Mirage Hobby U-40 Type IXA German Submarine 1:350 – build review

Kit reference: Mirage 35054
Price around Euro 10.00
Here Now In-box Review: Geoff Coughlin – October 2016

Get this impressive little model here now at Mirage Hobby – Thanks to Mirage Hobby for supplying our review sample

This Mirage Hobby kit

This isn’t a new model, it’s been around for some time and since we recently started to establish a relationship with this manufacturer I’m keen to make sure we get some of their kits built so that you can also see what they’re like (in case you are unfamiliar with the Mirage Hobby range).

Several projects are lined up covering armour and aircraft and I recently completed their PZL P.IIc in 1:48 and you’ll find that in Aircraft-Finished Now under Mirage Hobby. I liked that kit a lot and so let’s see how we go with one of their maritime projects.

Initial thoughts and ‘the plan’!

Well, it may come as no surprise to you that I’m no maritime modeller – not at all. As much as I love looking and admiring completed maritime models – I mean, just take a look in the Maritime pages here in SMN and you’ll see what I mean; the thought of building one makes me very nervous. All the questions you’d ask yourself when taking on something completely new in modelling are there in spades, and the fact is, I just want to have a go and see where that takes me – yikes! Scary!

Many, many years ago, I did dabble with a maritime model – the Tamiya 1:700 Nagarra IJN Destroyer. A big learning curve that taught me never to use human hair for rigging (sounded like a great tip at the time from a fellow modeller). What he didn’t tell me was human hair expands and contracts with the room temperature conditions – arghh! A pretty sorry looking model resulted with all the rigging mostly drooping – well, all through the winter months!

On with the build