Double your pleasure, double your fun, with Gold Metal Models, you get tons
of fun! OK, so that is a poor rhyme, however, with the two new brass
photo-etch frets from Gold Metal Models for the 1:350 scale HMS
Hood from Trumpeter you are provided incredible brass
detail to enhance the plastic model. Although both frets are specifically
designed for the Trumpeter kit, one release is essential items for the kit and a
separate GMM Gold Plus set takes your Hood
where no Hood has gone before (other
than the original).
Gold Medal Models Standard Hood Fret
This fret is the larger of the two new releases, GMM set 350-37. It
measures 9 7/8 by 7 ¼ inches (250mm x 180mm). As mentioned above it contains
the essential items to enhance your Hood.
As is always expected from Gold Medal Models this product is of the
highest quality, with relief etching found throughout the parts. Three types of
armament are enhanced. The four-inch/45 guns receive beautifully relief-etched
trunions for the sides of each mount. These are simply attached to the sides of
the smooth featureless Trumpeter mounts. The pom-pom mounts receive the
detailed addition of gun-sights, which fit over the plastic mounts provided by Trumpeter.
Also included are relief-etched ammunition box sides and the safety rails for
these large mounts. Of course GMM also throws in four mounts for that
most wonderful piece of ordnance, the Vickers quadruple .50 machine guns. The
originals may have been fairly worthless but the GMM renditions confer
great detail and value when attached to the sides of the nondescript plastic
mounts.
Night of the Long Knives
To properly attach a significant number of these parts, it will be necessary to
use a hobby knife to open up or remove some aspects of the plastic parts. The
largest two parts are the stack grills. Since the plastic stack caps are solid,
the plastic grate/top must be cut out first. However, it is strongly recommended
to do that because the GMM brass parts are infinitely superior in the
finished appearance from the provided Trumpeter plastic part. At the base
of the stacks are air intake louvers. GMM provides mesh vent/louver
screens, which will further dramatically improve the detail of the model. As
with the stack caps, it will be necessary to drill out and square off the
openings but the quantum leap in appearance more than justifies the effort
employed. Some platforms will need to be opened for insertion of brass inclined
ladders and the plastic bottoms of the carley rafts will need to be removed to
use the mesh bottoms provided by GMM. Perhaps the most delicate removal
operation will be the removal of the external degaussing cable from the hull so
that you can use the brass cable in the fret. Other parts requiring modification
are the removal of the plastic pulleys on the main boat derrick and removal of
the boat chocks on the boat deck.
No Quarter for the Quarterdeck
Gold Medal Models does not go easy on the details for the quarterdeck. The
aft superstructure is very prominent at the deck break between the upper deck
and quarterdeck. Overlooking the quarterdeck is the admiral’s cabin. GMM
provides a full set of relief-etched square window covers for these windows.
There are also four prominent inclined ladders running up to the openings in
this bulkhead. You will need to use the platforms from the plastic pieces but
substitute brass parts for the ladders. Perhaps the greatest degree of
exactitude comes with the placement of the letters for HOOD on the two
bulkheads. GMM provides a cutout jig, which allows exact placement for
each letter. Quarterdeck hatches also present the opportunity for extremely fine
detail. Using the outline of a deck hatch, you’ll have to form a deck coaming
sill from plastic card but then you’ll be able to use the relief-etched
hatches and hatch canvas frame. You can take this further by filing in the open
framework with white glue to portray these frames as covered with canvas.
An Awning Situation
Not only does Gold Medal Models provide the opportunity to model deck
hatch moldings but also you can take whole hog but adding quarterdeck and
forecastle awnings. GMM provides a complete set of tripod and bipod
stanchions for the rigging of full deck awnings. These stanchions are inboard
from the deck edge railing, so they will add another level of deck detail, even
without awnings. Since stanchion locator holes are no on the Trumpeter kit, GMM
provides a jig template and it appears that the outboard end of the template is
placed one plank from the deck edge. GMM recommends using nylon
monofilament line for the awning support line that runs along the top of these
stanchions.
