I never thought Trumpeter would release a 1/32 scale Swordfish. Growing up with the movie "Sink the Bismarck" gave me a fondness for the "Stringbag," a lumbering torpedo bomber, but the kit was a surprise.
Trumpeter has included a good amount of detail with an optional clear fuselage to show it off. The kit also provides vinyl wheels and a sheet of photoetched-metal parts including rigging. If you like, separate struts allow the wings to be assembled folded. The only weapons load is a torpedo; it looks the part, and the rack fits very well. I was happy to see the elegantly simple torpedo sight correctly portrayed as two bars with rings representing the lights used in the real sight. Decals for two fairly plain color schemes are included.
Anxious to dive right in, I was disappointed to discover almost every mating surface had to be trimmed or filed flat prior to assembly - not the crisp, precise molding I was used to from other Trumpeter kits. But the fit was good after all the cleanup. Also needing cleanup is the huge raised fastener detail molded on all the metal panels. While their shape and position looks correct, just a quick glance at any photo will show these fasteners were flush to the skin, not raised as in the kit. I carefully sliced mine nearly flush with the surface to retain some detail.
Cockpit detail is good for this scale, but I left the photoetched-metal seat belts out, as they are way too short and hang in space on the pilot's seat. The trim wheel by the pilot's seat will not clear the upper deck molding if you mount it flush to the tubular frame.
The shining star in this kit is the Pegasus engine, which includes full exhaust and tubular support framing. With proper painting it looks great. Be careful to fit the tabs inside the cowl all the way into the slots in the engine cylinders, or your engine will take on a list.
Wing spars are included, along with directions for minor modifications required if you want your Stringbag with folded wings. Trumpeter suggests assembling the wings and fully rigging them prior to joining them to the fuselage. That seemed a recipe for disaster, so I attached the wings before any rigging.
Painting was simple, as were the decals, which went down fine with just a touch of setting solution. I think the red and yellow are too bright for the later (1942) Channel Dash option, but the colors might be OK for the aircraft which so famously attacked and disabled the Bismarck. Trumpeter erred in giving markings for two full sets of struts, but marked only for the port inner struts of one of the serial number options - by my count six decals short for one option, and eight decals short for the other.
The final step before completion was rigging. I was not thrilled with the idea of photoetched-metal rigging before building this kit, and I now know why. Every wire had to be shortened - difficult with the stiff metal. After struggling through that annoyance, it was a relief to finally attach all the most fragile parts at the end.
Trumpeter gets mixed marks for this kit. It is accurate and has good detail, but the effort required in cleanup and the use of photoetched-metal rigging makes this one best for experienced modelers. I would build another, but only after resting for a while. Then, I would give it a nice silver scheme!
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