Reviewed by Rob Baumgartner

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Not so long ago, Revell released their superb kit of a Type VIIC U-Boot. Being in 1/72 scale it offered a great opportunity, for those with the talent, to showcase their skill with some interior work. The rest of us can turn to CMK where most of the hard work has been done for us.

The package consists of 32 resin items and a photo etched fret containing a further 20 parts. The instructions are contained on an A4 sized sheet of paper and thoughtfully, a p-e saw is also included to separate the resin parts from the pour plugs…nice touch.

The resin pieces are beautifully cast and there was no warping to be seen. The fins on the torpedoes did show the odd air bubble but CMK have taken this into consideration. They supply additional blemish free items as replacements.

Click the thumbnails below to view larger images:

There is a mixture of very large and very small pieces of resin and all are packaged together in a minimum number of zip lock bags. Unfortunately this leads to breakage. One area broken on my example was the handle and hinge on one of the torpedo tube doors. Normally there is a clean break and the loose item can be quickly glued back on…not so with the hinge.

Naturally the instructions start with the cutting away of the Revell kit and the diagrams are quite clear here. A painting guide is given for all the components and should prove adequate to all but the most fastidious. Exploded views give the builder an idea of where everything should go but reference to the excellent box art doesn’t go amiss.

The kit is basically a capsule that is made up and placed between the U-Boot’s fuselage halves. Thus three sides are cast in resin and this includes the “false” floor, which stored the reserve torpedoes. One of the four supplied G7e torpedoes is for this area, the other three being for the crew area, which includes the rooftop “I” beam used for storage and loading of these “eels”.

The torpedo tubes have their associated compressed air tanks cast as one piece. This saves a lot of fiddling around and ensures a better fit and alignment inside the plastic hull.
It should be noted that some references give a slightly different interpretation of the air tanks.

The photo etched fret comes into its own by providing the various control wheels that populated this compartment. Two different sizes are supplied as well as those for the tube cap handle.

The crew positions are well represented with scribed lockers and separately cast bunks. The idea is to showcase the environment in its purest state. As with all areas of a submarine, this compartment was crowded with equipment and stores, so the detailer has plenty of room to maneuver here. Extra plumbing can also be added but one must be careful not to clutter up the space at the expense of visual appeal.

This is an excellent set that will allow the modeler to give his U-Boot a museum like quality. This scale is the perfect platform for internal detailing and CMK get the modeler of to a great start.

Now all one has to do is summon up the courage to cut into their U-Boot!

Highly Recommended.