1:600 Scale resin NORMANDIE by Ocean Liner Models
Kit Review by Michael Pell
Note: This review was originally posted on the former DF in 2001. It has been revised to represent present day availability, and cost. Reproduced with permission. Photographs courtesy of Ocean Liner Models .A fine rendering of this model, by Don Stoltenberg, can be seen in the Debris Field Gallery.
Scale Size: 1:600
Manufacturer: Ocean Liner Models
Price: $119 (U.S. funds) at time of writing
Parts List (all parts molded in white resin):
1 poly bag containing lifeboats, 3 wooden doweling masts, and small resin parts;
1 poly bag containing deckhouse structures;
1 poly bag containing decks, funnel bases, and funnels;
1 one-piece solid resin hull (with internal hollowed out cavities);
2 decal sheets (one laser print and one transfer);
1 (.025" thick) sheet of custom etched brass with over 100 parts (includes davits, very nice anchors, winches, the upper deck NORMANDIE name letters, cranes, life rafts and more);
Instruction manual
Things we like: It's the Normandie! The one-piece hull is nice. Minimal parts involved. An excellent kit for first time resin modelers. The thick brass photo-etch is a great bonus for the finer detailed objects to be located on the model, such as the davits. The scale works well with other Liner models from Revell and Airfix. The waterline hull invites dioramas to be made! Clear easy to follow instructions and painting guide recommendations. Two types of decal options are a plus too!
Things we would like to see it have: One thing we would have like to have seen was a French flag on the decal sheet!
Flash: Minimal, nothing that can't be removed easily with little effort. The vast majority of parts on the kit we examined were crisp and well defined as far as molded surface details go. We dry fit the deckhouse and funnels on ours and only a few edges will need to be cleaned up for a perfect fit. OLM has done a great job with it overall.
Overall Comments: First and foremost we extend a hearty thanks to Ocean Liner Models and Tom Nicolai for willing to undertake this project to bring online one of the most important liners that was afloat. While the kit lends itself well to be built as is, it also will allow adventuresome modelers the opportunity to add more detail via scratch building. Unfortunately to keep costs affordable OLM does NOT include any kind of railings with the kit and leaves it up to the modeler to purchase them from an external supplier such as Gold Medal Models, Tom's Modelworks, White Ensign, etc. The brass photo-etch that comes with the kit is thick and very sturdy and permits fine detail to be added to the resin hull. Being resin, modelers used to injected styrene kits will notice a substantial weight difference. The masts come as wooden dowels and they are left up to the modeler to taper to final shape. Though OLM clearly gives alternative suggestions as much as possible to allow modelers flexibility to obtain the finished results they may be after. The ship comes in the 1935 configuration but by no means has to be built that way.
The model does require the additional use of materials NOT supplied with the kit, like sheet plastic or card stock for some bulwarks. The need to paint windows has been eliminated by the excellent decal sheets. One is the traditional transfer style and the other a duplicate print by laser printer for those wishing to go that route.
Instructions are easy to follow and Tom explains little points of interest and building procedure tips to follow especially when working with the aforementioned decals. As you can see by the photo below, the kit builds well and is a great representation of the Normandie, long overlooked by other manufacturers. We hope this is the first of many Liner ships OLM plans to make.
Though a bit more costly than a traditional injected styrene kit, it is a great price when compared to other resin kits of the same scale. OLM's paint scheme recommendations follow the same style, as one may be familiar with when purchasing Airfix kits. Well-documented, clearly labeled instructions make this kit easy to build and first time resin modelers should find this a great introduction to that type material as well as brass photo-etch. A must have kit for serious Liner collectors! We certainly look forward to building ours.
Rating: 4 out of 5
MP / 2001