This product is just chock-a-block with detailed parts of the highest
quality. Three hawse-pipe screens add great detail at the forward tip of the
forecastle. Do you like your photo-etch to go to insane lengths of detail? Loren
certainly provides it with his Hood
set. There are four accommodation ladders and each ladder is provided a separate
base foot-plate with the relief-etched name "Hood" present on the
plate Remember that this is just one tread of a 1:350 scale ladder! How about
individual eyebrows to place over portholes? This set has them. There is a full
set of yards for the masts and also a full set of radar array. Rafts receive
grid bottoms as well as small paddles and the ship’s boats get the long and
short oars. There are choices to be made with relief-etched doors, both open and
closed. There are small, medium and large hose reels; four styles of
relief-etched boat chocks; and extraordinary detail to boat davit positions with
not only the davits but also with gripping spars, line rigging and jump nets.
The set gives a full line of railing in various styles. There are 32 inclined
ladders in various lengths and styles and even a set of individual grid
foot-plates for the inclined ladders. GMM provides even more insane
detail with extremely small parts for turnbuckles, hand-wheels, eyebolts and
capstan brake-wheels.
Loren’s Time Machine – Gold Plus Detail Set
If your quest for brass detail has not been quenched with the standard Gold
Medal Models Hood Detail Set, 350-37, you can take the detail further
with this supplemental Gold Plus Set for the Hood
350-37A. This fret measures 7-inches by 3 ¾-inches and seems to be made of
thicker gage brass. This is understandable in that about a quarter of the fret
is of heavy machinery parts for back dating the Trumpeter Hood
kit. From 1929 to 1932 the Hood was equipped with a catapult and aircraft crane
at the stern. This Gold Plus set contains the parts to add this detail. Included
are numerous parts such as a large relief-etched turntable, the catapult, crane
jib, crane base, crane gear, crane rigging, aircraft cradle and catapult
platform. Wing supports, float supports and two bladed propeller are provided
for a Fairey IIIF floatplane. Also included are perforated platforms for X
turret. Now before you get too excited about a 1930 era Hood in 1:350 scale, you
need to know that there will be more work involved in back dating the ship to
that period. There will be superstructure changes to the bridge, searchlight
tower between the funnels and aft end of the upper deck. Equally important, you’ll
need to add the secondary guns that were removed before 1941.
Alternate boat chocks and davits are provided. Ship’s boats are further
enhanced with boat thwarts and boat stern gratings. This fret also has the most
detailed jack staffs that I have ever seen in photo-etch or any other medium.
Now this is a subject that you normally don’t think about and never gets
mentioned, but these are beyond spectacular. The jack staff at the bow has the
staff, support and bullnose, which secures the staff to the deck edge. The
ensign staff at the stern has it’s own unique design and parts.
Loren Gives You the Bird
Well actually, that should read "Loren Gives You the Birds".
The ship’s crest of the Hood features a black rook (bird not chess piece).
When not cleared for action the 15-inch guns of the ship usually had brass
tampions closing the muzzles from intrusion of rain or snow. In the Royal Navy
the ship’s crest was on the tampion. Gold Medal Models provides these
tampions and they include relief-etched ship’s crests. New parts also include
night lifebuoys and racks, boat boom brackets for the hull sides, semaphores and
skylight covers. You can attach the skylight covers in an open position and it
suggested that you hollow out the plastic skylight on the deck to give the
fitting a true three-dimensional appearance. Other parts included in this set
are additional open and closed doors; awning stanchions; oars; and
eyebolts.
Verdict
When a friend of mine first saw the Gold Medal Models 1:350 scale
photo-etch sets for the Hood he
stated’ "Damn, this is insane!" He was referring to the
incredible detail provided by GMM and I had to loan him a set of three
power glasses for him to see some of it. With these Gold Medal Models
sets the only question that you need to ask yourself is, "How far do I
want to go?" With GMM there are no distance limits on
detail.
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