The Ship Model Forum

I haven't done a resin kit for a while so I thought I'd have a go at HMS Calcutta from Atlantic Models. Nicely produced parts (although one or two non-vital bits were missing) and no twist or bend in the hull. Oddly, there is one sprue from another kit (see photo) included in the box: perhaps someone will recognise it.

Nice to see that you're building this one. The yellow piece of resin may be an alternate bridge part for this kit, the C class cruisers changed their bridges a lot during WW2. If you are looking for inspiration, there are a number of C class builds out there in 1/350 from the Trumpeter kit, including a really beautiful Calcutta on Britmodeller.

Yes, you can't go far wrong with a Trumpeter kit. I'm wondering if that extra sprue came from the WWI version that was out a while ago. This seems to be an early WW2 fit sans the early warning radar aerials atop each mast: on this kit there's nothing higher than the main gun director on the superstructure, although I'm wondering if it had radio ranging aerials mounted just ahead on the AA director platform. None of the photos I've found are clear enough.

As resin kits go this one is fairly straight forward although the tripoded mount for the upper bridge platform requires a bit of careful alignment and drilling.

That's the HMS Calcutta almost wrapped up: just need to add railings and other metalwork after I've found some new bollards and chocks. I'm still short of two 27ft whalers - the extra 32ft boats I found in the box are just too big, and the 14ft dinghies are also missing but I've got more in my scrap box.

I will definitely try the 1/350 Trumpeter C-class sometime in the future. It's on my Santa list.

Nice work. MicroMaster (one of our sponsors) makes a variety of 3D printed boats. Might have what you are looking for.

_________________
Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

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I found some rather plain boats to use as substitutes. Happily, there are some nice PE gunnels, thwarts and oars provided with the kit to add some extra detail to the smaller boats.