Hobby Boss 1/350 Russian Navy Alfa Class SSN Kit First Look
By Dave Manter
| Date of Review | December 2012 | Manufacturer | Hobby Boss |
|---|---|---|---|
| Subject | Russian Navy Alfa Class SSN | Scale | 1/350 |
| Kit Number | 83528 | Primary Media | Styrene, photo-etch |
| Pros | Great subject, very nice details | Cons | None |
| Skill Level | Intermediate | MSRP (USD) | $20.99 |
First Look
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The Soviet Union/Russian Navy project 705 was a submarine class of hunter/killer nuclear powered vessels. The class is also known by the NATO reporting name of Alfa. They were the fastest and deepest diving class of military submarines built, with only the prototype K-278 Komsomolets (NATO "Mike" class) exceeding in crush depth and the prototype K-222 (NATO "Papa" class) exceeding in submerged speed.
The Hobby Boss kit consists of 21 grey plastic parts and 13 photo etch detail parts. All of the parts are very well molded and have nice detail. Seam lines and flash are very minimal. The instructions have just 3 steps and the main hull top and bottom fit very well. All of the hatches on the top of the sail can be modeled open or closed. The hatch covers themselves are photo etch. The engraved lines in the hull are very fine and will look great under paint. The decal sheet is very well printed. All in all this should be a fast and easy build and will look great when finished.
My sincere thanks to Squadron Mail Order for this review sample!