1/400 RMS Titanic

When it comes to the RMS Titanic, a model builder has a wide and varied spread to chose from in terms of model kits. The Academy Titanic has the upper hand on most due to it's base coloring and crisp molded detail. The sprues are all made from injection molded plastic which is colored black, white, tan, or White Star Buff. This makes a great starting platform for painting and the colors are crisp, clean, and look very good. This is the model's strongest point; it's beautiful crisp detailing. It took me a month of on and off work to finish my model, I however spent extra time doing painting of windows, deck features, and rigging. The model's parts all match together well, and if one takes their time should not have any trouble with the build. The one thing however I did not like was that the placement of the finished superstructure into the hull meant that it was very easy to damage all the small parts of the superstructure as one wrestled it into the stubborn hull. On my finished model there is still a small indention where I had to pry the hull apart to slide the superstructure into place. The coloring of the funnels may also irk some historians as it is a bit brighter then what is said to be 'White Star Buff' but one can easily paint the funnels down if desired. Also, on a historical note; the shell plating at the stern has a kink in it, as it follows the curves of the stern. But one can easily overlook that. Also, a set of railings at the stern of the boat deck are missing from the kit. This seems to be a nature of the kit, as I checked with other owners and they all reported their kit missing the same set of railings. Over all, this was a great kit. It went together easily, can be further detailed, and is not as complex as other Titanic kits, yet not as simple as the beginner kits. Great for someone who wants a good Titanic, but doesn't yet have the experience to nail down one of the larger high profile kits.