Bronco 1/350 German S-100 Class Schnellboot
By Chris Banyai-Riepl
Overview
Bronco has branched out into naval subjects, and their choices have been some very interesting vessels. Their most recent foray into 1/350 ships is the S-100 Schnellboot, a vessel that has recently captured attention in larger scales, most notably the impressive Italeri 1/35 kit. For those who don't want to spend that much money (or that much shelf space), this new kit from Bronco is just the ticket.
The Kit
Molded in light gray plastic, this kit is quite well detailed and will build up nicely out of the box. The single sprue of plastic parts is complemented by a fret of photoetched brass that includes railings and other details, and the small decal sheet provides markings for three boats. Options include full hull or waterline.
Starting with the hull, this is made up from two sides, a one-piece upper deck & superstructure, and the optional full hull bottom or waterline bottom. This somewhat complex assembly for the hull should greatly minimize the seam work, which means more attention can be spent on detailing and painting the rest of the boat. For the full hull option, there are three photoetch propellers, along with nicely done shafts and rudders, the latter also in photetch.
Moving on to the upper deck, this kit comes with a nice array of weaponry. There are two torpedoes, a set of depth charges, and three deck guns. The aft gun includes photoetched seats and gun shield, while the center guns include a separate photoetch shield. Other photoetch details include anchors, masts, ladders, and railings. In fact, most of the superstructure details provided in this kit are in the form of photoetch parts, making this a great one-stop model (no aftermarket needed, it's already in the box!).
The decals provide markings for S-204, S-197, and an unknown Schnellboot. All are similarly finished in an overall light gray hull, with a red hull bottom and dark gray & wood decking. S-204 has a black panther marking on the wheelhouse, while S-197 has a gazelle. The unknown boat has a large black ‘S'.
Conclusion
While small in size, this kit is by no means small in detail, and will build up to an impressive model when finished. The diorama potential with this boat are immense, ranging from a dockside scene with several tied up, to a Channel diorama with a pair of boats pressing home an attack. My thanks to Stevens International for the review sample.