In my review of the Zvezda Diether von Roeder kit, which has since then been also released under the Revell label, I mentioned that the kit would benefit from
aftermarket photo-etch as the kit did not include any. Well White Ensign Models has stepped up with a dedicated photo-etch set for this kit. White Ensign
Models may have new ownership, but the designer for their photo-etch products is still Peter “Mad Pete” Hall. Set PE 35185 has all the earmarks of a Mad Pete
design: excellent relief etching, loads of parts covering the entire ship and excellent instructions. The set is comprised of one good sized brass fret crammed with a
variety of fittings. Some of the parts are replacements for plastic parts in the kit and others are add-ons. First off, you get all the railings you will need already pre-
measured, which saves time and effort. The other “basic” parts, for lack of a better term, include inclined and vertical ladders, anchor chain, watertight doors, deck
hatches, funnel cap grills, yardarm footropes and foremast aerial spreader, bridge wing supports in two styles, propeller guards, cable reels and capstan handwheels
and associated bases.
The “extra” detail parts include the mine rail tracks, which are comprised of the bases and the actual rails. The base comes in two sections each, a straight and
curved section. The rails also come in two lengths to match the corresponding base. Applying the photo-etch mine rail tracks will require removing the molded-on
versions from the deck, which may not sound appealing to some modelers but the end result would be much better in comparison. Other “extra” detail parts include
details for the motor boat, sea boat and life rafts and parts to assemble the cradles for the boats, the fore mast goal post, the torpedo control positions, torpedo
loading gantries and the FuMo 21, Fu 23/24 and FuMo 63 radars.
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