PLAN DDG-171, Haikou in 1/350 scale

What follows is my review and build (to date) of the Type 052C Destroyer, the DDG-171, Haikou. It's a part of the PRC, PLAN Aircraft Carrier strike group I am building centered on the which was refurbished and refit from the former Russian Varyag. I am building the Chinese strike group in conjunction with other strike groups I am also building from every major sea power operating modern large aircraft carriers. (Click on the logo link below to see what all I am working on.)

(Note: I will post several pages in order to get all of the photos in due to the limit of fifteen images per psost. I will then post other pages as add-ons to this thread as I complete the model. I just have it far enough along now to warrant putting it up here.)

This model is a 1/350 scale model depiction of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) DDG-170, Lanzhou, which I am building the sister ship, DDG-171 Haikou. These are the Chinese most advanced area air-defense and all-purpose guided missile destroyers using an AEGIS-like battle management system with four Phased Array Radars (PARS), a vetical launch system (VLS) for 48 medium to long range guided anti-aircraft and anti-missile missiles, and a sophisticated battle management system. The PLAN has currently built and launched six of these vessels with at least two more building. The vessels also include eight anti-shipping guided missiles, two 30mm Type 730 Close in Weapons Systems (CIWS), six torpedoe tubes and a deck and hangar for one medium sized anti-submarine warfare (ASW) or search helicopter.

There are approximately 350 parts on eight sprues. One sprue is a photo etched spru with fifty parts with sensors, the webbing around the helo deck and several personnel. The hull comes seperately and must be built as a full hull. The entire main deck comes seperately as a single piece as well. Although I intended to build the full whole version in any case, I was surprised that this model did not offer a waterline version as most newer Trumpeter models do. The main gun can be built to elevate and rotate.

The pieces are well molded with very little or no flash. There are lots of finely detailed and small plastic parts for every sensor, weapons system, chaff/decoy systems, antennae, sensors, life rafts, and parts that you can imagine. I was a little disppointed in that the bridge windows were not cut out and available as clear or smoked plastic, which means they will have to painted in

The instructions are very nicely done with easy to understand steps and a lot of detail. There is a full color painting scheme provided for correctly painting the vessel. As this is part of my [/b] strike group, the paint scheme will be the same as that of the carrier in major colors.

The decal sheet is also well done including all of the markings necessary to depict either the Lanzhou or the Haikou vessel, including a nicely done landing area for the helo.

The model came in a very nice, heavy cardboard box with nice graphics.


Lots of material, with the seven plastic sprues and one PE sprue, decals, clear plastic helo with balck rotors and landing gera parts. Instructions, paint scheme and decals.


Very well designed instructions with detailed, yet easy to follow steps for building the model.


I masked off and painted the upper hull in the same light gray as the PLAN Carrier, and then let it dry opvernight, after also painting numerous deck housing and bridge parts the same. Basically all verticle parts will be light gray.

I then painted the main deck and various deck parts flat gray, which for testors is relatively dark. All decks will be that same color.

The next day I masked off and painted the lower hull in Testors Hull Red, also to match the PLAN Carrier. Here's how all of that turned out:


(Continued in next post)

Re: My Build of the 1/350 scale PLAN DDG-171, Haikou by Trumpeter

(Continued from 1st post)


The Main gin can be built to tutn on its mount and for the barrel to rais e and lower its elevation, I built the model to do this. All decks are painted in TEstors flat gray. All major side housings and the VLS and gun mounts are painted in Testors Light Gray. By painting the gun covering in off gray, and the CIWS in black, as well as the mount for the VLS missile reloader in a ghost gray, contrast can be added that is realistic and pleasing to the eye.

I detailed the hanger with various poieces of equipment, and also cut the door to be shorter than the two provided. The long door covered the entire hanger which would have completely hidden the inside, but the shorter one was half height and also covered most of the opening. I wanted one 3/4's open and so carefully cut the 1/2 height door and removed a middle portion of the roll-up structure and then glued it back together again and painted the rull-up structure of the door with steel by testors.

This is how all of that turned out.


Continuing, I build the main forward deck housing with its PAR radars. This was not a straight forward process as the parts had to be build with very little support and they tended to want to move as far as their angle was concerned. This ocvcurred several times with this model as will be pointed out where the joints could have benefited from either holes and pins, or stronger flange attachements that held them at the right angle. But, with careful attention, I was able to get them fitted properly, just be aware that this type of thing on this model can sometime test your patience and you need to work slowly, methodically, and with attention to detail. I painted the windows high up on the main deck housing using a weathered black, which is not quitre as dark or uniform as a standard flat black. I find, in the absence of cut out windows with smoked clear plastic inserts, that this provides a better glass solution.

