona they were going to release? My understanding was that it was going to be a marvel to behold. LOL.

 

Michael Lacey

Trumpeter has the vaporware 1:200 scale Arizona.   Lindberg's is 1:144

The hand-made 'master' was shown at this falls RCHTA show.   About the only thing going for is was that it is large.  It appears that it is full of errors.  Several researchers who are initmately familiar with Arizona details offered to help (gratis) get it right.   They figured as an honor to the veterans it would be better to make it right than have another toy on the market.

After initial favorable face-to-face response from Lindberg's president, follow-up contact with him and/or Lindberg's master model maker (the guy who brought you the I-53) has not happened.   Lindberg's schedule has this a 12 to 18 month project.    If it is going to be a toy -- look for it around the end of the year.   If they're going to do it right,  don't look for it before the third quarter of 2011.

It should be interesting if Lindberg actually steps up to the plate and backs up their statement that they want to be a better model company by actually making better models than they have in the past.  I have a feeling that would entail too much of an investment in state-of-the-art equipment for their bean-counters to be comfortable with.  So we will continue to have to deal with oversized toys aimed at the RC crowd.  It is not good news, nor is it surprising, to me that the President and Master Model Maker have not followed up with any of the researchers who volunteered their time.  From what could be seen of the sample of the 1:144 Arizona at the RCHTA Show, they would just about have to start over from the keel up to the machinegun nests.  At a quick look, it looked like an Arizona, but when you looked closer their were many glaring errors to anyone who knows anything at all about the Lady.  They may as well have pantographed the Revell Arizona to 1:144 scale and done as good a job as they did.  At least then the Range Clock would have been closer to the actual scale size.  While it was only a preliminary mock up of what Lindberg intends to make, it does give us a little insight as to the mindset of their Master Model Maker, since he built this mock-up from scratch.  This also does not fill me with hope that if they ever do release this model, that it will be anything more than an RC platform.

As for the Trumpeter 1:200 Arizona, I think you called it, EdGrune, with your term "vaporware".  It has been conspicuous by the absence of any news whatsoever for the past many months.

LOL....what ever happened that guy in here who defended Lindberg's President to the death---"He is a very reasonable guy who is willing to listen and make things right...".  Hmmmmmmm....

dead?

Manstein's revenge

LOL....what ever happened that guy in here who defended Lindberg's President to the death---"He is a very reasonable guy who is willing to listen and make things right...".  Hmmmmmmm....

I think it was him on another forum who said he was waiting at the RCHTA for Lindberg's Master Modeler to bring some evidence of why he made the I-53 the way he did.  Master Modeler never showed.  He was NOT a happy camper.  If it wasn't him, whoever it was was NOT a happy camper anyway.  Oh well!

Since it was brought up I'll just chime in and say I can't tell you how disappointed I was when it seemed clear that Lindberg missed the mark pretty badly with their large IJN subs.

According to a current (10-FEB-10) posting on SteelNavy, Ernie the president of Lindberg has been bought out by his partner and has retired.   All quite suddenly.    The status of future projects are up in the air.

The posting has been confirmed by one of the Tracy White,  one of the researchers who offered his help on the Arizona project.

EdGrune

According to a current (10-FEB-10) posting on SteelNavy, Ernie the president of Lindberg has been bought out by his partner and has retired.   All quite suddenly.   

Maybe he and Randy Stone are setting up a modeling consulting firm?