I am starting to wrap this up. I went on to Ebay and see that there are actually 2 versions of the kit available.
Typical of the Chinese, they do not fix their typos. So both models are listed as 1:18, when in fact
one is 1:18 (like mine) and one is 1:12.
The 1:18 :
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254716286136?hash=item3b4e4614b8:g:hBMAAOSws9dfgWkF The 1:12 :
https://www.ebay.com/itm/254947576912?hash=item3b5c0f4c50:g:QI0AAOSwuClgfNtP Those of you who have been following my build will remember that I found a couple of issues with the 1:18 kit.
Most of these were due to the fact that the kit manufacturers first created the 1:12 kit and then scaled it down in the computer to 1:18. In some cases this left the laser cuts VERY thin, and delicate. With my big fingers, and
sometimes shaky hands, I found the manipulation of the tiny, thin pieces to be frustrating.
However - I really enjoyed this build. Would I recommend it to others? YES.
What were the good things about it? -
1. The laser cuts were very exact. These saved me the trouble and time of layout and fabrication. I know that some
enjoy the engineering of the craft, layout of the frames, working from plans and scratch building. This kit allows the
builder to focus on the actual assembly techniques.
2. The engineering of the kit was meticulous. The pieces fit together very well. Very little adjustment needed. The challenge was the interpretation of the instruction manual, (even after I translated it) - what saved me a lot of time was the pictures.
3. This is only my second Plank-on-frame hull. so again, having the pieces so well planned kept the project moving along.
So if you enjoy the "construction" over the "design" facets of this hobby, then you will find this kit enjoyable. It is not an easy
build, and you do have to THINK. but when you figure out what the piece is supposed to look like - it will be there. You need to
be a careful builder, as there is little room for "slop". I encountered a number of times where the amount of glue made something too tight,
and I needed to shave to make things fit.
Here is a final tour of the Bluebird of Chelsea: