by David Griffith
1/700 USS Hughes DD-410 (Niko)
This is the Niko 1/700 resin kit of the Sims class destroyer USS Hughes. It is certainly more than a year ago since I finished it, and it must be much more than that since I last posted any of my models in the Gallery. Oh, naughty, naughty me!!!
Before I say anything else, here is a sad story. I took this model down to Telford last November for Scale Modelworld. It didn't win anything in the competition. That's not the sad bit, and really doesn't matter. I had my whole display on show at the exhibition and my wife was in a desperate hurry to get us packed up and away smartly at the end of the Sunday, what with a six hour drive back to Scotland that evening. When I was unpacking everything the next day, I found that I was one model short. I'd left the Hughes on the competition table at Telford!! So either it got dumped in the rubbish, or some lucky person has got one of my models in their collection for free. I just hope they aren't passing it off as their own work!!
As with all Niko kits, the Hughes has a very high level of detail cast in, but in consequence is extremely fragile and needs careful handling if you aren't to lose all the little bollards and ventilators. The hull scuttles were in rather straighter rows than most Niko kits, but still benefitted from filling and re-drilling.
I added a sliver of plastic card to the port side of the hull, in order to show the ship heeling as she executes a tight and high speed turn, in order to avoid an air attack. All the guns and the director are aiming at the same point in the sky.
I replaced the 5" gun barrels with tapered brass rod (I didn't bother buying aftermarket replacements), the mast with brass rod and the radar and Oerlikons with photo-etch. Railings are Gold Medal ultra-fine.
Painting is mostly done by hand, using WEM Colourcoats.
Rigging is by my usual method of "Caenis" monofilament and nylon cord teased out to individual fibres.
If anybody knows the current whereabouts of this model, then I'd be very glad to hear, although if it has a loving and proud keeper or adoptive father, then I won't be asking for it back!!
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