Hi all, was wondering what are the thoughts out there on the best or perhaps new best battlehsip in 1/350 ? I am thinking of picking up a ship kit to try my hand after armour. I like lots of detail and photo etch bits, but maybe for the first kit I dont think I wanna drop $100.00 Maybe in the $45-60 range.
Cheers and thanks eh ?
Maybe think about trying something a bit smaller than a BB for your first ship?. I have seen a lot of people suggest the Tamiya 1/350th USS Fletcher destroyer kit as a good starting point for someone new to ship modelling.
As for a nice 1/350th scale battleship. Tamiya are good & tend to go together well without any major problems (The deck comes in three pieces & the joins can be a bit of a concern with some of them) You probably wouldn’t go wrong with any Tamiya BB. The KGV’s & the Iowa’s are the most recent in the range & are the best detailed IMO. The Missouri is a lovely kit, but it might not be the best place for a new ship modeller to start thanks to its 1945 AA armament.
Maybe think about Tamiya’s New Jersey? It is in 1980’s fit & doesn’t have the sea of 20mm & 40mm guns that you will find on the Missouri. This was the first 1/350th BB that I tried, I found it OK & I have just got my friend one to cut his shipbuilding teeth on.
the fletcher destroyer idea is agood one to try. I made my first tamiyas 1/350 as the missouri and the Yamato! Though I have been moddeling fro 30 years.If your a first timer The Fletcher would be agreat start.
I think the Konig/Markgraf/Grosser Kurfurst would be a great way to start your 1-350 career. It’s a very straightforward build with good fitting parts and not so much detail in tiny parts to bog you down. When it’s done, it’s a sharp and gnarly-looking dreanaught you’ll be proud to display. It’s also a bit different than the standard Iowa/Bismark/Yamato fare that’s been done to death.
There are also quite a few good 1/350 kits of ships from the “pre-dreadnought” era, all usually under £20/$30:
Revell SMS Emden/Dresden (German light cruiser)
Zvezda/Eastern Express Varyag (Russian cruiser)
Zvezda/Eastern Express Borodino, Orel, Suvorov (Russian battleships - all 3 are basically the same kit with minor changes)
These might not appeal to everyone as much as WW2 or modern ships, but they’re great kits for the price, and the cruisers are about the same level as a WW2 destroyer in terms of complexity and size (even the battleship isn’t too large, though it has a lot of secondary guns which could be tricky to assemble and paint)
I built the Emden recently, photos of my build are on the forum at http://www.modelwarships.com
EDIT: If post-war/modern ships are more your area of interest, Dragon produce a number of USN destroyers and cruisers in 1/350 which are good kits, reasonably cheap and not as complex as a battleship or carrier.
I would agree that Tamiya is the way to go. My first 1:350 build was the Prince of Wales, which I would recommend as a great place to start if you definitely want a BB. The fit is good, the kit is detailed, you can put a really cool looking camo scheme on it. But because of PoW’s early war fit, the tons of AAA you would otherwise have to deal with is not there. In response to the recommendation of ICM’s Konig, I personally found the fit was not as good as Tamiya. Although that’s not to say I don’t recommend the kit as I believe you could pick this kit up for fairly cheap and grab PE for about $20. Mine came out really nice and it is a more unique subject. Although I have yet to build one, you might want to look at the Trumpeter/Banner Arizona, which you can definitely get for about $20. It looks pretty good in the box, and from the pics I have seen online, with the myriad detail sets, it winds up looking pretty good. But then again for that price you know you will have some fit problems to take care of.
Given the dollar limitation that you have imposed there really is not much choice. The best of the Tamiyas would be either King George V or Prince of Wales. The only other option at that price is the ICM Konig. For a few dollars more you could pick up the Trumpeter North Carolina from a discounter, you will be doing that anyway to pick up one of the Tamiya kits for that price. Either way you will be in the market for a photo etched brass detail set as well so say goodbye to $60 or under…
WS
For a first battleship kit, the Banner 1/350th Arizona would be a good one to start with. I have one in the stash and just need to pick up some of the detail sets which can still set you back a bit. My wallet needs to heal a bit after dropping a bundle on the WEM sets for the Bismark.
Scott
I recently picked up the Emden plus the Gold Medal Models photoetch set for it. The total came to right around $50.00, and that includes shipping.
It looks like an excellent build with a few not-insurmountable problems, like fitting the multiple hull pieces together.
EPinniger, could you give us a more specific URL? I rummaged around in the Model Warships forum but couldn’t find your build.
Emden is a really nice kit but it is not a battleship, it is a light cruiser. The other recommendation for the Arizona certainly fits the dollar criteria for the kit itself but needs lots of help with aftermarket parts and reworking of some flaws. It can, or course, be built into a great looking model but I don’t think that the orginal post requesting recommendations for a first time large scale battleship was looking for that much work. The Tamiyas or ICM Konigs would be better for a first timer.
You’re right, it is a light cruiser (I was seconding EPinninger’s remarks about price and complexity).
Actually, the Emden seems smaller than many WW II destroyers!
This is my thread on the Emden: http://www.shipmodels.info/mwphpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=17652
Here’s a photo: 
It’s the first ship model I’ve used a PE detail set on, so forgive my relative lack of skill with this medium! I left off a few of the tricker PE parts such as the rails around the mast tops and the supporting wires for the access ladders.
Nice ship, I’ve done 1/700 but never 1/350, what I suggest to a beginner is to do a large scale ship like My PT 109 1/125 but it been damage.
Thanks, EPinninger! Very nice build on your part.
I’m just now completing a Bismarck using these sets and it is coming out absolutely spectacular. ( I know that sounds like bragging, and it is, but it’s still the truth)[:D]
Awesome photoetch sets.
i would and am going with icm MARKGRAF (or KONIG or GROSSER KURFURST) as my first 1/350 with pe. will do a post jutland sans anti-torpedo nets so i will get the GMM pe set. why this one? i have an EMDEN with pe and laser cut wooden deck but i have to remove the center plastic deck and cut out the backs of the 4.1" deck guns and build breeches. i looked at ARIZONA but decided i need some practice before building pe catapults. everybody does BISMARCK, YAMATO, IOWAs, etc.
ww1 bb is large with plenty of room. it has the basic pe details (railings, canvas, boats, crane, ladders, etc.) not too many of these models built so it will be of interest anywhere. if i enjoy MARKGRAF will do another pre jutland and add the WEM pe anti-torpedo nets. maybe buy a german ww1 naval ensign to add to the display.
here is a link to 3 pe sets for this model http://steelnavy.com/ICMKonigBrassSheetComparison.htm
I don’t know, but I have the ICM Markgraf, and I find the fit to be a bit tricky for a first ship. The deck/hull join is rather ‘iffy,’ and might not be such a good subject for a first ship… I think something like the Tamiya KGV or Bismarck might be better for a first effort! Another more unusual possible subject (which I am working on now) is the Hasegawa ‘Mikasa,’ which is going together very well, is in the right price range, and can be ‘super-detailed’ with add-on photo-etch stuff that is available from WEM and others. Very cool ship, and a good foil to the various ‘Borodinos’ that are around…