20 Questions about: MT Miniatures, 1:700 HMS Plymouth Type 12 Frigate

Note : Before reading this review I would like to inform the reader that Fine Waterline was intending to release a Type 12 frigate as part of our kit range.  It is not our intention to compete with commercial manufacturers so once we heard MT Miniatures was going to release the same kit, we stopped our work.  It may be perceived that as a result we have an axe to grind, this is in no way the case, we are happy to see a kit released of the subject as one of the main aims in our kit range is to fill the gaps in modellers collections.

1. Price? – £25.85
2. Where to buy? – Direct from MT Miniatures

3. What’s in the kit? – Resin hull, white metal details, a photo etched fret, a small decal sheet and instructions and packaging which doubles as a fairly flimsy display case.

4. First impression? – The package at first look is well presented and professional looking from this relatively new company.

5. Quality of hull and large parts? – Much of the superstructure is cast onto the hull in a style reminiscent of the old B-Resina kits which were reworkings of old Airfix and Matchbox kits to 700 scale.  Sadly the similarity does not end there.  The overall style is heavy and chunky and to my mind reminiscent of Matchbox kits of almost 40 years vintage.

Detail such as winches, smaller weapons, liferaft canisters, lockers, cable reels and steps have been cast integral to the hull which makes for very soft detail. 

6. Quality of small parts? – Parts are white metal.  I am not a fan of white metal as I cannot understand why any manufacturer would continue to use this method.  These are not good examples and in most cases replacement resin parts would be needed.

Decals? – A small decal sheet for HMS Plymouth is included and this looks good.

8. Instructions? – Not much required as most parts are cast onto the hull, these appear adequate though not especially clear.

9. Assembly? – Not much required, most of the work needed would be in clean up of the hull casting.

10. Does anything need replacing? – Personally I would replace all white metal parts with resin or scratchbuilt items due to the softness of detail and difficulty of cleaning these up adequately.  Additionally I would want to remove most of the cast on detail and replace with resin or brass items.  I always find it preferable on a model to have the option to add detail as I wish without first having to take away what is supplied and is not up to standard. 

11. What extra parts would I recommend? – As above, many could be replaced by the spare weapons fret available in the Dragon Type 42 Destroyer kit.

12. Is there a dedicated PE fret for the kit? – Yes, a small fret is included, the railings and helicopter pad netting is heavy but acceptable to most modellers.  Other parts look fine.                              

13.  Available references? – British Destroyers and Frigates by Norman Friedman would be a first point of call, RN Frigates In Focus has a number of photos but an internet search would also reveal a large amount of information.

14. Camo patterns  / colour scheme? – No colour scheme is included.  This would be RN Weatherwork grey and green for the decks.

15. Rigging? – Little required and should be simple.

16. Can different versions be made from the kit? – Yes, any of the improved Type 12 should be buildable from this kit.

17. Would I recommend this to a beginner? -

18. Is it value for money? – At almost £26 for a resin frigate this is at a comparable price with kits from other manufacturers.  The standard of kit up to that I would expect for that price.

19. Would I buy other products from this manufacturer? – Not unless there is significant improvement in future releases.

20. Any other comments? – I am seriously disappointed with this kit, more so as I am lead to believe it is an improvement on earlier releases.  I had hoped to be able to overlook some problems so as to be able to welcome a new, UK manufacturer of resin ship kits, especially one venturing into and a subject area little covered elsewhere in the scale.  MT Miniatures as I understand it has previously concentrated on 1/1250 scale which is largely a market for wargames models where detail is less important than the overall look and durability of the model to regular handling.  The approach to putting this kit together has evidently been taken from the experience of producing kits in the smaller scale with the expectation that the same approach will be sufficient.
 
Many, not all by any means, but many modellers in 1/700 expect more from a kit than what has been presented here.  In many ways this kit is the polar opposite to the kit previously reviewed on this site, HMS Mode by Choroszy Modelbud which seeks to provide detail which may be beyond the ability of most modellers to build.  To my mind the best kits in this scale provide a mid point to both these approaches, with a solid kit allowing sufficient detail out of the box to create a good model whilst allowing room for those who want to take the model further to build on the basis as they see fit.  Given the standard of resin kits being produced by Combrig and L’Arsenal especially at the current time, there is much to live up to and most modellers who build resin kits will have expectations which are continually rising as to the quality they expect for their money.  No doubt many modellers will be happy with this kit from MT Miniatures, I leave them to make their own judgement from the photographs provided. 
 
To my mind there is no excuse for a model being cast from what is obviously such a slapdash master, basic construction techniques such as filling gaps and sanding smooth appear not to have been followed.  This can easily be remedied by more attention to detail in future releases but current releases have been issued with these most basic of faults.
 
This review is sadly not a positive one but is based entirely on the evidence of the kit as it sits in front of me.  Most ship modellers will no doubt be happy with this representation of the ship as many do not build with even the simplest of photo etched parts.  My feelings however are that MT Miniatures are not aiming at this market, if so why include etched details at all? I assume then they are looking to produce a good quality kit which I am sure is within their capabilities.  However I feel that before that point is reached some consideration needs to be given to the points I have addressed in this review.