1/350 USS Thornton TB-33 Torpedo Boat (Iron Shipwrights)
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by Richard Sliwka |
1/350 USS Thornton TB-33 Torpedo Boat (Iron Shipwrights)
This is one of ISW's series of 1/350 scale early torpedo boat resin kits released several years ago. It is a very good model and takes minimal time to complete. I decided to build the Thornton as I needed to actually complete something--my other current build will take another 300+hours to complete.
The full hull casting is very good with only a few pinholes/incomplete details. One of the funnels did not have the same "rake" as the others so I cut it off and realigned it to match the angle of the others. There are only a basic parts--vents, torpedo tubes, one-pound guns, mast, etc.--to attach. These parts did require some clean-up. I detailed the torpedo tubes and used Yankee Modelworks tripod 20mm PE bases for the one pound gun mounts. I did fabricate a brass mast and rigged the model with Caenis fishing line. I painted the model dark gray as photos seemed to indicate a dark color. I expended about 25 hours on this project and am very satisfied with the result.
The USS Thornton is a neat with model of a warship type that had a short life before its function--attacking capital ships with torpedoes--was assumed by the same ships designed to destroy the torpedo boats--the destroyer.
This would be a good kit to use to get some building experience with
resin and simple PE.
