Airfix Scharnhorst 1/600th Scale
Posted: Wed Mar 02, 2011 12:41 am
I applaud Airfix Re-releasing a few of the older kits this year; some of the older kits might need retooling before re-releasing. I just completed the Airfix 1/600th Scale Scharnhorst Kit 04206-8 with a mold date of 1963 placed on the underneath of the foredeck. I found this kit to be somewhat challenging: The mountings holes for part 130 (mainmast) to fit into part 123 ( upper smokestack searchlight platform) were poorly located. In a similar fashion, the mounting tabs for the upper gun platform (Part 135) failed to fit into upper searchlight platform (Part 133). Lastly, I felt there was insufficient room for the forward scoutplane launching platform Parts 28 & 29 to fit behind the scoutplane hangar Parts 25 & 26 on to it's mounting tab provided on the upper deck (part 20). The kit, as configured, depicts The Scharnhorst in it's pre-war configuration. The wartime version depicted by the Airfix-Heller Scharnhorst model in 1/400th scale with an "Atlantic Bow" might be a more aesthetic kit to many modelers.