Reviewed March
2022
by Christopher
Martens
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| HISTORY |
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| Launched in 1877, the ironclad
unprotected cruiser Duguay-Trouin featured eight watertight transverse
bulkheads, a double bottom, and collision bulkhead, all rarities in her
day. She was typically powered with a sometimes-functional steam engine,
supplemented by a full sail rig. Her career was uneventful, finally
ending as a hulk renamed the Veteran. Unfortunately, there isn't
terribly much else about her service in the French Navy in English
language sources. |
| THE
HULL |
|
Duguay-Trouin
is one of Doggy's oldest kits. This release is supplemented by
extensive photo etch, covered later. There are, unforunately, a number
of issues with the hull. For example, the hull suffers from casting
warpage. A short bath in some hot water will help flatten the hull and
straighten the deck's ledges that extend over her sides. Many details
on the hull, while correctly positioned, are either slightly crooked or
a bit overscale. The gunports, for example, would be served well by
marking their locations, removing the resin "cover," and then improved
by replacing it with square photo etch from something like an old
ladder.
The biggest issue with the hull is the bow. The ship's port forecastle
bit here is slightly lower than starboard. I've remedied similar resin
problems in the past via sanding or the use of putty/styrene to raise
the level slightly. Again, for those who would build a resin kit like
this, these aren't hard issues to overcome. By far the most work needs
to be spent on her ram bow. The kit's snout is simply too short. I
couldn't find any reliable dimensions on the ship, so I had to rely on
my caliper, the hull, and a sharp photo. Based on some quick math, the
bow should extend another 2-2.5mm farther forward. Rebuilding the bow
from here to just below her anchor hawse will greatly improve the
accuracy and grace of her prow.
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SUPERSTRUCTURE AND FUNNELS
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|
| The
only parts of this fret used on the ship are the second and third
funnel from the far-left photo. If anything, this runner is a testament
to how Doggy's photo etch substantially improves the kit. Note that the
third funnel must be cut off the resin deckhouse below it for proper
fitting. Unfortunately, the instructions are unclear on this. Flash on
the tops of both resin funnels look far worse than they are in reality.
It's easily removed with little effort via a hobby knife and careful
sanding. |
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| MISCELLANEOUS
PARTS AND BOATS |
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| Doggy
provides a few small resin parts for ventilators, anchors, and other
smaller bits. Unfortunately, the casts aren't of the best quality.
Conversely, the ship's launches feature excellent detail with far less
cleanup.
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| BRASS
BARRELS |
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| Doggy's
brass barrels are incredible and irreplaceable. I've found that properly
scaled and sharp guns can make an otherwise average ship exponentially
more realistic. These are not an exception. I love that Doggy chose to
include them.
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| PHOTO-ETCH |
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| One
can easily toss any criticism of this kit when considering the photo
etch. Doggy's produced a brass set in line with industry powerhouses
like Five Star or Infini Models. If anything, the kit's
photo etch tends to draw an eye to the older resin. Brass decks
are rich in detail. Bending lines are well-represented and easy to
work. Heck, even the sails look like they'd be easy to mold into
realistic shapes. Doggy's etching work is simply incredible.
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| INSTRUCTIONS |
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| Doggy's
instructions are adequate. It would be good to get clarity on which
resin parts are used on Duquay-Trouin. Only the two aforementioned
funnels are used off the superstructure fret.
|
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|
| CONCLUSIONS |
|
Doggy
has supplemented an older mold hull with a beautiful brass etching set.
However,
prospective buyers need to understand that the resin parts of this kit
will need a lot of work to match the PE included with Duguay-Trouin.
Nonetheless, this is a really cool kit of a subject that isn't even
represented in almost all of the English language sources that I
usually use to write histories on these reviews.
I want to thank both Doggy Industries and ModelWarships for this kit. I
will enjoy building it!
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