Revell HMCS Snowberry Build and Review Part 1

Revell HMCS Snowberry Flower Class Corvette

This is the first part of the Revell HMCS Snowberry Flower Class Corvette 1/144 Scale RVG 05132

Snowberry Box
Snowberry Box

Ship models are seldom built but at a model show, they are always a show-stopper! At least it seems that way at all the model shows I’ve been able to attend. And you can’t blame anyone for taking a good look at a properly done ship, all of those tiny details and the hours poured into the project its breath taking, and inspiring.

Matchbox Models built a 1:72nd Flower Class Corvette in 1979, and it’s been a very popular model ever since not only because of its large scale but also because Canada used a lot of these ships during the war. One Corvette, HMCS Sackville still remains in Nova Scotia. Years back before I was born my Dad built the Matchbox kit as HMCS Blairmore for their local Legion. Canada had 111 Corvettes patrolling and defending the Atlantic from German U-boat attacks. They were easy ships to build, and quite maneuverable for their size.

In 2016, modelers were delighted when Revell announced an all-new, tooled 1:144th scale version of the ship. As good and fun as the vintage Matchbox kit was (now owned and produced by Revell), it’s a fairly big model, and this half-sized kit was more accessible to the average modeler’s shelf space.

Hull Sprue
Hull Sprue

The hull comes in two halves. The detail on it is quite nice, and it’s molded in a darker grey styrene. I’ve used this plastic a few times and it bonds together really well.

Ship Bow
Ship Bow

Looking at the ship’s bow you can see some of the raised panel sections that run along the hull. I will also note that there is quite a bit of flash on the parts of this model. It’s not too bad, but some parts will require extra cleaning.

Sprue Trees C and D
Sprue Trees C and D

Sprues C and D. Sprue D features the gun deck that will go over top of the bridge. This platform had two anti-aircraft guns on either side. On sprue C you can see one of the bulkheads that will help support and strengthen the hull.

Sprue Tree F
Sprue Tree F

Sprue F has the back section of the deck and the main cannon that will be mounted at the front of the ship.

Sprue Tree E
Sprue Tree E

Sprue E has the forward section of the deck as well as some of the smaller detail parts. If you are looking for a good long-term winter project, this one just might be for you, there are a lot of details to be worked on and added to this kit

Front of Deck
Front of Deck

Here is a closer picture of the front of the deck. Revell has nicely featured the wooden deck and left sections to easily glue on the various detail parts.

Underside of Deck
Underside of Deck

I just wanted to show the underside of the deck as Revell added on these long bracers to help prevent warping as the front deck slowly curves upward. I think this is some really clever engineering.

Sprue Tree G
Sprue Tree G

Sprue G has some of the rear details like the main gun mount and the roof for the galley. This sprue also has most of the ship’s railing.

Railing Detail
Railing Detail

A closer inspection of the railing shows the amount of flash on the parts and the cleaning that will be required. There are several aftermarket photo-etch upgrade sets out there for the modelers who are feeling more adventurous, but I think I’ll stick with using the kit parts for this build.

Sprue Tree I One of Two
Sprue Tree I One of Two

There are 2 identical Sprue I, these sprues contain some of the smallest details as well as parts for the display stand and the tiny lifeboats.

Up Close Detail
Up Close Detail

A closer picture shows just how tiny some of these details are. I’d highly recommend investing in a good set of sprue cutters before starting this project. I hope that there are a few spares here as I worry some of these parts could become lost to the carpet monster.

Sprue Tree H
Sprue Tree H

The final Sprue H. This contains all of the clear parts, and they aren’t crystal clear, but they are clear enough, and this is okay as there are no interior details that will need to be seen.

String
String

Also included is this bundle of string. This is a nice addition, but I think it’s a bit too thick for this scale, so I’ll be replacing it later on in the build.

Updated Instructions
Updated Instructions

I was expecting the older style Revell instructions and instead, I was delighted to see they are the newer format. Completely in color, and very easy to read and understand.

Instruction Steps Broken Down
Instruction Steps Broken Down

I really appreciate how Revell has broken down each of the steps, it’s not too cluttered so you won’t get lost as you are adding on all of the tiny parts.

Decal Sheet
Decal Sheet

A small decal sheet included with only one option, that being the Snowberry. I wish that Revell had included more options, but I imagine Revell thought that the Flower Class Corvette was a popular enough subject that many aftermarket companies would produce a wide variety of decals.

Paint Breakdown
Paint Breakdown

Lastly, Revell included this beautiful color painting on the back of the instructions. This ship has some odd colors to it, and I’m really looking forward to painting this ship, I think it’s going to be a lot of fun.

To me, ship models are a lot like Kung Fu movies. Every time I watch a Kung Fu movie I get so excited and I can’t wait to watch another, and then I never watch another one. Every time I build a ship model I have so much fun I want to keep building them, and then it takes me a few years to build another one.

Well, I might not build enough ships, but I can see from these parts that I’m going to have a lot of fun with this project, and I’m really looking forward to getting to add some extreme weathering to the hull. These ships travelling across the Atlantic were prone to losing their paint and after the last project being a very clear sports car, I think it’s time we had a change of pace and dirtied up a model.

To be continued…

Jared Demes is a modeler from southern Alberta. He has been building models since he was 4 years old when his Dad first introduced him to the hobby. He has written for several magazines including, Fine Scale Modeler, Scale Aircraft Modeling, Phoenix Scale Models, and others. He has an interest in all modeling subjects, with a focus on WWII Japanese aircraft and Science Fiction.

Jared has won several IPMS awards for his modeling, and currently operates his YouTube channel rebelsatcloudnine, where he showcases model builds and product demonstrations.

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