Another Dreammodel mixed media kit – This time a corvette (NATO classifies it as frigate) Project 20380 Steregushchiy or rather the improved 20381 class (only one 20380 was built). The kit gives you option to build either though, but some modifications have to be made. Again plastic hull, 3d printed detail parts and superstructure and PE railings, ladder etc. They even provide you with painting masks for the decks – a real time and nerves saver!

In the photos you can see the bridge and main mast parts, already painted and “equipped” with PE low railings – it will get more details later in the build, but I will do the windows again the same way as on Gorshkov using UV resin and then masking them for further paint jobs.

Assembling the hull and the superstructure went smoothly with good fit throughout. For the deck orange I’ve used MRP’s Red Rust (appears way too vivid in the first pic) and for the helicopter deck I’ve added a few drops of MRP’s Cherry Red to it as on the reference pics, the back portion appears slightly more reddish.

One great thing about this kit is that DreamModel provides you with the deck masks. These save A LOT of time even on such a relatively small and simple model. And they are cut rather well and had no problems using them.

Perhaps the most complicated piece of PhotoEtch in this kit was this bow mounted railing – it is a single piece that needs to be shaped to the curvature of the bow and bent for the rod supports. And after I was happy with my work, I noticed I bent it the opposite way as the rear part facing the bridge is not symmetrical! Bending it the opposite way would surely break it, so I just cut the rear part of the railing and repositioned it and it worked.

Black surfacer applied as a preparation for Grey paint.

Painting complete. Once again, the included masks were a great time saver.

I wanted to do the 4th corvette of the class, but Dreammodels decals grabed the surface so hard, I couldn’t move the pennant number decal for repositioning and had to choose another ship. I decided for the second one, Soobrazitenly.

Work also started on the Ka-27 helicopter.

I have noticed, I must have knocked a part of the main mast of sometime after painting. As I didn’t notice when it happened, finding the tiny part was mission impossible and I went and scratchbuilt it… I also noticed that my newly chosen ship, after the decals problems, Soobraztelniy, has certain features of the first ship in the class and certain features of the mid-version… I fixed the differences that I could, but it is not 100% accurate. Well I can live with it and I guess you’ll have to as well

I have finished a helicopter! Nice little 3d printed Kamov with PE rotors for the rear helo deck.

With application of oils, the model is at the end of the construction. Sea base next!

Now I am not sure if AK Interactive changed the formula any, but doing it the exact same way a few years ago with HMS Aurora and HMS Sheffield, the water looked quite different using their Atlantic Water Gel. Also the water foam gel used to be translucent and not, it appears like a thick white paint… Oh well, I guess I’ll have to try and improve the looks somehow.

Not entirely satisfied with the base, but I am calling her done!