Dragon Models 1040 1/350 German Battleship Scharnhorst 1943 (SmartKit)

Model Kit

Dragon is proud to announce its most stunning ship kit ever a 1/350 scale rendition of the famous German battleship Scharnhorst! The 31,500-ton Scharnhorst was commissioned on January 7 1939, and it often operated in partnership with its sister ship, Gneisenau. Buoyed by a top speed of 31.5 knots, this battleship wreaked havoc on Allied shipping with its nine 11-inch guns. It was involved in the invasion of Norway in 1940, during which it sank the British carrier HMS Glorious. In early 1941 the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau broke out into the Atlantic to lay siege to Allied shipping lanes. On December 25 1943, the Scharnhorst and accompanying destroyers put to sea to interdict Arctic convoys heading to Russia. However, aware of German plans, the British intercepted the Scharnhorst with a Royal Navy battleship, cruisers and destroyers. Reeling under multiple salvos of 2195 shells and 55 torpedoes, the Scharnhorst finally succumbed to its mortal wounds at 1945 hours on December 26. Of the 1968 crewmen aboard, only 36 survived. As an interesting footnote, the wreck of the Scharnhorst was discovered off North Cape in northern Norway in 2000.

Dragons project to create a 1/350 scale kit of the Scharnhorst was a mammoth undertaking. The result of 18 months of intensive labor, the impressively sized kit is Dragons first ever battleship in this scale. And what a battleship it is! The enormous lower hull is made as a single piece via slide molds, and the accurate hull includes the correct undercut shapes. The deck fits perfectly onto the one-piece hull, with a single joint line completely hidden beneath the superstructure. The deck includes fine lines representing the plank pattern, and the bridge superstructure is made to the finest possible thickness. The bridge is also made by slide molds so that there are no parting lines to mar this highly visible element. The kit makes use of multimedia materials with a judicious use of photo-etched parts. The canvas waterproof covers that fit over the guns in their turrets are made from DS in order to give the necessary flexibility and realistic texture. The gun turrets, made by slide molds, are fully detailed, with even their riveted construction depicted.

An appropriate accessory included in this kit is a comprehensive set of 1/350 scale crewmen. Although the figures might be small, they are highly detailed and true to scale. These plastic-injected crewmen far surpass similarly scaled two-dimensional photo-etched figures. Built to a high standard, figures comprise a gun crew for a 15cm gun turret. Other well-posed figures include the captain standing on the bridge, and another crewman climbing a ladder. When these figures are added to the giant battleship, they lend an air of realism and give a true sense of scale to this great German warship.

FEATURES:

• Bilge keels are represented on lower hull by slide-molded technology
• Waterline or full-hull version can be assembled
• One-piece slide-molded upper hull w/undercut details realistically represented
• Extremely detailed parts like the cranes
• Radar arrays realistically reproduced
• Extremely fine photo-etched details on radar arrays and rigging
• Two options of hatches can be modeled open/closed
• Extremely fine detailed parts like the 11.5m workboat
• Enclosed Admirals Bridge w/clear parts realistically presented
• Photo-etched ladders on funnel
• Realistic photo-etched funnel platforms
• Separate piping on rear of funnel
• Realistic photo-etched funnel cap grills
• Extra-fine detail on superstructure walls like hose and ladder patterns delicately reproduced
• Moveable searchlights include clear part w/fine details
• Signal lamp delicately rendered
• 10.5cm twin anti-aircraft gun finely reproduced
• 2cm Flakvierling gun and 2cm naval Flak gun accurately produced w/photo-etched parts
• 3.7cm twin anti-aircraft gun w/fine details and photo-etched gunner seat
• Forward superstructure w/authentic detail
• Extra-thin shield walls on superstructure reproduced for accurate 1:350 scale appearance
• Life rafts w/authentic details
• One-piece aft superstructure slide-molded w/authentic shape
• 15cm single turrets, 15cm twin turrets, and 28cm triple turrets authentically reproduced w/optional blast bags
• Turret w/realistic bolt detail
• Realistically detailed gun barrels include slide-molded hollow ends
• Anton and Bruno 28cm turrets realistically reproduced
• Accurate workboat stowage
• True-to-scale propellers reproduced
• One-piece slide-molded lower hull w/undercut details realistically represented
• Rudder can be easily assembled
• Rangefinders located fore and aft