Well, I was sorta surprised at the cost of this kit when I saw the battleship on GM’s website this morning: MFSRP of $140–GM is offering it at $112…This is the 350th scale kit…
Wow, maybe they are taking Draghon’s cue on pricing? I usually buy 1/700 in ships so I am not that concerned, but also imagine that the 700th offering will be expensive as well…
The hull
Generally speaking, the hull is good; the dimensions are accurate to within 0.5mm. The bow is a little too vertical, making the curve at the bottom of the bow a little too high (about 1.5mm maximum). From the junction of the stern with the hole in the axis of the rudder and a distance of 20mm to the waterline, the shape of the hull is a little too strong (1mm maximum). The sternpost should be modified to about 0.8mm on the upper part.
The rudder, propellers, propeller shafts are wrong and should be replaced. It is missing the false keel.
The bilge keel can be replaced, but is far from being a priority.
The anchors and their hawses are false and really deserve to be replaced.
The porthole location on both sides of the hull are identical, they should be different.
The foc’sle is incorrect.
The superstructure
Generally speaking, the details are beautiful and dimensions are quite accurate, forms are not strictly accurate. The first deck, bunkers and the main tower are striking examples.
The funnel is a good shape, although the rear is straight instead of being curved. But it lacks 1.5mm in length.
The bridges are more or less accurate.
Equipment
The 40mm Bofors are very ugly need to be replaced. The associated gun directors are missing.
The 20mm Oerlikons are even uglier and must be replaced.
The 100mm are nice looking but wrong in dimension; plus the aft end of the shield is wrong. The underside of the 100mm platforms should be open on the sides.
The 152mm turrets are mostly correct in shape and dimension and can be used without problem. The barrels are wrong and must be replaced. The range finder of the central 152 turret should be the same as that of the other 152 mm turrets.
The 380mm turret is too small. The blast bags, their barrels and their barbettes are wrong and have to be replaced. The shape of the roof of turret 2 isn’t good.
The gun directors of 380mm and 152mm are inaccurate.
Other elements
The boats are pretty, but wrong.
The rafts, projectors, ammunition boxes, paravanes, smoke screen generators are ugly and wrong.
Bofors mounts and Oerlikons bulwark’ shields, cradles and cranes can be improved even perhaps replaced.
The searchlights are wrong.
Well, the thing is that the Trumpeter kit is off in many areas that make it really hard to correct properly without scratch building a large portion of the kit. You see, with the hull wrong at the bow, at the stern and on the porthole location, plus all three part of the main deck inverted, elements of the superstructure off, main turrets too small, funnel too upright, plus all the light AA, the boats etc. to be discarded anyway, that makes really a lot of wrong. Still, if you can live with discrepancies, the kit will build into something that will look like a Richelieu.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Each modeller has to decide for himself whether the Trumpeter kit as acceptable or not. One element might be the price you pay for it. Because it is so much of a dog, sales have been very poor and the kit can be found at a big discount, which might compensate for the wrongness of so much of the kit. That way, one might spend more money to buy after market items (PE, AA etc.)
IMHO it would be wasting good stuff on bad stuff, but others might differ.