Descisions: upgrade a 1/72 corvette or buy a Coastal Craft Fairmile D

[Mike sLOANParticipant @mikesloan52046]

I have a difficult but happy decision to make, and I am looking for input from the group.

I have a Revell 1/72 Corvette Snowberry kit which I have not started. It is the early release, not the more recent "platinum" release.

I also have a bit of cash available to spend on models. (for a change)

I can either upgrade the Corvette with some of the photo etched parts that are available, or leave the Corvette as is and buy one of Coastal Craft's Fairmile kits. Or maybe a tiny upgrade AND the Fairmile…

I am not a novice modeller – I'm just finishing up one of Mountfleets' Osprey ships. But I have never done work with photo etched parts. I can work an airbrush, but I'm not great at it.

Does the Revell kit need the metal? I can spend a LOT of money on the upgrades. Which ones really make a bit difference to the kit?

Whichever way I go, I want it to be a good build. Perhaps not up to the quality of some of the pictures I've seen here, but as good as I can do.

I am not planning to R/C either. This will be a static kit.

So if you have experience with either or both of these kits, please weigh in!

[Mike sLOANParticipant @mikesloan52046]

looking for help in making an intelligent choice

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Mike. This is a personal decision that only you can make, would be my view.

Do what you really want to. If you are happy with the corvette as it is, then buy something else, if not, spend money on an upgrade!!

Ashley

[Mike sLOANParticipant @mikesloan52046]

Thanks for taking the time to respond. While a personal decision, I am (jsut) smart enough to consider the opinion of those with more experience thanI. Some of the members have built the Corvette and used metal. They can provide an opinion on what really improves the model, and which model parts are not bad as they are. Some may have built the fairmile and gan relay their overall impressions.

[BanjomanParticipant @banjoman]

Mike,

As Ashley says, this essentially boils down to "yer pays yer money and yer takes yer chances" … or in other words what kind of model builder you are, and in consequence what you are likely to take more pleasure from: getting one model just so, or getting to build two different ones.

For what it's worth (not much!), for my part I tend to favour spending my time and money on fewer models rather than more, and so far I have only ever had one project on the go at a time. Also, to my mind the fact that you intend to build a static model argues in favour of the photo-etch. If your Snowberry were to be converted to r/c and go on the water, it would perhaps be more important to aim for maximum sturdiness and consider the fact that most of the time that counts, the model would only be seen at quite a distance. However, a static build is likely to be most often looked at from much closer by, where the added detail (and quality of detail) will make much more of a difference; the model will also be much more protected (perhaps even in a glass case?) or at least much less likely to be knocked about.

My personal experience of photo-etch is limited, but I have been at it enough to know that it can be frightfully fiddly, but also that the result, if worked with reasonable care and attention, can be really lovely, and that it allows for much finer and better-to-scale detail than styrene plastic.

Again, whether or not it'll be worth it for you, nobody but yourself can say.

Now, I am not at all up to scratch on which updates exist, in which bundles or combinations, but if you were to go for the middle road option of getting the Fairmile and just some of the photo etch, I'd say that to my mind, top candidates for replacement on that type of vessel would be things like railings and stanchions, ladders, companionways and smaller caliber armament.

I'm sure you have already done this, but if not, I would also suggest two further lines of inquiry, namely to image Google the matter, and to trawl the various plastic modelling fora out there. In the latter case, I'd of course suggest to look for the kit in question, with and without photo etch, but also in general at what the plastic crowd does with photo etch on e.g. tanks and suchlike — this'll give you much more of an idea what sort of difference it can make, and might help you better understand how much (or little) that approach appeals to you?!

Mattias

Edited By Banjoman on 18/06/2018 06:34:59

Edited By Banjoman on 18/06/2018 06:36:24

[Ray Wood 3Participant @raywood3]

Hi Mike,

If the choice is financial in anyway you have the original kits press on and build it, It was always popular for RC for its size and detail, you could upgrade with etched brass stanchions from say John Haynes 1/72nd range and the many other fittings he produces. I have built 2 of these over the years and built to completion are fine models, but as there are 1,000's built have little if any value, except for the pleasure of the build, I would build both the Corvette and the Fair mile, as unlike Mattias I build 4 models are once, so when I get bored with one I can have a break on something else

Regards Ray

[Tim CooperParticipant @timcooper90034]

Mike

Having built the Snowberry kit without the photoetch I would say it's fine for a working model. The guns, for example, are very basic. I wouldn't say it makes a good static model but looks great on the water and sails very well.

With regard to photo etch I am using some on an Italeri S100 conversion, they can be quite difficult to use. Some the parts are very small, levers on the guns even in 1/35 scale are only 2mm by 1mm.

Tim

[Mike sLOANParticipant @mikesloan52046]

Good points all. I currently have 6 R/C boats that I'm not running, and any more would be silly. So the intent is a good static model. If the Corvette, despite having a huge number of parts, won't stand scrutiny without upgrades, then I'm certainly up for upgrading the things that will make the most impact. I'm not keen on fiddly bits, but they will be unavoidable. Based on the comments so far, I may have to pass on the Fairmile for the moment.

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