HellerChristopher Columbus' Santa Maria Boat Model Building Kit

great

This is the first model I have attempted by this manufacturer and I am not overly impressed. I would certainly not recommend it unless you have high level modeling skills and lots of patience. It requires a lot of trimming and sanding to get a proper fit of the parts. The hull and deck joints are particularly a challenge and will require a fair amount of filling with plastic putty in order to fill in the voids. The instructions (such as they are) are very rudimentary and in 12 different languages. The rigging diagrams are reasonably detailed and not too hard to follow but no rigging thread is included with the kit, rather the instructions suggest you obtain rigging thread from a specialized model shop or at draper's shops. Sizes are recommended and diameters are listed in centimeters. Paint colors are given by number using Humbrol colors but I custom mixed Testor colors to match pretty closely.I am about half way through the build at the time of this review. I think this model will come out looking reasonably good but not on par with similar models by other manufacturers. If you want practice using your tooling skills then this one is for you. If you are looking for a simple build with clear and detailed instructions then look elsewhere.