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Russian Varyag, 011, Slava Class Cruiser 
Last Update: Hanger Deck House, all deck details, Photo etch radars, sensors, and railing, completing the model - April 27, 2015
Introduction - The Varyag: She was laid down in 1979, launched in 1983, and commissioned into the Soviet Navy in 1989, not long before the Soviet Union fell. These are large, heavily armed guided missile cruisers, diplacing over 12,000 tons. They were built to seek out and destroy adversary nation surface combatants, and particularly US Navy carrier battle groups. They were also built to serve as strong anti-air defense ships for any group they either commanded, or were a part of...for examply when working with Soviet, and then later, Russian aircraft carrier Kuznetsov. In order to fulfill these two functions, the Varyag is armed with sixteen large, supersonic anti-ship missiles, sixty-four long range anti-air missiles, forty medium range anti-air missiles, and six Close in weapons systems. She also has a dual 130mm main gun. Although she became a part of the Russian Pacific fleet in 1990 after her commissioning, due to finiancial difficulties in Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union, though brand new, she only had a care-taking crew for several years up until 2002. After that time she went through a significant overhaul and modernization and in 2008 she re-entered the Russian Pacific Fleet as its flagship. Since that time she has been very active in Russian maritime activities throughout the Pacfic, including: 2009 - Varyag led a fleet of Russian warships participating in the 60th anniversary of China's Navy. She later made a Port call to Singapore and was visited there by the Russian President Medvedev. 2010 (June) - Varyag made a port call to San Francisco. The visit, the first by a Russian navy surface combatant to San Francisco in 147 years, featured a plaque dedication ceremony to commemorate six Russian Imperial Navy sailors who died fighting in the San Francisco fire of 1863. This visit coincided with Russian President Medvedev visiting Silicon Valley. 2010 (December) - Varyag visited SOuth Korea for an informal visit. While there, 24-year old Lieutenant Ivan Yegorov committed suicide by hanging himself due to marital problems. There was a police report filed, but no evidence of foul play was found. 2011 (November) Varyag, accompanied by the tanker Irkut, made a port visit to Vancouver, British Columbia. The Russian ships were escorted into Vancouver by the Royal Canadian Navy destroyer, HMCS Algonquin. While there, Varyag's crew engaged in friendly sports matches with their Canadian counterparts. 2014 (November) - Varyag led a deployment of four Russian naval vessels to international waters off of Australia. The deployment was in response to the 2014 G-20 Brisbane summit. Sepcification details for Varyag:
Displacement: 12,000 tons full load
What's in the Box: - April 21, 2015 The model comes with a complete upper hull in one piece, and a complete lower hull in one piece (not including the shafts, supports, props rudder, and stabilizer fins), which can be used to build either a full hull version, or waterline version of the model. I will build the full hull version. There are two flat plastic pieces that represnt the entire main deck of the vessel. In addition to the hull and main deck parts, the kit includes eight sprues of gray molded plastic parts, two sprues of clear molded plastic parts, one sprue of clear and black molded parts for the helicopter, and one sprue of photo etch parts for the sensors and safety netting. The photo etch sprue does not include the railing. I will add railing from other 1/350 scale photo etch sets that I have, The instructions, as always, are very well done, with fourteen pages of very detailed and yet intuitive instructions for the kit. The decal sheet is realtively small and includes the helicopter landing pad markings, the pennant numbers, and a very few other decals (for example for the Russian Flag). Here are the pictures of the kit out of the box:
I believe this is going to be a fun and very decent build and look forward to the Varyag joing the Russian carrier Kuznetsov, a Kriov class nuclear cruiser, a Udaloy II class destroyer , and a Yasen class nuclear attack submarine which represent the rest of my Russian 1/350 scale modern carrier strike group. The Build - Building the lower hull - April 21, 2015 In this first session I only had time to build the lower huill of the vessel. This involved assembling the struts and shaft to the hull and adding the rudder. This large vessel only has a single large rudder for principle manuevering. I then added the four stabilizer fins to the vessel and then painted the lower hull in the bright hull red used by the Russians. I use model master insignia red for this on all of my Russian ships. Here's that lower hull:
Next I will paint and build the upper hull and add the main deck to it. The Build - Assembling the hull & main deck, main deck fixtures/weapons, main deck houses - April 24, 2015 I began this session by assembling the two hull pieces together, and then adding the main deck. The fit for all three was very good.
