Scale Warship Models: Ye Gods, Buds!

In my opinion (that and 5 dollars will get you a cup of coffee at Starbucks), ship modeling in 1:72 scale and larger is more akin to armor modeling than ship modeling in one of the popular ship scales (1:400, 1:350, 1:700). If you choose to build a LCM as your first ship, you just built a tank whcih floats. You did not learn any of the techniques and procedures which are used by ship modelers.

I will follow RCBoater's suggestion of the Tamiya Fletcher in 1:350 scale as a first ship.
1) You have Tamiya engineering
2) It is relatively inexpensive and such batter to use as a learner kit where you are worried about screwing up a big expensive kit.
3) It is larger than 1:700, and it is often easier to learn fine techiques large and transfer them to a smaller scale.
4) There are aftermarket sets available to detail the kit.
5) There are lots of references available (online and print) which show many details and unique camouflage patterns.

If, after you have compeleted the Fletcher, then make a decision to try a smaller scale and transfer your gained knowledge to that scale. Then try resin. Then you can honestly decide whow you wish to proceed in the dark side of the hobby.

The Tamiya 1/350 scale Fletcher is a good model, looks nice out of the box, and can be dressed up with PE railings and the liek if you want.

If you're willing to consider boats instead of ships, the Trumpeter Landing Craft are very nice kits. I'm working on the 1/35 scale LCM(3), and just recently finished the 1/72 version of the kit.

-BIll

Tamiya kit are a good start. Great molds, good fit and look good without having to do a lot of kitbashing or adding PE. I think I built their, and also kits from Fujumi and Hasagawa, entire waterline series back in my highschool years and even without aftermarket goodies, were really fun and nice looking when finished.

Although I have been building ships for over 30 years, I just started modeling 20th century warships in 1/350 using aftermarket resin and PE. I have built 1/350 kits from Trumpeter, and a Tamiya cloned Chinese version of the Bismark, and also a Tamiya Bismark. My suggestion is to stay with Tamiya or Hasagawa for a first kit.

At first I was overwelmed at both what might be available, from whom, and the cost of aftermarket parts. However, many of the suppliers are mom and pop companies where you can speak one on one with the owners, many whome personally design and mold the parts. Many also frequent these web forums.

After reading the volumes of articles on this site, and the other warship sites, I then had an idea of who made what, how to contact them, and found that just about all the PE and resin manufactures are at par with each other.

There are many out there, a few that I worked with have been White Ensign Models, Pacific Front, Trident, Tom's, and GMM. These manufactures and distributors have been great at helping getting me started in purchasing the right products. That is one thing that I really enjoy about this segment of model building, that the warship community is really a family that you get to know on a first name basis.

I'm sure some of these gurus who produce those fine warships we see in print and on the web will chime in here and give you specifics.

Scott