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Okay, so I know that Arkmodel can be a touchy subject for some. Chinese business ethics are not everybody's cup of tea and no doubt there will be a few reading this that will be tempted to knock the product or its manufacturer just 'cause.
All that drama aside... they make a darned spanky product (in my opinion).
I'm currently in the middle of a buildup of one of their 1/48th Type VII kits, and I have to say that I'm pleasantly impressed. Yes, some of the details, particularly the rivets, are oversized. I actually like that as a scale RC model. If done at the correct scale, anyone over 3 ft away from the model will miss all of those details. Oversizing them slightly as they have offers the illusion of the detail from a longer distance, one that your model will be operating at its entire time out on patrol.
Rivets aside, the kit is exceptionally detailed, and parts are very crisp with little to no flash.
The kit is manufactured from exceptionally tough (yet easy to work with) plastic. Common styrene solvents work really well to put things together permanently. All of the running hardware is included, including cast-in-place bushings for the dive planes, rudders and hold-down hardware. Bolts and screws are stainless steel.
There was obviously a lot of forethought put into the design of the boat, and I am really enjoying putting it together.
Some good friends of mine have been watching my build and lamenting the fact that they want a kit, but are scared to buy direct from China. I, for one, have never had any real issues ordering from Arkmodel in the past (knock on wood), but I've heard stories about people that have. To that end, I took it upon myself to place a decent-sized stocking order of these kits to hold in stock at my shop. I have a limited number in stock now for anyone who wants to grab one for their fleet:
Arkmodel Type VII kit in 1/48th scale: $595US plus shipping
On top of that, I have also stumbled across a beautiful detail set for the boat rendered in 0.2mm brass photoetch. 0.4mm is also available at a slightly higher price, but I think that's way overkill and makes installation that much more difficult. These kits are ordered out of Europe, so you'll need to allow about 3 weeks for delivery.
Brass Photoetch detail set for Arkmodel Type VII kit: $249US plus shipping
The model kit and photoetch sheets can be ordered from my site on www.nautilusdrydocks.com under the SHOP tab.
All that drama aside... they make a darned spanky product (in my opinion).
I'm currently in the middle of a buildup of one of their 1/48th Type VII kits, and I have to say that I'm pleasantly impressed. Yes, some of the details, particularly the rivets, are oversized. I actually like that as a scale RC model. If done at the correct scale, anyone over 3 ft away from the model will miss all of those details. Oversizing them slightly as they have offers the illusion of the detail from a longer distance, one that your model will be operating at its entire time out on patrol.
Rivets aside, the kit is exceptionally detailed, and parts are very crisp with little to no flash.
The kit is manufactured from exceptionally tough (yet easy to work with) plastic. Common styrene solvents work really well to put things together permanently. All of the running hardware is included, including cast-in-place bushings for the dive planes, rudders and hold-down hardware. Bolts and screws are stainless steel.
There was obviously a lot of forethought put into the design of the boat, and I am really enjoying putting it together.
Some good friends of mine have been watching my build and lamenting the fact that they want a kit, but are scared to buy direct from China. I, for one, have never had any real issues ordering from Arkmodel in the past (knock on wood), but I've heard stories about people that have. To that end, I took it upon myself to place a decent-sized stocking order of these kits to hold in stock at my shop. I have a limited number in stock now for anyone who wants to grab one for their fleet:
Arkmodel Type VII kit in 1/48th scale: $595US plus shipping
On top of that, I have also stumbled across a beautiful detail set for the boat rendered in 0.2mm brass photoetch. 0.4mm is also available at a slightly higher price, but I think that's way overkill and makes installation that much more difficult. These kits are ordered out of Europe, so you'll need to allow about 3 weeks for delivery.
Brass Photoetch detail set for Arkmodel Type VII kit: $249US plus shipping
The model kit and photoetch sheets can be ordered from my site on www.nautilusdrydocks.com under the SHOP tab.
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