20 Questions about: L’Arsenal HMS Ark Royal (III)

Price? – 130 Euros from L’Arsenal

Where to buy? – Direct form L’Arsenal but presumably eventually from the usual distributors such as Pacific Front, White Ensign, NNT etc

What’s in the kit?
Hull casting, 7 bags of small parts including the main superstructure, 3 bags of small parts, 2 of aircraft, a large photo etched fret and instructions.  Brass barrels are also included for the AA guns and two more small etched frets for the aircraft.

First impression?
A very professionally produced package, it all comes in a strong cardboard tube and is very well packed, looks like you get plenty for your money.
 
Quality of hull and large parts?
The hull casting is superb, very clean and sharp although my copy had a few small pin hole bubbles near the bow which will only need a little filler.  Detail is very good with the exception of the degaussing coil, which is a bit weak.  Antenna mounting brackets are moulded solid and for me would need replacing with etched parts.  The stern section below the large overhang should be open but is moulded solid.  However I consider all of these minor points and after all, it gives the modeller something to do!  High points are the AA platforms, these are cast so thin they are almost transparent on my copy, care will be needed in handling but this is as fine as you will see in resin. 
Other large parts consist only of the bridge which is again very good indeed.

Quality of small parts?
These consist of gun turrets which are good although I’m not sure if these were open backed or not, the brass barrels are a nice addition.  Smaller AA parts are well cast and have etched details, the quad Vickers where casting has worked properly are excellent, but for a number of these the casting has not come out properly so they would be best replaced with brass alternatives.  There are a few small bubbles in some of the other small parts but generally these are excellent, boats and floats are especially good, it would be very useful to have the boats available separately as the floats currently are.
 
Aircraft consist of swordfish (5) and fulmar (10) with the swordfish the same as form previous L’Arsenal kits and delightful little models in themselves.  The fulmars are new and superb, there is a thin casting wafer that needs removal but will be no problem, an etched fret provides details including undercarriage doors.  Aircraft to my mind are the point where carrier kits can be let down but these are first rate.

Decals?
No decals have been provided, an omission I think as these will be needed for the aircraft, however I would recommend those from Starfighter decals
 
Instructions?
These are in 3-d style in French and English and generally good but a little unclear in places, also no colour scheme has been included though this is easy to find through available references.
 
Assembly?
Should be pretty straightforward as not many parts, a dry fit shows a very tight fit of those superstructure parts requiring assembly. 

Does anything need replacing?
Other than some detail mentioned, degaussing coil, aerial mounting brackets, possibly quad Vickers, very little I can see.  Some detail might be added to the hull for the obsessive amongst us but I would say the kit built out of the box will make an excellent model.  White ensign have produced an etched fret for the old Revell Ark Royal although this kit was 1:720 and there may be some size differences, the cranes on the wem and L’Arsenal frets are noticeable different in size.
 
What extra parts would I recommend?
Other than some replacements from the wem set eg aerial mounts, there is very little I can think of.
 

Is there a dedicated PE fret for the kit?                                
Yes, as above

Available references?
Not that many although there are a number of familiar photos easily found on an internet search that will help with detailing.  Otherwise McCart’s ‘The Three Ark Royals’.