Kit Review by Michael Pell

Parts List (all parts molded in light grey): 1 plastic tree part containing lifeboats, prop shafts, and lifeboat stowage bulkheads; 1 plastic tree part containing railings, lifeboats, stowage bulkheads; 2 plastic trees containing decking levels; 1 plastic tree part containing derricks, propellers, lifeboats, anchors, funnels, decking, and bridge and forecastle areas; 1 plastic tree part containing funnel base deckhouse; 1 decal sheet with flags, gaming field markings, ship names, etc.; 1 dual sectioned hull; 1 Instruction manual with paint and decal guide; 1 sheet with the history of the Canberra and 2 plastic base support legs for model.

Things we like: Some of the things we liked about this kit were its general size and scale allowing for detail to be added with minimal difficulty. It is the only commercially available model of the Canberra. We found that the instructions were easy to follow and presented in a clear fashion. The decal sheet is well equipped with various assorted items although one of ours was damaged. The painting guide was informative and molded window representations were adequate but not entirely accurate as they could be.

Things we would like to see it have: The parts could certainly fit together better than they do. Sanding then puttying is necessary to get the hull looking, as it should and why we prefer once piece hulls over two piece. The deck planking could be crisper and better represented. Ours had various perpendicular marks across the planking and took away from the overall appearance. There were several dimples and sinkholes as a result of the injection molding process that requires putty to fill and correct for a uniform finish.

Flash: Most parts were molded in a crisp fashion but there was some flash in hawser holes and openings in the hull layout at the stern area of the ship but nothing that could not be fixed in short order with a bit of filing or sanding or scraping using a hobby knife.

Overall Comments: Overall with minor putty work and seam filling this 1:600 scale kit is a good representation of the Canberra as a whole. Good detail, easy size to work with and an affordable price for most modelers make this kit a worthwhile addition to anyone's model collection. We recommend it for those looking to make a modern liner. Plenty of information on the Internet will go along way to help those that wish to super detail this model along with the use of 1:600 photo-etch material. This kit should look excellent with a bit of additional work.