Now this kit is really something special. Ferdinand is a Dragon kit, which was released in 2007 (as far as I was able to find out) and I have bought it about a year later. I have started working at about that time and with many other pieces, just never finished it. At the time when i started to write this blog in 2011, this kit would already qualify for the “shelf queen ” category. Occasionally I have pulled it out, worked on it, just to have it set aside and start working on something else. Until now…

Last weekend as I was taking break from the Rhino project, where I have ran into some painting issues, I was looking for something that I could build (as I usually do). My eye fell on the Ferdinand. I was even able to find out all the missing pieces, metal barrel, photoetch parts and instructions, so decided to try take this model through the finish line. All in all after about 10 hours of work, I got there.

I have simplified some of the things that I wanted to detail up a bit, but I guess that was always the problem – I wanted, but never got to. So at the end I figured model finished is better than one dreamed about.

The kit itself was quite good even at a time when it came out and it still measures well at today’s standard. Sometimes the quality of moulding could have been better, but overall good job. One particular area, where I felt Dragon could have paid more attention to was the barrel lock. It looks bit too crude…

Interestingly, given the amount of time the kit has been sitting unfinished, there is even difference in color of pieces I have built years ago and now (compare the toolbox vs the hull).

The original kit has included quite few photoetch parts, but i have bought additional set from Voyager. At the end I have used only few pieces from it, vast majority of it was left unused. Sometimes I feel that photo etch set makers must be crazy with all the tiny parts and assemblies that one could use.

One particular piece that i appreciate are the tracks, which were the single link tracks, but with very good details and fit, so I have never planned to replace those.

So, after 10 years, this one got finished. Hopefully painting and weathering will not take another decade!

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