Ernie
SMF Supporter
I am building the HobbyBoss 1/350 LA Class sub kit as the USS Portsmouth, SSN 707.
The kit looks nice in the box, and includes two upper hull halves and two sails giving one the option of building a Flight 1, 2, or 3 (688I) model. Portsmouth was a Flight two version which had the diving planes on the sail and vertical launch tubes in the bow for cruise missiles. Flight One boats had the planes on the sail, but no vertical launch tubes, and Flight Three had an upgraded electronics suite, vertical launch tubes and the diving planes moved from the sail to the hull and a ringed propeller. The last two items allowed these boats to surface through the polar icecaps.
I also found some 3D printed props on Ebay that include the original plain prop cap, or the later vortex inducer, which also looks like a miniature prop itself. It is a pretty safe bet that the Portsmouth had the vortex inducer installed later in her career before she was decommissioned, and the printed props are much nicer than the kit prop.
Assembly goes pretty quick, and the fit is decent enough, some sanding was needed to clean up hull seam, but nothing too severe.
The kit looks nice in the box, and includes two upper hull halves and two sails giving one the option of building a Flight 1, 2, or 3 (688I) model. Portsmouth was a Flight two version which had the diving planes on the sail and vertical launch tubes in the bow for cruise missiles. Flight One boats had the planes on the sail, but no vertical launch tubes, and Flight Three had an upgraded electronics suite, vertical launch tubes and the diving planes moved from the sail to the hull and a ringed propeller. The last two items allowed these boats to surface through the polar icecaps.
I also found some 3D printed props on Ebay that include the original plain prop cap, or the later vortex inducer, which also looks like a miniature prop itself. It is a pretty safe bet that the Portsmouth had the vortex inducer installed later in her career before she was decommissioned, and the printed props are much nicer than the kit prop.
Assembly goes pretty quick, and the fit is decent enough, some sanding was needed to clean up hull seam, but nothing too severe.
