My Review and Build of the 1/350 scale Trumpter Kit #04519
Russian Varyag, 011, Slava Class Cruiser
Last Update: April 21, 2015 Building the Lower Hull
Introduction - The Varyag:
The Russian guided missile cruiser Varyag, 011, is a Slava Class cruiser. The Varyag was the third and final cruiser of the class to be built.
She was laid down in 1979, launched in 1983, and commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1989, not long before the Soviet Union fell.
These are large, heavily armed guided missile cruisers, diplacing over 12,000 tons. They were built to seek out and destroy adversary nation surface combatants, and particularly US Navy carrier battle groups. They were also built to serve as strong anti-air defense ships for any group they either commanded, or were a part of...for examply when working with Soviet, and then later, Russian aircraft carrier Kuznetsov.
In order to fulfill these two functions, the Varyag is armed with sixteen large, supersonic anti-ship missiles, sixty-four long range anti-air missiles, forty medium range anti-air missiles, and six Close in weapons systems. She also has a dual 130mm main gun.
Although she became a part of the Russian Pacific fleet in 1990 after her commissioning, due to finiancial difficulties in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union, though brand new, she only had a care-taking crew for several years up until 2002. After that time she went through a significant overhaul and modernization and in 2008 she re-entered the Russian Pacific Fleet as its flagship.
Since that time she has been very active in Russian maritime activities throughout the Pacfic, including:
2009 - Varyag led a fleet of Russian warships participating in the 60th anniversary of China's Navy. She later made a Port call to Singapore and was visited there by the Russian President Medvedev.
2010 (June) - Varyag made a port call to San Francisco. The visit, the first by a Russian navy surface combatant to San Francisco in 147 years, featured a plaque dedication ceremony to commemorate six Russian Imperial Navy sailors who died fighting in the San Francisco fire of 1863. This visit coincided with Russian President Medvedev visiting Silicon Valley.
2010 (December) - Varyag visited SOuth Korea for an informal visit. While there, 24-year old Lieutenant Ivan Yegorov committed suicide by hanging himself due to marital problems. There was a police report filed, but no evidence of foul play was found.
2011 (November) Varyag, accompanied by the tanker Irkut, made a port visit to Vancouver, British Columbia. The Russian ships were escorted into Vancouver by the Royal Canadian Navy destroyer, HMCS Algonquin. While there, Varyag's crew engaged in friendly sports matches with their Canadian counterparts.
2014 (November) - Varyag led a deployment of four Russian naval vessels to international waters off of Australia. The deployment was in response to the 2014 G-20 Brisbane summit.
Sepcification details for Varyag:
Displacement: 12,000 tons full load
Length: 611 ft
Width: 68 ft
Draft: 27.5 ft
Speed: 32 knots
Propulsion: 4 CODOG gas turbines, two shafts, 121,000 shp
Compliment: 480
Armament:
01 x twin AK-130 130mm/70 dual purpose gun
16 x P-500 Bazalt (SS-N-12 Sandbox) missiles
64 x S-300PMU Favorit (SA-N-6 Grumble) SAMs in 8 x 8 VLS launchers
40 x OSA-MA (SA-N-4 Gecko) SAMs in 2 x 20 launchers)
06 x AK-630 30mm CIWS
02 x RBU-6000 Antisumbarine Rocket systems
10 x 2 533mm torpedo tubes
Aircraft: Hanger and pad for one ASW helicopter
What's in the Box: - April 21, 2015
The Trumpeter 1/350 scale model of the Varyag is a large plastc scale model. Like most modern Trumpter 1/350 scale ship models, it is very well done with a lot of details, and parts that have no flash.
The model comes with a complete upper hull in one piece, and a complete lower hull in one piece (not including the shafts, supports, props rudder, and stabilizer fins), which can be used to build either a full hull version, or waterline version of the model. I will build the full hull version.
There are two flat plastic pieces that represnt the entire main deck of the vessel.
In addition to the hull and main deck parts, the kit includes eight sprues of gray molded plastic parts, two sprues of clear molded plastic parts, one sprue of clear and black molded parts for the helicopter, and one sprue of photo etch parts for the sensors and safety netting. The photo etch sprue does not include the railing. I will add railing from other 1/350 scale photo etch sets that I have,
The instructions, as always, are very well done, with fourteen pages of very detailed and yet intuitive instructions for the kit.
The decal sheet is realtively small and includes the helicopter landing pad markings, the pennant numbers, and a very few other decals (for example for the Russian Flag).
Here are the pictures of the kit out of the box:
I believe this is going to be a fun and very decent build and look forward to the Varyag joing the Russian carrier Kuznetsov, a Kriov class nuclear cruiser, a Udaloy II class destroyer , and a Yasen class nuclear attack submarine which represent the rest of my Russian 1/350 scale modern carrier strike group.
The Build - Building the lower hull - April 21, 2015
In this first session I only had time to build the lower huill of the vessel. This involved assembling the struts and shaft to the hull and adding the rudder. This large vessel only has a single large rudder for principle manuevering.
I then added the four stabilizer fins to the vessel and then painted the lower hull in the bright hull red used by the Russians. I use model master insignia red for this on all of my Russian ships.
Here's that lower hull:
Next I will paint and build the upper hull and add the main deck to it.
Future Build Schedule - April 21, 2015
- May 4, 2015 Finish the final DDG escorts for Russian CSG.
- May 4, 2015 Start 1/72 scale US Air Force F-22 Raptor Fighter
- May 10, 2015 Start 1/72 scale US Air Force F-35A Lightning II Strike Fighter.
