CSS H.L. HUNLEY
This is the 1/72 Hunley kit issued by Verlinden built for my brother, who is a Civil War historian. In 1864, the CSS Hunley, operated by the Confederate Navy during the American Civil War, became the first submarine to sink a vessel. Unfortunately, the submarine sank that same night, and was lost for 130 years until found in 1995, then raised in 2000. The machine was operated by eight men in very cramped quarters, and its propeller was driven by a hand crank.
The Verlinden 1/32-scale kit is straight forward, consisting of resin, plastic, and brass pieces. I assembled the entire kit, then painted it using Testor's Metallizer Titanium. After drying, the model was burnished and carefully dusted with rust-colored weathering powder, and highlights were accented using silver powder. Finally, the deadlights and portholes were filled with Krystal Klear. Some scratch-building was included, but overall the kit is excellent.
