Completed in 1916 as a
Renown-class battlecruiser, HMS
Repulse served the British Royal Navy in the North Sea in World War I. She was modernized in 1922 and again in 1933-36, took part in the hunt for the German battleship
Bismarck in May 1941 and, along with HMS
Prince of Wales, was sunk en route to Singapore on Dec. 10, 1941.
This 1/700 scale
Repulse is what one has come to expect from Tamiya-clean and crisp! That said, the aft bulkheads are curiously devoid of any surface detail (forward bulkheads have doors and portholes). Tamiya has also chosen to mold some of the ladders to the bulkheads, making them resemble Aztec steps.
Options are few; only a waterline version is available. A Walrus floatplane is included.
The two-page, 13-step instructions are clearly illustrated with part numbers for locations and inset illustrations for details. A gray-scale illustration is used for color and marking diagrams that list Tamiya paints. A small errata sheet corrects the placement of the small boats.
Decals are thin and in-register, and their color appears accurate. The single sheet contains markings for the Walrus floatplane. British ensigns are included separately, printed single-sided on paper.
Construction was straightforward with no complications - fit was flawless! Seams are engineered to be unseen after being assembled.
In Step Two, the diagram isn't clear. It's best to install the main mast (B33) first, then the pilothouse roof (B42). Also, Step 10 is vague on the placement of the turret rangefinder (C32) on the turret (C31). Proper placement is behind the turret and flush with its roof.
I built the kit in subassemblies, leaving off all the deck structures and equipment until after painting.
I painted
Repulse as she appeared at the time of her sinking in "contrast camouflage," an unofficial scheme with British 507A and 507C grays applied in a disruptive pattern.
I used Gunze Sanyo light gray (H338) for the lighter 507C gray and Polly Scale scale black for the darker 507A gray, following instructions for the disruptive pattern.
Vallejo dark sea green (868) was used for the boat deck; Polly Scale old concrete for the wood decks completed the painting.
I spent 18 hours building and painting my
Repulse. According to dimensions in Steve Backer's
British Battlecruisers of the Second World War (Seaforth), the kit measures very slightly short. Still, it looks accurate.
The kit is a painless, quick build into a clean representation of the real ship. Lacking some surface features or photoetched-metal parts, superdetailers may want to add aftermarket details.
Though it's an uncomplicated build, I'd recommend beginners warm up with a few kits before trying this one.
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