by Doug Hallet
1/110 South Goodwin Lighthouse (Revell Germany)
The South Goodwin Lighthouse kit has been around since the 1960s, first released by the British firm Frog, later by the Russian Eastern Express and German Revell.DE, if not others. The kit has always been a favorite of modelers, with excellent detailing for a kit out of that era. I started this model some time ago, but the build really took off when I figured out the kit is perfect for the "compressed packing bead" style of sea base that I experimented with previously. Although marketed by Revell, it includes rubbery railings and anchor chain that hearkens back to the original Frog model, making me suspect that Revell obtained a ware house full of them and re-boxed them. In any event, I replaced both as part of my build. Other than some stretched sprue and fishing line for rigging, everything else is out of the box. Beware of the gigantic lettering on the side of the hull - these will need to be cut into individual letters if you are to have any hope of placing them successfully without multiple bubbles and wrinkles, and then be prepared for some touch-up around the portholes.
For those who are interested in some background on the real ship, Jim Baumann was kind enough to provide this web link, which includes everything you'll ever need to know about the Goodwin Sand Banks.
http://www.whitecliffscountry.org.uk/visitor_information/heritage_factsheets/the_treacherous_goodwins.aspx
Thanks also to Peter Fulgoney, Guido Hopp and Frank Spahr for advice during the building process.
