Polar Lights 1/350 scale K'T'inga p/review Final pics on page 5

Steam235 · Post by **Steam235** » Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:51 am

I'm sure I'll have a few small panels still to do on the top, but tomorrow I'll move on to the bottom of the hull.

Steam235 · Post by **Steam235** » Wed Oct 17, 2018 6:29 pm

Today was all about putting a wash on the model. These are in progress pictures, the wash will be cleaned up a bit more, and as it's an oil wash the model looks very glossy today. But I think it really adds something to the model, helping to blend in all the colors and panels together. It also really highlights some of the great details that Polar Lights has put on this model.

MEATLOAFr · Post by **MEATLOAFr** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 5:43 am

I'm jealous... sad to say I turned that one down

glad you're working on it, I wouldn't have been able to give it the full glory that you are

MadManMUC · Post by **MadManMUC** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 6:47 am

What a beautiful build of a kit that seems fantastic OOB.

What truly shines, too (if you'll pardon the pun), is the fact the stock lighting kit is to scale. Not so bright that it looks like an obnoxious 1970s Christmas tree, just perfect for the scale.

Steam235 · Post by **Steam235** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 3:50 pm

Now that we have a wash showing some of the detail you can really see how great that resin bridge is.

Steam235 · Post by **Steam235** » Thu Oct 18, 2018 11:17 pm

The decals are gorgeous. The orange is a metallic color that has a great shine to it. The decals are not flimsy or brittle. They're fairly thick and strong. They react really well with setting solution which you'll see in this post.

The bow of the ship gets one of the bigger decals for that distinctive orange around the weapons port.

That big Klingon insignia on the bottom is actually 4 decals, with cut outs for some of the raised detail. I trimmed the red point so it wouldn't run on top of the beacon. After you have the three points laid out there is a fourth decal to go over the pipe that comes out the bottom.

Once you have the decals down, use some setting solution, I use micro sol, to get those decals to fit to the hull. I did several applications, using a cotton ball to press the decal down.

The decals really did conform really well to the surface....I probably will use some more on the insignia this evening.

Steam235 · Post by **Steam235** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 2:18 pm

The top image is a color corrected picture from Round2's blog. It represents the best idea of what the studio model looked like in natural light when filming began.

The bottom image shows the Polar Lights kit painted in the Tamiya paints recommended in the kit instructions. Regardless of whether you want to paint your model to look like the studio model, I think the suggested colors are accurate to the studio model at that time.

Steam235 · Post by **Steam235** » Sun Oct 21, 2018 2:39 pm

My Final Thoughts on Polar Lights 1/350 K'T'inga Battlecruiser.

It's a kit people have been asking for since 2005 to be paired with the 1/350 refit.

Was the wait worth it?
Yes, Yes, and Yes. It is a fantastic addition to anyone's collection.

When I started building this kit, I decided the approach I would take would be to build this kit as close to the instructions as possible, and without changes. I wanted this to be a preview aimed at the average builder and show how the kit would come out for people who didn't want to alter parts, or change paint schemes.

I feel my build is a good example of the kind of build most people will be able to achieve with the kit and lighting kit. I have no doubt that other modelers, will go above and beyond, and make some incredible models. It's a kit that can look good if painted with rattle cans, or given an intricate paint scheme.

Kit molding
Best part: molded in black. I had no light leaks, the black plastic worked perfectly. It really makes the lighting kit plug and play without needing to paint a light blocking layer. The sprues are thick, if you're used to some other companies sprues you'll be surprised how thick these are. You'll need to be careful when you take parts off the sprue. Cut the sprue and file it down to the kit part. There is no flash or warping, outside of the tiny windows in the bulb and cobra head pieces.

Fit and assembly
The fit is great. I didn't have anything that gave me any issues, nothing that had to be filed down or adjusted to make it fit. Assembly was nicely done with separate assemblies for the nacelles, cargo bay, head and neck, and engine panel. all of these parts could be painted easily before final assembly if the builder wanted to do so.

The nacelles meet the hull with a large flat surface that provides a very sturdy connection. The neck attaches with three large snap connections. It is a very solid model kit. The way it's engineered means that nothing will be off-kilter or misaligned.

There are many parts that have beveled edges and simply fit into place without needing locator pins. The parts fit together without many visible seams. Many parts have an extra lip to prevent light leaks in you light the kit.

I did not use any putty on this kit, There was only one small area where any putty would be necessary, and only if you are lighting it.

Accuracy
First and foremost, this is the most accurate K't'inga that has been put out. The proportions are fantastic. The paneling is exceptional. I love how different panels are raised higher or lower than others, but there are a few negative marks. The greeblies in front of the bulkhead, beside the neck, are not entirely accurate and are over scaled. However, if you get the lighting kit you'll have fantastic photo etch parts that fix the issues.

The lights on the cobra head are supposed to be set into the structure. If you are using the plastic parts it will be accurate. If you put the PE on it they will no longer be recessed. If you use the PE around the center of the bulb it will end up being raised above the surface of the bulb, but I don't see any other way to have lit windows that are the right size or shape. You could use fiber optics in the plastic part which would give you good lighting but would not be the correct shape for the windows on the K'T'inga.

I'll give props to Round 2 though. They really went to bat for us. That great resin bridge is just one example. They made sure that even when the styrene mold couldn't be as accurate they would make a resin piece or a PE piece.

Decals
Fantastic. They had a very nice way to use different decals to make the big insignia on the bottom. There are some gaps in the decal, the kit recommends that you paint the gap white and then use a clear orange over it to match the metallic orange of the decal. The decals are strong, and with setting solution they really fit to the curves of the ship.

Fun
It's a really fun kit to build. Nothing in this kit will give you a headache. Its fun to build a kit without putty, without having to alter parts, without having to worry about a homemade lighting kit. The painting is fun too, You have a lot of freedom in the paneling, and it's fun to see that detailed feather pattern come together as you mask and paint it. I loved not having to use putty, spray the model with black paint, check for light leaks, use more putty sand, and spray with paint again...and again.

Lighting kit
This is what really makes the kit come to life. It's well designed, the photo etch fixes the accuracy problem. Every LED has a standoff that they can be glued to point them in the right direction.

I usually build my own lighting and it was really nice not having to solder or plan out components. The hidden battery means that you have a lot of display options.

You can tell Round 2 knows builders will make alterations, and with their hollow display rod which leads right to the battery compartments they have given us a great starting point. I love the fact that builders can get a highly accurate, lit model, with flashing lights and photo etch without going all over the internet buying extra parts.

Colors
It wouldn't be a Sci-Fi model if we didn't argue over the colors

I know that there has been a lot of talk online about how it should be more grey than green. What choice did Polar Lights really have? you can't make a painting guide based on how it looks in the movie, because it changes from scene to scene. The reference pictures that people have been using for years are of the model after years of disuse, and after it had been repainted, and had been altered for effect shots.

The colors chosen were to reflect the studio model as it was when filming started. The painting guide is very well presented, offering paint selections from both Tamiya and Testors, and shows the ship from every angle. I think in the photos, shown on the Round 2 blog, the colors lean towards blue and the suggested colors don't. Overall, I think the colors are good choices if you want to replicate the studio model as it was when filming began.

At around $85 the kit itself is a great deal. IF you want to light it, outside of soldering your own, there aren't many light kits that are cheaper than $65, let alone ones with very accurate photo etch parts.

I can't recommend this kit and lighting set enough. If you have a 1/350 Enterprise refit, you simply MUST have the Polar Lights 1/350 K't'inga sat next to it.

You'll have a fun, stress-free build and a great looking model when you're done!