Passat Sailing Ship

This is an excellent kit though not for beginners. I would have given it 5 stars were it not for the directions. Everything is in French with an English translation on the back 2 pages of the booklet. The assembly pictures aren't very clear and look like they are a many generation copy. The rigging directions are even harder to follow. The size, design and location of the pin rails make tying off the running rigging a real challenge. The design for attaching the yards to the masts leaves the assemblies very fragile when its time for the rigging. Rat lines had to be made using a jig (provided in the kit) Although all the artwork showed sails there were none included. So much for the cons. PROS. The molding itself was very good no warped or twisted parts and lots of fine molded in detail. Flash and ejector pin marks was practically non existent. The parts were clearly marked on the sprue. Paint instructions were very clear. Everything fit together well without trimming or filling. The rat lines turned out much nicer than I had hoped and the provided jig was very easy to use. The build took about 14 months at a couple of hours a day. I think the finished product was worth the effort. I would most certainly build another of the Heller 1/150 scale models