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| The Iron Shipwright 1:350
scale HMS Sirius is a one piece full-hull
model depicting the ship in its 1942 configuration. Part of the first batch of Dido class Royal Navy light cruisers, she
carried ten 5.25" guns in five centerline turrets. Dido class vessels
utilized a dual purpose armament that gave them, in theory, both anti ship and
anti-aircraft capability. In practice, however, the 5.25" dual mounts, slow in
training and with a relatively low rate of fire, were less than satisfactory AA weapons.
To my eye these early Didos with their raked funnels and three forward 5.25" turrets
had sleek and appealing lines. And unlike most of the other ships of the first batch,
whose armament was modified as the war progressed, Sirius kept her five 5.25" turrets
throughout her life, which ended when she was broken up in 1955. Commissioned in 1942, Sirius initially sported a 4-color "Admiralty Disruptive" camouflage scheme. The Iron Shipwright kit depicts Sirius during the period when she displayed this eye-catching livery. I've scanned a color depiction from the long out- of- print Ensign 2 "Dido Class Cruisers", which is the best source of Dido class information I've found. It is among the best of the series. Grab it if you can.
The Iron Shipwright HMS Sirius is all resin, full hull kit. All of the deck structures are included in the impressive hull casting, so buildup should be rather fast for a cruiser-size model. My sample was sharply cast, with only a few flaws. Some of the ready use lockers had voids which will require filling, and there were some faint seams in the hull casting which appeared to be the remnants of the formers used in constructing the hull master. These deficiencies are minor and readily fixed with a bit of light sanding and superglue. A customized etched brass fret (unavailable when I photographed this test casting) is included. The kit's price will be $225, and it will be available April 15, 2000. My initial impression is that this will be an unusually easy buildup for a 1:350 scale cruiser, and the striking camo scheme should make for a most impressive display piece. For contact information, go to the Iron Shipwright page, and click on the thumbnail images below for full size pics of the HMS Sirius test castings. |
 Quarterdeck |
 Midship |
 Aft Deckhouse |
 Forward Superstructure |
 Funnels, gunhouses, directors, tubes |
 Navigation Bridge Closeup |
 Tubs, Bridge Levels |
 Misc Small parts |
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