I then went through and painted all of the various pieces their respective colors. Using Model Master Gunship grey for the main weather deck, a mixture of Model Master Orange, Brown and Insigna Red for the secondary decks which is a distinctive Russian deck color, Model Master Primer grey for all vertical surfaces, Model Master light grey for the life rafts and upper ships launches, Model Master Light Ghost grey for the various radar domes, black for the windows and smoke stacks, Dark grey for the CIWS guns, etc. Once this was done, I added the weapons and principle fixtures to the main deck. This included the main gun which is a twin 130mm mount, the 64 VLS cells for the principle long range anti-air missiles, the two medium range anit-air missile mounts, and two twin 30mm autocannons on the port and starboard side, just aft of amidships. It also included numerous life rafts and other equipment. Then, I gathered the pieces for the main deck house which included the bridge and main mast, and also gathered the parts for the sixteen larger surface to surface anti-shipping missiles these cruisers carry. I then assembled the main deck house/bridge.
Then it was time to add the main battery of those sixteen surface to surface missiles and assemble the second deck house which included the smoke stacks/engine exhuasts and the main crane. I did this and then added it to the vessel.
Now she's looking like a Russian Slava-Class cruiser alright:
In my next session I will add the hanger deck house, which also houses one of the principle radars, add the rest of the main deck fixtures. Add the numerous auxillary decks, and begin detailing the superstructures. The Build - Hanger Deck House, all deck details, Photo etch radars, sensors, and railing, completing the model - April 27, 2015 This session was a massive and involved session and I spent about three entire days completing it. First I started with the aft deck house, which houses the hanger and one of the principle radars. I assembled these pieces, painted the interior floor of the hanger and then assembled them.
Then it was time to begin adding the numerous details to the various decks. Russian vessels include numerous sensors on many auxiliary decks, particularly on the main mast structure. This also included the rest of the weapons systems like the six 30mm CIEWS, the RBU anti-submarine and torpedo rocket launchers, and a couple of machine guns. There were well over 100 separate items...many of them requiring assembly, which added up to something approaching two hundred parts in all. I also added the photo etch main radars on the primary and secondary masts during this session.
With all of that completed. the ship was structurally complete and looking good.
Now it was time to add the photo etch railing. I had a good amount of 1/350 scale modern railing left over from other builds, particularly other Russian vessel builds (Kuznetsov carrier, Petr Velikiy nuclear cruiser, and the Charbanenko Udaloy II destroyer), and so I used it to complete the Varyag. As with most Russian vessels...lots of railing is required because of the many auxiliary decks housing all sorts of electronics.
When that was completed, it was time to do touch up work on the vessel. Invariably, despite all best efforts, there are off color spots where the last attachment to the sprue was cut, or where you have finger print marks, or where glue either gives a different finish, or in some cases gets marred itself, messing up the color. I go through at the end and touch up all of these places I can find. After that, it was time for two coats of clear dull (flat) coat, and then the finish pictures of the ship:
And then quite a few close up pictures for this vessel and its many details:
Finally, I wanted to include a few comparative pictures. First is the pic of all of the Russian escorts for my Kuznetzov carrier. The nuclear powered, Kirov class battle cruiser Petr Velikiy is in the background, with this new Varyag, Slava class cruiser next to it, then the Charbanenko Udaloy II class destroyer is in front of that, and finally the Severodvinsk, a new Yasen class nuclear attack submarine is in the very front, peeking in there from the right.
Then I took a picture of the Varyag next to a US Arleigh Burke, Flight IIA class AEGIS destroyer. The Varyag displaces 12,000 tons and the Arleigh Burke is around 9,500 tons.
Finally, a more apt comparison is with a US Navy Ticonderoga class AEGIS cruiser, which displaces over 10,000 tons next to the 12,000 ton Russian Varyag.
And there you have it, the Russian Slava Class Cruiser, Varyag, 011. This was the last of my escorts for my current modern 1/350 scale aircraft carrier strike groups. I have now completed groups representing:
The US Navy CSG - Centered on the CATOBAR USS Enterprise, CVN-65 (One day I will replace her with a 1/350 scale mode of the Ford Class carrier, USS Enterprise, CVN-80). I have started another group, but there are no models for its escorts (TYpe 22 destroyer and other FFGs). I had to base this carrier on the French 1/400 scale model of its predecessor, the Foch. That carrier was sold to Brazil and became the Brazilian carrier, Sao Paulo.. The Brazilian Navy CSG - Centered on the Sao Paulo, A12, CATOBAR carrier, the refit French Foch, Clemceau class carrier sold to Brazil when the Charles de Gualle came in service. I also hope one day to be able to find 1/350 scale models for the following carriers and their escorts:
The Italian Navy CSG - Centered on their STOBAR carrier Cavour. I would like to have CSGs of all of the modern Navies who posses them. Big goal I know...but I have already completed well over half of them and am just waiting for the kits to do the rest.