I then built the aft housing around the hanger. This is not as bad in terms of fit and maintaining correct angles as the forward housing, but it still has the same issues and care must be taken.

Part of this issue with the fit now came was fitting the faired side panels along the side of the vessel to the sid of the center deck, to the main deck housing just discussed, and to the after housing around the hanger. Unless these pieces are positioned just right, a good seam along the side of the vessel is difficult to maintain and some sanding, putty, and careful alignement or realignment may be in order.

All in all, it worked out nicels and is seen in the following pictures.


The main mast has many small pieces for antennae and sensors. They need to be cut off the sprues carefully and then handled carefull to be able to be properly placed. Attention to detail and patient, painstaking placement is the key here to build the mast and properly prepare it for the placement of all of those pieces. I found it easier to build the main structuire (this section) and then paint and place the smaller pieces later, many of which were small intricate assemblies of their own.

I then build the Engine Exhaaust structure and the two funnels for the Gas Turbine Engines. These were painted in the weathered black I use, inside and out. I painted the exhaust panels on the sides of the structure using steel.


The details for the vessel at this point, particularly for the masts, are intricate, and as stated above, many of them involve fairly detailed assemblies of their own. In addition, there are some inconsistanceies between the model configuration and the actual vessel. I have not placed those yet and intend to build them as seen on the vessel. For example, the antennae that are located on the exhaust structure are not cioncluded. There are four of these that need to be painted flat black. Also, the intricate antennae that are on the secondary housing are far too thick and configured towards the very initial configuration of the first vessel, DDG-170, LAnzhou. Since initial launch, this has changed and has a different configuration and much thinner more delicate antennae. I intend to build these as they now exist.


Other than that, the life rafts, the sensors, the antennae, blast deflectors, and particularly the intricate and highly detailed anti-surface missile luncher quad packs were all built. Thoe quad packs are relatively difficult to put together. The joining of the parts is not too sturdy and you have to spend time, be patient, and put them together carefully and then let them dry and get strong before proceeding. when you do, the results are ver nice indeed.


(Continued in next post on this thread.)

Re: My Build of the 1/350 scale PLAN DDG-171, Haikou by Trumpeter

(Continued from above post in this thread.)

A bow on view of the model to this point is starting to look pretty impressive:


The long Memorial Day weekend here in the states benefited me because on two of those days I was able to spend many hours working as opposed to my normal routine of spending a couple of hours each evening.

But, there's still lots to do. Building the various antennae and sensors mentioned above to the correct configuration. Building and placing the chaff and decoy lanchers. Building and placing the cranes and ship launches on each side. Building and placing the entire prop, propeller, and rudders, and then all of the photo etched railing and sensors (that came with the vessel and additional after market parts) to complete the realism of the vessel.

I am looking at probably late the first week of June or the second week of June to complete...ahead of the current schedule.


This is a great build. Trumpeter makes some really good products, particularly in their 1/350 scael ships.

Once I am complete, it will be back to the Aircraft Carrier Battle groups. My current schedule calls for the following regarding those groups:

- By June 30, 2012: Complete PLAN Lanzhou Class, Haikou DDG-171.
- By Oct 15, 2012: Complete the USS Enterprise, CVN-65.
- By Dec 15, 2012: Complete the USS Lassen, DDG-82.

At that point I will go back and complete the PLAN Carrier group, centered on the [/SIZE]

...and most of their surface escorts at:

[SIZE=-1]

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[/SIZE]

Re: My Build of the 1/350 scale PLAN DDG-171, Haikou by Trumpeter

Jeff Head said:

(Continued from above post in this thread.)

A bow on view of the model to this point is starting to look pretty impressive:

​

The long Memorial Day weekend here in the states benefited me because on two of those days I was able to spend many hours working as opposed to my normal routine of spending a couple of hours each evening.

But, there's still lots to do. Building the various antennae and sensors mentioned above to the correct configuration. Building and placing the chaff and decoy lanchers. Building and placing the cranes and ship launches on each side. Building and placing the entire prop, propeller, and rudders, and then all of the photo etched railing and sensors (that came with the vessel and additional after market parts) to complete the realism of the vessel.

I am looking at probably late the first week of June or the second week of June to complete...ahead of the current schedule.

