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The kit
Inside the rather large box there are three parts frames molded in a white, styrene like plastic. There are two frames of 11 parts, enough for 2 missiles.
The third frame contains 5 parts for two display bases. A construction guide is printed on the rear of the box. Painting and decal placement
instructions are on one side panel.
The two display bases provide for two different options - one mounting the missile as if it's a vertical launch from a
silo (3 pieces) and one for an in-flight pose (2 pieces). The silo option is a nice touch though it does lack the prominent non-slip texturing seen on the topside
of the real silo's lid.
(see below)
_Mark_41_Vertical_Launching_System_t.jpg)
Molding is excellent, as is the detail. Panel lines are engraved and very shallow. Care must be taken during painting so as to not completely eliminate them with
too thick an application. Unfortunately, this model suffers from a common problem with a lot of missile kits - the locating tabs on the fins are thinner than
their corresponding slots leaving a small gap that requires filling.
Part B2 represents the LEAP (Lightweight Exo-Atmospheric Projectile) kinetic warhead. I chose to not add it since it would not be seen with the nose
cone in place. To add some depth to the rocket nozzles of the MK 72 solid-fueled booster, I added a short section of round rod directly behind each nozzle inside the
booster body and drilled out the nozzles.
Decals are well printed, thin and settle down very well using decal setting solution, such as Microscale Micro Sol, which is what I used.
Conclusion
Fine Molds has a reputation for producing quality model kits and this one is no exception. Outside of the small issue with the fins this kit builds up easily.
It's definitely a winner.
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_Mark_41_Vertical_Launching_System.jpg)
