by Timothy Choi |
Some subjects are chosen for the builder's personal interest, some for their historical fame, and others just because they're on sale on the hobby store shelf.
Yet others, like this one, might be chosen for their internet meme value. The Royal Danish Navy's Arvak class tugboats are notable for their role in transporting the Standard Flex (STANFLEX) modules used by the fleet's warships. Such modules include the ubiquitous OTO Melara 76mm gun used on all of the RDN's major vessels. The comical imagery of a humble tugboat hauling around a gun mount of this size has garnered attention from across social media.
This is the bonus kit included in Dodo Models' 1/700 Iver Huitfeldt class frigate kit. Like the parent kit, the two bonus tugboats are in resin with PE and brass barrels. Only one of them has the STANFLEX support base (and associated hole for the 76mm gun) molded onto the aft deck. The kit's 76mm brass barrel is a tad too long, however, so I replaced it with the more correctly-sized one from Master, leaving the longer ones for use on the much larger frigate where the length difference is less noticeable.
In terms of accuracy, the tugboat's hull is rather generalized in shape. From the top-down view, it's much more rectangular than it should be. In reality, the shape should be more ovoid with no noticeable straight edges along the hull sides. Still, the remaining superstructure, molded-in details, 3D-printed parts, and PE are very nicely done.
The scratchbuilt pier was done with the help of Google Maps' satellite imagery and photos from the Danish Defence photo archives, showing it after it was modernized in the late 2010s. I messed up the measurement of the stairs, so "under construction" it is! The circular base is a generic "cloche" available from an arts & crafts store.
Vehicles are from the Modelium "1/700 Car set C", which are 3D printed single-piece items. Since it's a Japanese company, the buses have their doors on the wrong side from where they'd be in Denmark...alas, there's a dearth of modern 1/700 civilian vehicles. Figures are standard Eduard/Pit-Road 1/700 IJN Figures, which has pre-coloured ones of a similar yellow-green as the Danish navy's working uniforms.
Paints were Lifecolor UA 601 DKM 50 Hellgrau Silbergrau for vertical surfaces and UA 605 Dunkelgrau for horizontals.
And no, the tug cannot fire the gun!
