HMS Invincible
Iron Shipwright 1/350
Iron Shipwrights 1/350 model represents the first British battlecruiser HMS Invincible as she appeared December 1914, when she and her sister Inflexible destroyed the German cruiser squadron under Admiral von Spee at the Battle of the Falkland Islands.
The hull is a large chunk of resin over 19 long, which scales out nicely to the actual ship. I had requested my model as a waterline version, but Ted Paris inadvertently sent me a full hull kit at first. This hull was relatively free of bubbles and pitting like some other ISW kits it even includes the underwater torpedo tubes. The prop shaft housings were poorly cast and need to be replaced.
One thing missing was any trace of hull plating. While this was a prominent feature on these ships, the model is cast a smooth as a baby behind. Also the torpedo net and associated equipment had been removed by December 1914, but the attachment points on the hulls for the net booms were still on the hull. These are missing on the kit.
While the bottom of the hull was well formed, the mushroom vents on the deck were mostly malformed, with large voids in them. I plan to cut them all off and make new ones. Additionally, the torpedo net shelf is warped in a few spots, but the superstructure that was cast as part of the hull was well done.
For such a large ship (Invincible was the largest warship in the world when launched) there arent many parts. Most of the superstructure, turrets and masts are cast in resin and have the usual flash associated with Iron Shipwright kits. The main battery guns and searchlights are cast in white metal and are decent quality (Id like to see Iron Shipwright cast more of their smaller parts in white metal!).
A nice set of photo-etching is included, that covers railings, superstructure bracing and even the aerials between the fore and mainmasts!
The directions follow the recently Iron Shipwright trend of being Spartan. As I mentioned, however, there arent many parts to this kit anyway, so its not as big of a problem as it may be with a more complex model. For those inclined to super-detail, White Ensign Models sells a set of plans of Invincible in her Falkland Islands fit (12/1914), which may aid in the construction of the kit as well.
While not without its flaws, Id recommend the kit to those who wish to model the first of Jackie Fishers greyhounds, HMS Invincible.
Review By: Martin Quinn
