My Review and Build of Trumpeter's 1/350 scale Kit #4543,
PLAN, FFG-570 Huangshan & FFG-530 Xuzhao Guided Missile Frigates
Introduction and What's in the Box- January 14, 2013
The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is undergoing a massive buildup and modernization program. Over the last ten years, they have literally caught up for 25 or more years worth of technology where they were lagging 25-30 years behind the West. One of the major components of this program (in addition to the Aircraft Carrier Program, their Guided-missile Destroyer Program, and numerous other progams, are advances with their Type 054A Guided-missile Frigate Program.
Over the last 6-7 years the PLAN has built 16 of these very modern and very capable multi-mission guided-missile frigates. They will serve as able escorts for the PLAN's high value vessels, like their CV-16, Liaoning Aircraft Carrier. So, I determined to build two of them as a part of my PLAN Carrier strike group to go along with my 1/350 scale CV-16 Liaoning and my 1/350 scale DDG-171, Haikou Guided Missile detroyer.
These are, once again, Trumpeter models who have the largest selection of 1/350 scale modern war vessels on the market, and who generally, with their most modern kits, produce very detailed and solid models, complete with Photo Etch parts.
This Trumpter model is one of their newest, and it comes in a beautifully illustrated box, that itself is well built and very protective. Inside, the hull comes in one piece. No water line version out of the box. Since I am building the full hull versions of these vessels, it was not an issue with me. The full hull is very well molded without any excess flash. There are a total of nine sprues with 340 parts, including two photo etch sprues with all the handrails, safety netting, and numerous sensors. The plastic parts are exceptionally well molded with a lot of detail to the deck houses and various on-deck sensors and equipment.
The plastic parts are, as stated, very well molded, down to some of the most intricate parts, so building the model as is, out of the box with its PE parts will be extremely satisfying. The parts are molded in light gray, clear and black (for the helicopters) and gold for the photo etched parts. I intend to use my standard PLAN paint scheme of Testor's Model Master Light Gray for all major vertical surfaces of the ship, Tamiya's Hull Red for the below water line hull, Model Master Flat Black for funnels and other black areas, Floquil's Weathered Black for the funnels and the windows, Model Master Flight Deck Stain for the horizontal surfaces including thelanding pad, Model Master Flat White for the hangar enterior walls and the radomes and life rafts. Other colors (such as Model Master Ensignia Orange for the life buoys), as required. Here are the parts out of the box. These first are the boxes themseleves, and then one of those boxes with everything out of it and the instruction cover.
Then here are close ups of all of the various sprues. What you essentially have are three sprues with all of the deck houses, two sprues with most of the small sensors and other deck parts, another individual sprue with more details, two sprues of PE parts (I only show one here, the other is in the same package on the reverse side). The hull and the large deck parts themselves are individual parts. There are also four sprues for the four different types of helos included. You can choose which one you want. There is a Russian export KA-28 ASW, Recon and SAR helo, and one each of the various Z-9 helos, the initial Z-9 which is an ASW and SAR helo, the Z-9C which is an upgraded Z-9 with better instrumentation and electronics for better ASW missions and weapons, and then the WZ-9C which was upgraded to enable the helo to also do surface attack as well. I intend to build the Z-9C with the ASW fit out included in the model.
The photo etch parts are nice, essentially with enough PE parts to not require any after-market PE parts at all. The decals are also very good, with enough to build any one of ten of these PLAN FFGs. I intend to build FFG-570 and FFG-530. In addition, as is the case with all the newer Trumpter models, there is a very well done, full color layout and paint scheme for the whole model, including the helos.
Finally, here are the various pages of the instructions. The Trumpeter instructions are laid out very well, and done in a very organized and intuitive fashion. The booklet is 14 pages long, with twelve pages of detailed instructions for building the ship.
So, that's the out of the box review. I am looking forward to building these two vessels and will proceed forward building them both at the same time. I'll be back in a few days with the initial installment of the build.
