The Build - Deck details, Main mast, Ship's launch, Type 517M Yagi Radar antenna (March 24, 2014)
Now began the arduous task of plaing all of the smaell details on the weather decks throughout the ship. Bronco has provided a lot of these details in individual, very small parts, that if properly and cerefully placed add significant realism to the overall model. These are most numerous on the main deck and particularly on top of the bridge.In addition, there are numerous parts that gointo making up the main mast and all of the instrumentation on it, including some PE parts for the main mast that are very small and intricate, but which add significant detail to the ship.
The aft portion of the ship, where the ships launches and haber bay for the aircraft are areall open on that deck. In order to show either (or both) of the ship's launches in their respective bays (which are completely enclosed within the structure of the ship to enhance stealth), and/or to the helo hanger open (which I inted to do), you would end up wityh this large open space being able to see completely through the ship (if both boat bays were open) and be able to see from the boat bay into the hanger deck. This is nt the way the ship is actually built, so, since i wanted to show on of the bpoats bays open and the hanger open, I needed to scratch build some walls enterior to that houseing to accomodate this. So I did.
In addition, I added the handling/callibration equipment along the bottom of each of the APRARs (Actvive Phased Array Radars) that were included with the model kit.
There are numerous antenna on the vessel, both forward over the bridge, around the smoke stack, and amid ships. All 12 of these were added and then carefull set so they would be vertical when dried.
Finally, in this session it was time to build the Type 571M Yagi antenna towards the back of the mid ships area, forward of the aft VLS cells. This radar is used for anti-stealth puproses and is reported to have a maximum range at or over 300 km (about 190 miles). Its effectiveness is difficult to ascertain because the Chinese are not saying, and it is not known what they had to test it against when it was designed...though the remains of the single F-117A fighter downed by Yugoslavia in 1999 was heavily investigated and studied by the Chinese. The Yugoslavians, during the NATO bombing of Serbia during the Kosovo Campaign, found that if they modified their radars using longer wavelengths, the could just detect the F-117 Nighhawk aircraft when the wheel well or bomb bay doors were open. What use the Chinese have made of this in their development is unknown. But it is known that they have this radar located on both their Type 052C class, and now their Type 052D class anti-air destroyers.
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In the kit you have the option of either building these radars with the included, very delicate and detailed plastic molded pieces, or using metal PE parts which are much thinner, but that also lack some of the detail included on the plastic pieces. I chose (initially) to use the plastic parts. Later, I will also build the PE parts and if it is better looking, I will replace it. As it was the six plastic parts were delicate and had to be handled and assembled very caerfully.
With all of the antennae, the Yagi antenna, the ships launch, and the numerous deck details, the vessel is looking very good at this point.
In my next session I will add the decals, build the Ka-27 ASW helo, and begin (perhaps complete) the PE railing for the vessel.
