Airfix 1/600 HMS Amazon
You can see this model in the Photo Gallery The HMS Amazon, commissioned in 1973, was the class-leader of the Type 21 Anti-submarine frigate. Among the unique features of the Type 21, of which eight were eventually built, was the extensive use of aluminum in the superstructure to reduce the ships weight and its gasoline driven engines. Seven Type 21 frigates saw action in the Falkland Islands War and two, the HMSs Ardent and Antelope, were sunk. The kit consists of 71 parts and at about 7.75 inches, is quite tiny. The parts are crisply molded with a sink hole found only on the fuselage of the Lynx helicopter. The hull, decks and superstructure show a moderate level of detail. What I found interesting is that the full hull halves each have a notch where one can score the plastic with a knife and convert the kit to a waterline model. Some of the finer details, like the mast yardarms and helicopter rotors, are a bit bulky and should be replaced with photoetch parts. The decal sheet comes with the hull numbers for three ships in this class: HMS Amazon (F169), HMS Active (F171) and HMS Arrow (F173) as well as the helipad markings (which are triplicated for some unknown reason). Overall, this is a nice kit and due to its size and the number of parts, would make a good weekend project. I plan to build mine as a waterline model either the Active or Arrow in a Falkland Islands fit using the White Ensign Models Modern Royal Navy photoetch set.
Hull half & deck section
|
