"New" Hood vs "old" Hood

I can offer a partial answer.  I haven't seen the new Trumpeter kit, but I have seen the old Heller one.

The Heller Hood was originally issued in 1977.  It got an extremely lukewarm reception from the reviewers.  At one time (the late sixties or early seventies) Heller produced some really nice warship kits - most notably the French battleships Richelieu and Jean Bart.  Then, for some reason, the company started sliding slowly downhill.  It did a series of German warships, covering most of the major classes of the WWII Kriegsmarine; those kits were basically sound, but not up to the standards of the French ones in terms of detail, number of parts, etc.  And when Heller got around to the Royal Navy it really slipped.  The Hood kit was, in a lot of ways, downright crude by the standards of the day, with extremely simplified moldings and little detail.  The reviewers also commented that it didn't accurately represent the ship at any one point in her career.  It's been noted more than once that the Tamiya 1/700 and Italeri 1/720 (my personal favorite) versions actually have considerably more detail, and are more accurate, than the big Heller one.  Heller got the basic shapes right (which is more than could be said for the one large-scale competitor of the day, the awful old Lindberg kit), but that's about it.

Here's a review, from the H.M.S. Hood Association website:  http://www.hmshood.com/models/heller/Heller.html

That site, by the way, is well worth a visit.  In the section labeled "Hood Today" are some utterly absorbing pictures of the wreck.  Be prepared to spend an hour or so. 

I haven't seen the Trumpeter Hood, but if it's on the same level as the company's North Carolina it will be as different from the Heller one as night is from day.  (That website indicates that Trumpeter consulted with the Hood Association, though as of today those folks hadn't actually seen the kit either.)  It's not for me to pronounce on whether the difference in quality justifies the price; as a certifiable Olde Phogey modeler I still gag at the thought of paying over $100 for a plastic kit.  But I'm quite sure there's a huge difference between them.

If you can afford the newer Trumpeter kit then without any question buy this one - as most people will tell you, the Heller kit needs a lot of work to produce an accurate model with a good level of detail, either scratchbuilt (which many modellers either don't want to or can't do) or aftermarket (are there any AM sets for this kit?) which will raise its price close to that of the Trumpeter one. The scale may also be a factor, depending on whether you prefer 1/400 or 1/350 scale or already have some models in your collection of either scale.

However, if you're on a limited budget and aren't too concerned about perfect accuracy, the Heller Hood will still build a reasonable model at a low price. $54 seems pretty steep for this kit  - it sells for £20 new here in the UK (Airfix have just re-issued it along with the Bismarck/Tirpitz, KGV/POW and Scharnhorst/Gneisenau) and can usually be found for less on eBay or at sales. It may not be as easy to find in the US though, being produced by European manufacturers.

I have the Heller kit and will eventually be building it with the help of some plans + a lot of scratchbuilding (first I'm going to build something more straightforward and "out of the box") - the Trumpeter example is completely out of my price range for a 1/350 kit.

The Lindberg kit is closer to 1/350 (1/365 or thereabouts I think) and usually very cheap, but is not worth it unless you want to build a R/C model (it was designed for motorisation, and has a thick, single-piece hull) as virtually all the surface detail and fittings will have to be replaced with scratchbuilt or AM parts. The smaller parts are extremely crude and the larger ones almost devoid of detail.

I am a 1/400  modeler, (more like collector unfortunately),  and so my response is biased but note there are more heavy WWII ships available in 1/400 plastic than 1/350. Any plastic ship kit you purchase will only appear super detailed with the inclusion of brass PE and now brass barrels. So add another $60 for PE + another $100(barrels) to whatever budget you are calculating for the kit.

See www.hmshood.com in the models section for a number of heller hood builds. There is also one at www.smmlonline.com I think there are a number of Heller Hoods in the gallery at www.modelwarships.com and PE is reviewed at www.steelnavy.com

Another option is wait a bit and the price will drop. Trumpeter's 1/350 North Carolina debuted at $100.00 or so and is now down to about $54.00+$16.00 shipping.

If not using a complex PE(other than rails and ladders) then really any kit looks nice once it is properly assembled and painted. The more PE the more ships in these scales appears as miniatures and less like toys. 