SCHEDULE for Future Activities as of May 29, 2012
​

This is a great build. Trumpeter makes some really good products, particularly in their 1/350 scael ships.

Once I am complete, it will be back to the Aircraft Carrier Battle groups. My current schedule calls for the following regarding those groups:

- By June 30, 2012: Complete PLAN Lanzhou Class, Haikou DDG-171.
- By Oct 15, 2012: Complete the USS Enterprise, CVN-65.
- By Dec 15, 2012: Complete the USS Lassen, DDG-82.

At that point I will go back and complete the PLAN Carrier group, centered on the

Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!

Click to expand...

Re: My Build of the 1/350 scale PLAN DDG-171, Haikou by Trumpeter

Sounds like lots of fun. When I was young,out in the country of North Central Texas on the ranch, I built quite a few US Navy and particularly German and Russian models. We would ultimately take them down to the creek and started at about 10 years of age with BB guns and some black cat fircrackers. By the time I was 16 and 17, it was .40 ga shotguns and Cherry Bombs. We would glue partitions in the hulls and make them water toght...as many as we could.

Then go up the creek a few dozen yards and take turns either letting them go and float down, or standing on the creek bank as shore batteries blasting away at them.

Lots of fun back then...but now I build them and spend too much money and time on them. So they end up on stands and in cases on shelves next to one another in their various groupings for comparison and old sea dog talk.

Anyhow, I have added the helo deck netting/safety railing and some of the railing. Am also building that mid deck comm and sensor array. Hope to have this one pretty close to being finished by the end of the weekend or next week. Will show more pics later.

Re: My Build of the 1/350 scale PLAN DDG-171, Haikou by Trumpeter

Wow..nice work Jeff! Again as always, you still impressed me. I bet you got the system down pretty good, therefore can on these models pretty fast.

Re: My Build of the 1/350 scale PLAN DDG-171, Haikou by Trumpeter

Jeff Head said:

Sounds like lots of fun. When I was young,out in the country of North Central Texas on the ranch, I built quite a few US Navy and particularly German and Russian models. We would ultimately take them down to the creek and started at about 10 years of age with BB guns and some black cat fircrackers. By the time I was 16 and 17, it was .40 ga shotguns and Cherry Bombs. We would glue partitions in the hulls and make them water toght...as many as we could.

Then go up the creek a few dozen yards and take turns either letting them go and float down, or standing on the creek bank as shore batteries blasting away at them.

Lots of fun back then...but now I build them and spend too much money and time on them. So they end up on stands and in cases on shelves next to one another in their various groupings for comparison and old sea dog talk.

Anyhow, I have added the helo deck netting/safety railing and some of the railing. Am also building that mid deck comm and sensor array. Hope to have this one pretty close to being finished by the end of the weekend or next week. Will show more pics later.

Click to expand...

To the targets at your front, on your own time...FIRE!

Hehe.

Jeff, at this rate you're going to croak with a Testors tube or a paintbrush in your hand!

Re: My Build of the 1/350 scale PLAN DDG-171, Haikou by Trumpeter

Norfolk said:

To the targets at your front, on your own time...FIRE!

Hehe.

Jeff, at this rate you're going to croak with a Testors tube or a paintbrush in your hand!

Click to expand...

Hehehe...there's a whole lot worse ways to go!

But I believe, now that I have pretty much stabilized from my , that I have a lot of life left in me, and the model building has been one of the therapuetic ways of dealing with it, along with work and a lot of time with wife, kids, and grandkids!

Got a couple of grandsons helping me with it too, which is also a lot of fun.

equation said:

Wow..nice work Jeff! Again as always, you still impressed me. I bet you got the system down pretty good, therefore can on these models pretty fast.

Click to expand...

Well, the DDGs and other non-carrier surface ships go a lot faster. I still have a couple of weeks left on this to get everything done, so it will be close to a month. Then I will start the USS Enterprise and that's going to be a good 4+ months of work and will go a lot slower.

Thanks for the kind words!

Re: My Build of the 1/350 scale PLAN DDG-171, Haikou by Trumpeter

Latest progress update. She's looking pretty darn good!

Re: My Build of the 1/350 scale PLAN DDG-171, Haikou by Trumpeter

Jeff Head said:

Latest progress update. She's looking pretty darn good!

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Click to expand...

Nice job Jeff, you made it look so easy to do. I was wondering, is your workshop pretty well ventilated, considering all that smell coming from the glue and paint?