The Build: Painting, Fore-deck complete, main deck house started- January 17, 2013
Once I started the model(s) I intially always go through and paint all of the major pieces on the spures according to my General Naval Vessel Color Scheme. I created that "scheme" or standard for each of the various navies I am building these Carrier Strike Groups (CSG) for. In this case, the Chinese Navy (PLAN).
So, I painted the upper section of the hulls and the vertical surfaces of the various deck houses and structures, then I painted the lower portion of the hull. Then I painted the decks themselves, including the flight deck and hanger deck, and then painted as many of the various instruments, weapons systems, sensors, etc.. I do most of this, except for the large individual pieces, while they are still on the sprues, but I do take the time to cut the parts loose until there are the minimum number of attach points necessary to keep them on the sprues (in most cases just leaving one). This reduces the touch up painting later. So, here are the results of doing that for both models:
Once this painting was completed (and it is not every single piece, just all of the major ones and a lot of the obvious ones)...it was time to start putting the vessels together. In this case I started with the forward deck, which contains the main gun (76 mm DP gun) and the VLS missile system, as well as a lot of the detail for the anchor chains, ASW rocket launchers, tie downs, and various sensors and equipment. Trumpeter does a good job of providing individual pieces for all of these as opposed to having them simply modled into the deck. Makes for a much more detailed look.
I made the guns able to turn on their mounts. Here is some of that work building both forward decks and their gun mounts and VLS missile cells.
At this point I was ready to glue the forward main deck and the rest of the main deck onto the hull. These parts fit together very nicely. One critical point in that fit...and really in all fits, is to ensure that any left over from cutting the parts away from the sprue is trimmed, shaved, and sanded off. A good pair of dikes, very sharp and very precise, is critical in this regard, but even with the best cutters I find small amounts still being left where the parts come together because so many of them are molded on angles. So, I go back with each piece and use my Xacto knife and sand paper wherever neccessary to get rid of any excess. It really makes a difference in the fit.
Even then, you find with some pieces and some manufacturers, that rubber bands and clamps have to be used and then some putty or filler, to make the surface as smooth as possible. My point is, in this case, these parts really fit together very well.
Then is was time to begin building the main deck house and getting it to a point where it was recognizable as such, and built up to a point where at least the main second level decks were all in place from just aft of the main gun, clear back to the helo hangar deck. On these Type 054A frigates for the PLAN, these vessels are all built with uninterrupted, clean lines all along this area, from the hull up to those secondary decks and back to the helo landing pad. This means a much smaller radar return, particularly with the sides angeld as they are. These are really very good and capable multi-purpose frigates.
Next will be the completion of the main deck house and placing it on the hull. Also, the start of the construction (if not their completion) of the main masts and funnels for both vessels.
SCHEDULE for Future Activities - January 17, 2012
- By Feb 15, 2013: Complete PLAN Huangshan (FFG-570) and Xuzhao (FFG-530)
- By Mar 15, 2013: Complete Cyber Hobby's USS Independence, LCS-2
- By May 01, 2013: Complete entire PLAN Carrier Group.
- By Jun 15, 2013: Complete Entire US Carrier Group (Just the CSG).
- By Jul 01, 2013: Start the UK CSG Centered on Airfix's HMS Illustrious.
- By Aug 15, 2013: Start the JMSDF CSGCentered on Fujimi's JMSDF Hyuga.
- By Oct 01, 2013: Start the French CSG centered on Heller's Charles de Gaulle.
- By Nov 15, 2013, Start US ARG centered on USS Iwo Jima & USS Sommerset.
The completion of the PLAN Carrier group, centered on the already completed Trumpeter's 1/350 scale PLA Navy's Aircraft Carrier CV-16, Liaoning, (in addition ot the other escorts already completed) will include Mini Hobby's's PLAN Guangzhou, DDG-168 and the PLAN ChangZhang5, SSN-405 by Hobby Boss. If a 1/350 scale model of the PLAN Type 071 LPD, Yuzhao Class, is added, I will add one of those, propbably LPD-999, Jinggangshan.