Heller Hood is usually avaiable for about $40.00 via Internet if you are in the US with about another $8-10 in shipping. Google a bit with keywords "Heller 1/400 Hood Best price" 

 

 Hey , Don !  I was so impressed with the Trumpeter offerings after doing the USS North Carolina , that I ordered the HMS Hood sight unseen and without a review to guide me . I understand the Trumpeter Hood kit includes a fret of etched brass , so that my be the reason for the higher cost !       Jack

flyguy wrote:

Hey ,  <<snip>> {PE} that my be the reason for the higher cost !

Nah,  with the volume of kits being produced, the PE fret provided with the kit is not a cost driver.

The reason for the cost is that it is Trumpeter's assessment as to what the market will bear.

There have been loud cries for a large-scale Hood for some time now.   Trump is marketing the kit at a price point that will return their investment in the shortest period of time (in their opinion).    Will it work?   Remember what PT Barnum said about a fool and his money!

Why is the Sullivans which is half the size and half the complexity of the Hood selling for 30 bucks, a quarter to a fifth than the cost of the Hood?  Hmmmm!

My prediction - within a year you will see the Hood for sale at less than a hundred bucks.   Witness the price adjustments on the NC and the carriers.  

Caveat Emptor

You're right about a fool and his money , and I'm a fool for 1/350th scale ships.  By the bye , My Hood is coming from Roll Models at  $112.50 + s&h . As I mentioned  I'm starting to push the upper limits and  can't wait for the prices to come down.  ha ha !      Jack

I was really tempted to go for the gusto. . .but in the same supplement they have the 1/350 Arizona for $40. . .so I'll wait.
Thanks for the input, and Ed check your e-mail. . .

Don

Don -- Response to your offline mail sent to address dkamcin@chartermi.net   bounced back for unknown recipient.

The Trumpeter/Banner/MiniHobby Models USS Arizona was one of the first 1:350 scale ship models made by the company that would be Trumpeter.  Its probably about 5 years old now.  Trumpeter has improved - this is an early work.

When I first looked in the kit back at the 2001 IPMS Nats - it was selling for 80 bucks (+/-).  I said that it was a 40 dollar kit.   I have since found it for less.  I think it is selling at Hobby Lobby for about 35.  I know that I picked mine up for less than 20.  It pays to shop around.

 

Well got my HMS Hood yesterday, took the plunge and didn't care too much about the price this time around. Right off the bat its the most expensive piece of plastic I have ever purchased, but glad I did. So what if she is cheaper in the future? I am single now, no-one to answer to for a big purchase :).


Hood comes with an upper and lowr half hull, will make it easier to pain thats for sure. The fit between the two seems to be good. Also has a waterline piece.

Checking through the instructions, the build seems like its going to be easy, even easier than my Tamiya KGV. The photo-etch contains 8 parts, 4 of which are ladders, so its very basic, but quite thick.

I have also pre-ordered the metal upgrade set, a further $30.00, but will also either get the White Ensign Models HMS Hood photo-etch or Toms version. Will certainly buy colourcoat paints that match what is written here:

http://www.hmshood.com/models/tips/HoodPaint.html

And should I ever be able to justify another Hood at this scale:

http://hmshood.com/ship/history/LargeRepair/Refit42.html

HMS Hood, the Airfix one was the first ever ship model I made. And she is certainly one of the most attractive RN ships to serve, although others such as HMS Vanguard certainly come close.

Matt

Trust me Ed, Charter knows who I am!
They keep billing me,and like a trained monkey I keep paying. . .which maybe why I can't get a Hood right now.
(Well that and the fact I should apply myself to the PC. . .)

Don

I'll second Startux's comments - I have the new Trumpeter Hood, and it's a marvalous peice of work.
My problem is finding a UK vendor of the Hood Upgrade kit p/n 06601.
Seems no one is stocking it yet over here.

a quote from a member at model warships.com. "Got my upgrade kit preordered at WEM, not sure if its in their catalogue yet so just email them."

Giggle, snort, guffaw...............some of you guys think Trumpy's BB-55 is a wonderful kit? From an engineering standpoint it's a complete dog with some of the worst parts layout and fit I've ever seen. From an accuracy standpoint it's still a complete dog but I will say most of the accuracy errors were caused by brain-dead engineering. Had the kit retailed for $30-40 I wouldn't be so harsh but for $130 MSRP, plus what you have to spend on the following to avoid having a 1960's era Revell Arizona build- $22 for mains & secondaries, approx. $30 for 40's and 20's, $7 for anchors that aren't a total joke and anywhere from $40-65 for PE.....buy the old Classic Warships (now Yankee Modelworks) resin kit and avoid having to fix all the inaccuracies and stupid engineering screwups.