- MAy 20, 2015, Start 1/72 scale US Navy E-2D Advanceed Hawkeye AEW&C Aircraft
- Jun 3, 2015 Start 1/72 Scale Russian SU-35 Fighter.
- Jun 15 2015 Start 1/72 Scale Russian TU-160 Blackjack Bomber
- Jul 2, 2015 Sratt 1/72 Scale Russian Tu-95 Bear Bomber
- Jul 18, 2015 Start 1/72 Scale US Air Force B-2 Spirit Bomber
- Aug 4, 2015 Start 1/72 Scale US Air Force B-1B Lancer Bomber
The completion of the PLAN Carrier group was centered on the already completed Trumpeter's 1/350 scale PLA Navy's Aircraft Carrier CV-16, Liaoning, (in addition to the other escorts already completed) included Mini Hobby's PLAN Guangzhou, DDG-168. I recently pre-ordered a 1/350 scale model of the PLAN Type 071 LPD, Yuzhao Class, announced by Trumpeter and due out in October, 2013. I will end up adding two of those, probably LPD-998 Yuzhao and LPD-999, Jinggangshan, add the PLAN- DDG-139, Ningbo, and the PLAN DDG-115, Shenyang, along with the PLAN Weifang, FFG-550 and thus build a PLAN ARG.
The completion of the US Carrier Strike group was centered on the completed Tamyia's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-65, (in addition to the other escorts already completed) included Trumpeter's, USS Freedom, LCS-1, Dragon's USS Preble, DDG-88 and Hobby Boss's USS Texas, SSN-775. When a 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-80 (or any Gerald R. Ford Class) is released from Trumpeter, Tamiya, Dragon, or whomever else, I will add it to this group along with another AEGIS Cruiser. Whichever Ford Class coms out in 1/350 scale, I will build it as the USS Enterprise, CVN-80.
The US ARG will include Tamiya's 1/350 scale, USS Iowa, BB-62 (which I have already completed), Gallery's 1/350 scale USS Iwo Jima LHD-7, Gallery's 1/350 scale USS New York, LPD-21, Cyber Hobby's USS Independence, LCS-2, Bronco Model's 1/350 scale USS Coronado, LCS-4, a Flight IIA US AEGIS class destroyer based on Trumpeter's 1/350 scale USS Lassen, DDG-82, and a Ticonderoga AEGIS cruiser...all of these models which I already own.
The completion of the UK Group featured the Airfix 1/350 scale HMS Illustrious, R06 as its center piece until a 1/350 scale Queen Elizabeth carrier is released. When that happens, I will add that carrier to the group as its centerpiece. The Royal Navy CSG will also include two Airfix 1/350 scale Daring Class DDGs (one of which is already completed), two Trumpeter 1/350 scale Type 23 HMS Duke class Frigates (one of which is already completed), and the Hobby Boss 1/350 scale HMS Astute SSN (which is also already completed) and Airfix 1/350 scale HMS Trafalgar SSN. One day, when a 1/350 scale HMS Ocean LPD comes out, I will use it to start building a Royal Navy ARG.
The French CSG is centered on Heller's 1/400 scale Charles De Gaulle, R91. I have purchased the 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 D612 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 Pearle S606 SSN is released in 1/350 or 1/400 scale, I will add that to the group. Also as soon as the Forbin D620, Horizon class anti-air DDG is released in 1/350 or 1/400 scale, I will purchase two of them and replace the De Grasse and Duquesne with them, and then save those two for when a Mistral Class LPD is released in 1/350 or 1/400 scale so I can create a French ARG with those vessels.
The completion of the Japanese JMSDF group was centered on Fujimi's very finely detailed, 1/350 scale Hyuga, DDH-181. It will be escorted by Trumpeter's 1/350 scale DDG-177, Atago, an AEGIS class DDG and the JMSDF, DDG-174, Kongo class (which I own), Trumpeter’s 1/350 scale DDG-114 Susunami and DDG-111 (both of which are Takinami Class DDGs 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 soon as a DDG-115 Akizuki in 1/350 scale is released, I will add it to this group. Should a 1/350 scale Osumi Class LPD be released, I will buy two of those vessels and create a JMSDF ARG.
Then, finally it will be a complete Russian CSG (centered on Trumpeter's Kuznetsov which I own) the Russian Kirov Class nuclear battle cruiser (CGN), the Peter the Great, by Trumpeter (which I own), the Russian Slava Class cruiser, Varyag by Trumpeter (which I own), two Trumpeter 1/350 scale Udaloy DDGs (which I own), Hobby Boss's Akula II class SSN (which I own), and the new Yasen class Russian SSN (which I own), all in 1/350 scale. Sometime in the more distant future when a 1/350 scale Russian version of the French Mistral class comes out (which is building in real life right now), I will add two of those and build a Russian ARG.
Recently I purchased Heller's 1/400 scale Foch, the Clemenceau Class carrier that was sold to the Brazilians in 2000 and in 2002 was refitted and became the Brazilian CV, Sao Paulo, using steam catapults. 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. I have however purchased a set of 1/400 scale A-4 Skyhawks and S-3 Trackers to build a suitable air wing for the Sao Paulo.
Then, again, once the models are available, I'd like to build an Italian Carrier Strike Group centered on the Cavour and their Horizon DDGs, a Spanish Carrier Strike Group centered on the Juan Carlos and their F-100 AEGIS FFGs, and ultimately an Australian Strike Group centered on the new Canberra Class LPD and the Hobart class AEGIS DDGs. If they ever build the models, an Indian Carrier Strike 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.
Years more worth of work!
You can see all of these actual carriers, read their histories and specifications at my site:
WORLD-WIDE AIRCRAFT CARRIERS