The completion of the US Carrier Strike group, centered on the completed Tamyia's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-65, (in addition ot the other escorts already completed) will include Trumpeter's USS Bunker Hill, CG-52 and USS Freedom, LCS-1 and Hobby Boss's USS Texas, SSN-775. (All of which I already own). When a 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-80 (or any Gerald R. Ford Class) comes out from Trumpeter, Airfix, Tamiya, Dragon, or whomever else, I will add it to this group along with another AEGIS Cruiser. Whatever Ford Class coms out, I will build her as the USS Enterprise, CVN-80.
The UK Group will indlude the Airfix 1/350 scale HMS Illustrious (which I already own), two Airfix 1/350 scale Daring Class DDGs (which I own and should arrive in January 2013), two Trumpeter 1/350 scale Type 23 HMS Duke class Frigates (which I already own), and the Hobby Boss 1/350 scale HMS Astute SSN and Airfix 1/350 scale HMS Tragalgar SSN, both of which which I already own. One day, when a 1/350 scale HMS Queen Elizabeth carrier and a 1/350 HMS Ocean LPD come out, I will add both to this group.
The French CSG will be centered on Heller's 1/400 scale Charles De Gualle (which I already own). I have purchased 1/400 scale Heller French De Grasse, D612 DDG, which is an ASW DDG, the French Duquesne, D603 DDG which is an anti-air multi-purpose DDG, and the French Aconit F713 FFG and Gueprattet F714 FFGs, both of which are Lafayette class frigates. These five vessels will round out my French CSG. As soon as a French Robin class nuclear sub, like the French Perale S606 SSN comes out, I will add that to the group. Also as soon as the Forbin D620, Horizon class anti-air DDG is available, I will purchase it and add it to the group as well.
The Japanese JMSDF group will be centered on Fujimi's very finely detailed, 1/350 scale Hyuga, DDH-181, which I own. It will be escorted by Trumpeter's 1/350 scale DDG-177, Atago, an AEGIS class DDG (which I have purchased), Trumpeters's 1/350 scale DDG-114 Susunami (A Tachanami Class DDG which I own), and by the 1/350 scale SS-503 Hakuryu (which I own), one of Japans new, very modern and capable AIP Diesel Electric submarines. As soo as a DDG-115 Akizuki in 1/350 scale becomes available, I will add it to this group.
The completion of the US ARG will include Tamiya's 1/350 scale, USS Iowa, BB-62(which I have already completed), Trumpeter's 1/350 scale USS Iwo Jima LHD-7, Gallery's 1/350 scale USS Sommerset, LPD-25, and Trumpeter's 1/350 scale USS The Sullivans DDG-68, along with Trumpeter's USS Independence, LCS-2, The moment a 1/350 Scale USS Sumwalt, DDG-1000, comes out, I will add it to the ARG.
Then, finally it will be a complete Russian CSG (centered on Trumpeter's Kuznetsov which is available but I have not purchased yet) the Russian Slava Class cruiser, Varyag by Trumperter (which I own), two Trumpeter 1/350 scale Udalaoy DDGs (which I own), Hobby Boss's Akula II class SSN (which I own), and the Russian Alfa Class SSN, which I have already completed.
Recently I purchased Heller's 1/400 scale Foch, the Clemceau Class carrier that was sold to the Brazilians in 2000 and in 2002 was refitted and bacame the Brazilian CV, Sao Paulo, using steam catapaults. I will build the model as the Sao Paulo and thus start a Brazilian group, though the Type 22 DDGs and the FFGs the Brazilians use are not available at present.
Then, again, once the models are available, I'd like to build an Italian Group centered on the Cavour and their Horizon DDGs, a Spanish Group centered on the Juan Carlos and their F-100 AEGIS FFGs, and ultimatly an Australian Group centered on the new Canberra Class LPD and the Hobart class AEGIS DDGs. If they ever build the models, an Indian group centered on either the Vikramaditya or their new ADS Carrier the Vikrant and their Kolkata class DDGs and Shivlak class FFGs would also be nice.
You can see all of these actual carriers, read their histories and specifictions at my site:
WORLD-WIDE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS
...and most of their surface escorts at:
AEGIS AND AEGIS-LIKE VESSELS OF THE WORLD