The completion of the PLAN Carrier group was centered on the already completed Trumpeter's 1/350 scale PLA Navy's Aircraft Carrier CV-16, Liaoning, (in addition to the other escorts already completed) included Mini Hobby's PLAN Guangzhou, DDG-168. I recently pre-ordered a 1/350 scale model of the PLAN Type 071 LPD, Yuzhao Class, announced by Trumpeter and due out in October, 2013. I will end up adding two of those, probably LPD-998 Yuzhao and LPD-999, Jinggangshan, add the PLAN- DDG-139, Ningbo, and the PLAN DDG-115, Shenyang, along with the PLAN Weifang, FFG-550 and thus build a PLAN ARG. The completion of the US Carrier Strike group was centered on the completed Tamyia's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-65, (in addition to the other escorts already completed) included Trumpeter's, USS Freedom, LCS-1, Dragon's USS Preble, DDG-88 and Hobby Boss's USS Texas, SSN-775. When a 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-80 (or any Gerald R. Ford Class) is released from Trumpeter, Tamiya, Dragon, or whomever else, I will add it to this group along with another AEGIS Cruiser. Whichever Ford Class coms out in 1/350 scale, I will build it as the USS Enterprise, CVN-80. The completion of the US ARG was centered on the Gallery's 1/350 scale USS Iwo Jima LHD-7, it also included the 1980s refit of the World War II Iowa class battleship, Tamiya's 1/350 scale, USS New Jersey, BB-62, also, Gallery's 1/350 scale USS New York, LPD-21, Cyber Hobby's USS Independence, LCS-2, Bronco Model's 1/350 scale USS Coronado, LCS-4, a Flight IIA US AEGIS class destroyer based on Trumpeter's 1/350 scale USS Lassen, DDG-82, and a Ticonderoga AEGIS cruiser...all of these models which I already own. The completion of the UK Group featured the Airfix 1/350 scale HMS Illustrious, R06 as its center piece until a 1/350 scale Queen Elizabeth carrier is released. When that happens, I will add that carrier to the group as its centerpiece. The Royal Navy CSG will also include two Airfix 1/350 scale Daring Class DDGs (one of which is already completed), two Trumpeter 1/350 scale Type 23 HMS Duke class Frigates, and the Hobby Boss 1/350 scale HMS Astute SSN. One day, when a 1/350 scale HMS Ocean LPD comes out, I will use it to start building a Royal Navy ARG. The completion of the French CSG is centered on Heller's 1/400 scale Charles De Gaulle, R91, the 1/400 scale Heller French De Grasse, D612 DDG, which is an ASW DDG, the French Aconit D612 FFG and Gueprattet F714 FFGs, both of which are Lafayette class frigates. These four vessels round out my French CSG. As soon as a French Robin class nuclear sub, like the French Pearle S606 SSN is released in 1/350 or 1/400 scale, I will add that to the group. Also as soon as the Forbin D620, Horizon class anti-air DDG is released in 1/350 or 1/400 scale, I will purchase two of them and replace the De Grasse with them. The completion of the Japanese JMSDF group was centered on Fujimi's very finely detailed, 1/350 scale Hyuga, DDH-181. It is escorted by Trumpeter's 1/350 scale DDG-177, Atago, an AEGIS class DDG and the JMSDF, DDG-174, Kongo class, Trumpeter’s 1/350 scale DDG-111 a Takinami Class DDG, and by the 1/350 scale SS-503 Hakuryu, one of Japans new, very modern and capable AIP Diesel Electric submarines. As soon as a DDG-115 Akizuki in 1/350 scale is released, I will add it to this group. When a 1/350 scale JS Ixomuo is relased, I will readd it to the group. The Izumo callss is a larger, more capable VTOL carrier that Japanese is building to compliment the Hyugas. The Izumo is also more capable of embarking F-35B strike fighters if ever necessary. The completion of the Russian CSG is centered on Trumpeter's Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, the Russian Kirov Class nuclear battle cruiser (CGN), the Petr Velikiy by Trumpeter, the Russian Slava Class cruiser, Varyag by Trumpeter, the Trumpeter 1/350 scale Udaloy II DDG, Charabanenko, a Hobby Boss's Akula II class SSN, and the new Yasen class Russian SSN, all in 1/350 scale. I completed Heller's 1/400 scale Foch, the Clemenceau Class carrier that was sold to the Brazilians in 2000 and in 2002 was refitted and became the < ahref="http://www.jeffhead.com/modelbuilds/bra-a12.htm">Brazilian CV, Sao Paulo, CATOBAT carrier. This is the start of a Brazilian group, though the Type 22 DDGs and other FFGs the Brazilians use are not available at present. Then, again, once the models are available, I'd like to build an Italian Carrier Strike Group centered on the Cavour and their Horizon DDGs, a Spanish Carrier Strike Group centered on the Juan Carlos and their F-100 AEGIS FFGs, an Australian Strike Group centered on the new Canberra Class LPD and the Hobart class AEGIS DDGs, and an Indian Carrier Strike Group centered on either the Vikramaditya or their new ADS Carrier, the Vikrant, and their Kolkata class DDGs and Shivlak class FFGs would also be nice. Years more worth of work! You can see all of these actual carriers, read their histories and specifications at my site:
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