Airfix 1/72 German E-Boat - Schnellboot: Circa 1975: Kit Review

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The reason that other modelers delete the depth charges and racks is that they do not even - vaguely - resemble what was actually used. First of all they scale up to 40" in diameter, they should be 18". WHEN they were carried (which was not always) they were fitted in two groups of three each on simple angle brackets and secured by cables. The racks the kit comes with is someones vivid imagination. Or the mold-maker got in to the gin early that day.

Other boo-boos, the wheel house should have sliding doors on both sides, not just to port as the kit comes. The torpedoes are a joke - sort of looking like some kind of a generic torpedo rather a German G7-a. The bandstand for the 2 cm. AA gun was an 8- sided affair rather than the 6-sided thing Airfix supplies.

Check out PRINZEUGEN.COM ( but type everything in lower case ) - for lots of useful pictures of early and late model German S-boats. They also have a good review on this Airfix kit and the problems with the hull.
Nice build

20m 12sLength

I bought this in 1975 when it was new. It survived almost 40 years. The price tag is faded, but looks like $24.75. I can't believe I dropped that much, in 1975, on this, but I'm a sucker for cool box art. Aside from the hull being warped, everything else looks so clean and precise, I like the kit. I'll post again with a wrap up after I build it. Might take a few months. Be patient.