So be forewarned Hood fans, buy a tube of Tamiya putty and lots of sanding sticks. Don't forget to have plenty of styrene strip on hand as well. I bet there's resin & PE armament replacements planned too.

From a quick look the USS The Sullivans is just as bad a deal, $30 kit, $30-40 PE, then replace the 5" turrets, 40's, 20's and boats too..........might as well buy the YMW USS Johnston at that point.

Eh?

 Who the hell mentioned anything about BB55? This is about the 1/350 HMS Hood!

Try reading some comments from those who actually have the model in their hands BEFORE you prejudge it.

http://www.shipmodels.info/mwphpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=4702&start=45

 

And  http://cybermodeler.com/hobby/kits/tru/kit_tru_hood.shtml

 

And  http://modelingmadness.com/scotts/misc/ships/trumpeter/5302preview.htm

Herr Smith obviously hasn't bothered to look at the Hood kit for sure. !   Mine is beautifully done and so far  the fit is excellent ! The only disappointment I had is with the photo-etch - they could have just as well left it out and saved themselves a few pennnies. I'll probably use the outer edges for  detailing  and scrap the rest. I'm patiently waiting for Mr. Perry to market his brass set before making the big choice as to which set to buy !  While I have your attention , I"m in the painting stages of the BB55 right now , and the only disappointment I have so far is the 20MM  guns - they're really bad. It's definitly not a shake and bake model , but how many ship models are???

Ron Smith wrote:

Giggle, snort, guffaw...............some of you guys think Trumpy's BB-55 is a wonderful kit? From an engineering standpoint it's a complete dog with some of the worst parts layout and fit I've ever seen. From an accuracy standpoint it's still a complete dog but I will say most of the accuracy errors were caused by brain-dead engineering. Had the kit retailed for $30-40 I wouldn't be so harsh but for $130 MSRP, plus what you have to spend on the following to avoid having a 1960's era Revell Arizona build- $22 for mains & secondaries, approx. $30 for 40's and 20's, $7 for anchors that aren't a total joke and anywhere from $40-65 for PE.....buy the old Classic Warships (now Yankee Modelworks) resin kit and avoid having to fix all the inaccuracies and stupid engineering screwups. So be forewarned Hood fans, buy a tube of Tamiya putty and lots of sanding sticks. Don't forget to have plenty of styrene strip on hand as well. I bet there's resin & PE armament replacements planned too. From a quick look the USS The Sullivans is just as bad a deal, $30 kit, $30-40 PE, then replace the 5" turrets, 40's, 20's and boats too..........might as well buy the YMW USS Johnston at that point.

You know this sure sounds like a plug for YMW (or resin), but not a very good one. Mixing up the Royal Navy HMS Hood with BB-55? Are you going to mix up the German Bismarck with a Tribal class destroyer?

Would have been far better to have admitted the strengths of HMS Hood and then added on WEM Photo-etch and paints, this won't be much over $100 if even that. So full price kit, $149.95 + $100 = $249.95. Last I saw a resin 1/350 HMS Hood it was at $350.00 or more!

Going back to a Tribal, sure would be nice to see one in 1/350! And indeed more Royal Navy WW2 destroyers in styrene at this scale.

Matt

Going back to a Tribal, sure would be nice to see one in 1/350! And indeed more Royal Navy WW2 destroyers in styrene at this scale.

Matt

AMEN TO THAT!!!

Especially a Battle Class destroyer!

There is a Battle Class Destroyer in 350-ish scale, done by Novo.I've only ever see one (and my brother-in-law won't part with it,the so and so!). It's not the best quality I've seen, being heavy in detail and simplistic, but then again it was there and it was cheap!

That's probably the old Frog one.  I had a chance to buy one a while ago but I wouldn't want to have built it - collectors item only, especially at the price.

Keep an eye out for the Novo one.My Bro in law picked it up for $20 Oz at our last IPMS swap'n'sell

Here's an initial assessment of the Hood kit from the HMS HOOD.COM website

http://www.readybb.com/hmshood/viewtopic.php?t=258&sid=B612273D4F5CD0AB3298C2ECE52CE3A6