There it was! Lit up in neon in Times Square ! It was a cool October evening and as I walked south on Broadway, I arrived at Times Square . On the south side of the square the New York City Police Department maintains a local police station. Soaring above it is a series of neon signs. New York ’s Finest had issued an All Points Bulletin to track down the Mad One, as his latest creation had again stirred the Gothamites. It had arrived in the Big Apple in time to knock over the pumpkins of Halloween. A new brass photo-etch set for Royal Navy E and F Class has been issued by White Ensign Models in 1:700 scale and of course this was designed by Peter Hall. Now, every modeler can detail their HMS Elvira destroyer in her odd black and orange camouflage. More to the point, if a destroyer named Elvira is not to your taste, you can choose any E or F class destroyer.

Spooky ? You bet! Many of these parts pop to life and leap of the fret in three-dimensional relief. How about the bridge frame and awning with a canvas cover stretched over a metal frame. You can even see lines in the canvas as the canvas is stretched taut. Your destroyer crewmen can peer through vision slits with relief-etched covers from the safety of their brass replacement gun houses. Invite the whole gang over for a night of scary movies this Halloween because Mad Pete provides plenty of mattress splinter protection for the bridge. To knock down those pesky bats, the set provides two Vickers quad machinegun mounts. The rivet heads, which pop in relief from the base plate, would do any Frankenstein proud. Along with the base plate is the mount, barrels, two ammunition canister parts and two other parts to complete these gems. Boat davits, boat thwarts and depth charge stern racks also have relief etching. There are a legion of other delicate and detailed parts on this fret. If you are into electronics, you will love the Type 291 radar, HF/DF array, wire spreader and bridge DF. For late night pyrotechnics there are rocket flare launch rails and searchlight lens cross. To dress in style for the attack from Reptilicus you get depth charge davits, depth charge rail frame, depth charge rail plate. If the ship becomes haunted and the crew must flee, their escape boats with be handsomely equipped with rudders, oars, securing straps, forward carley raft racks and aft raft racks. For the ultimate Halloween scream, there are aft funnel sirens and siren platform. Other parts include three different types of railings, bridge windshield, blast shield supports, optional masts and yards, inclined – vertical and accommodation ladders, anchors, funnel cap grills, anchor chain, and stern gantry.

You will think that you have stepped into a scene from the Incredible Shrinking Man with the White Ensign Models 1:700 scale brass photo-etched fret for Royal Navy E and F class destroyers. The detail is so minute and prolithic as to be scary and you’ll be haunted by the exquisite relief-etching.

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