Opinions on FOV 1/700 ships?

[aferguson]

I'm thinking of getting into these. Is the size good or are they too small in the same way that 1/72 tanks and 1/144 planes are kinda too small?

Can the lower hull be removed on them so they can be displayed waterline?

General opinions on quality/accuracy/value?

[tmanthegreat]

Overall, I have been pleased with the FOV 1:700 ships. I have a few: Yamato, Bismarck, Tirpitz, and the HMS Hood. I've been strongly considering getting the HMS Ark Royal (again for the whole Bismarck theme I have going) but haven't jumped on it yet...

1:700 is a good scale for ships - if you want to display a lot of them. A larger size like 1:350 scale and on up is better for detail. Personally, I think 1:144 is an ideal scale for the large capital ships: you can display a ton of detail right down to the crew figures.

In 1:700 scale, the really fine details you will not be able to see, but most of the major features from small AA guns and flags on up can be readily detailed. Functionality on a model is always a good thing and usually falls to being rotating turrets and elevating guns on a battle ship. The FOV Bismarck and Tirpitz models have movable cranes as well. Paint quality on the FOV models is good and generally accurate. However, I was annoyed that with the first version they did of the 1:700 scale Bismarck, they left the giant swastikas off the deck on the bow and stern sections, instead only having the white circle in the red band. Darn political correctness...

I find the price on the FOV 1:700 ships to be a bit high - but then much of what FOV now offers if overpriced compared to what their items used to be. A battleship will cost about $65-$70, which is quite a lot for something that just sits there. Only part of an FOV ship is diecast - part of the hull mainly. The rest is plastic.

The old Gearbox 1:700 scale ships from 5-10 years ago are nearly as good as the FOV ones. You may still be able to find these for a decent price - I got a couple on clearance at Tuesday Morning once upon a time and I've never paid over $50 for any of the ones I have. The entire hull on the Gearbox models is diecast. Detail is about the same as the FOV models, though the FOV ships have slightly crisper details and overall better paint detailing - but not by much. I have several Gearbox 1:700 ships, including the USS Missouri, USS Indianapolis, USS Essex, and USS Hornet. I believe Gearbox also made a USS Arizona model as well. FOV is slated to make USS Hornet and USS Arizona models - and they look a whole lot like the Gearbox ships... As far as I know, Gearbox did not make any Axis or other Allied ships, so if you want a British, German or Japanese capital ship, FOV is your best bet.

I've also seen the new FOV USS Enterprise (modern carrier). The ship itself looks great, but the planes look cheap... It was neat that the planes came as separate pieces so they could be displayed in varying arrangements on the flight deck.

So all this in summation, the FOV ships are well detailed, but over priced for a model that is mostly plastic, but have a large and growing selection. The Gearbox models have more diecast, have nearly the same amount of detail as the FOV models, a more limited selection, but may be cheaper.

[aferguson]

thanks for the info, Tman.