Orange Hobby N07-116 1/700 HMAS Collins-Class Submarine (Resin kit)

Orange Hobby 1/700th Scale Collins Class This kit was impressively detailed, I thought the features you could discern were pretty good considering the small scale. It was also a pleasant and unexpected surprise to have 2 units included in the box. This means I can have a second attempt at the kit when I am ready! Each piece required careful cutting to remove it from the sprue and a bit of sanding to remove flashing. Note; I imagine the resin dust is not healthy, so I used wet sandpaper / nail files and plenty of rinsing to avoid exposure. The fuselage halves were warped. My initial attempt to glue them together resulted in a distinctly banana-shaped model. I pulled the halves apart again and used hot water (a little below boiling) to soften them. Placing each half on a level surface and gently clamping them straight as they cooled, I was able to bring them back to level. Once I figured this bit out, the kit went together very nicely. I glued the two halves together with epoxy, and used super-glue for the other joints. The top half of the hull was slightly longer than the lower half, some careful sanding was able to mask this flaw. The photo etch parts also went together nicely. I was able to place them using superglue, tweezers, and some concentration. The propellor in particular fit into its place without complaint. Putty was required at the base of the sail, but everything else fitted nicely. There was no stand in this kit, so I modelled and printed one (now on GrabCAD). Usually, there are only very large submarines available in 1:700th scale. It’s really nice to have a “small” sub to place in the collection as it gives context to size of the other submarines. This was my first Orange Hobby kit, and in general I am impressed by the detail.