I waited a long time for this kit - and it was worth the wait. The manufacturers have given us quite a few beautiful warship kits over the past few years. This one is as good as any I've seen.
It's obviously based on an excellent source: the Conway Anatomy of the Ship volume by John Roberts, one of the reigning authorities on the twentieth-century British Navy. On the basis of what I've been able to tell so far, the kit matches Mr. Roberts's drawings precisely.
The deck detailing is the finest I've ever seen. The planking seams are so fine (and so delicately countersunk) that I can't see them without magnification. And even the dozens of tiny coal scuttles are there. The hull is split at the waterline; the above-water piece is slide-molded, allowing nice, sharp political Thales [Later edit: How in the world did that cursed I-phone get "political Thales" out of "portholes"? For that matter, what on earth is a Thale, political or otherwise?] and plating detail. The fit between the upper and lower halves is perfect. The bilge keels are nice and sharp. The main deck fits beautifully to the upper hull half. The forecastle deck (a big component of this ship) is also slide-molded - with its surrounding bulkheads cast integrally with watertight doors, portholes, etc. The portions of the bulkheads that project above the forecastle deck are incredibly thin - with virtually NO visible draw angles.
There are over 40 photo-etched brass parts, including the complete pilot house and two pieces for each funnel guard. The modeler will have to buy separate guard rails, and maybe somebody like White Ensign will add a few details to the nicely-molded secondary battery. Otherwise it's hard to see how the aftermarket could improve this kit.
The big question in my mind is whether my skills can do this kit justice. It's pretty intimidating.
Very highly recommended. This one is, in just about every sense, state-of-the-art.
Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.