The White Ensign Models kit depicts HMS Kelly in her 1940 configuration. Resin parts comprise most of the kit, with the smaller details rendered in photo-etched brass. Both brass and plastic rod (necessary for the fabrication of masts and flagstaffs) are also included.

White Ensign’s 8-page instruction booklet is superb. The first page contains a short history and some helpful construction tips. The next three pages contain illustrations of photo-etch and very clear mast assembly diagrams. There are also instructions for assembling multi-part photo-etch subassemblies. One page of the booklet is devoted to written instructions for those who prefer them. There are three nicely executed drawings (one of which is an exploded view and another a full colour painting guide) showing all necessary assembly information. WEM puts considerable effort into their kit instructions and it shows.

The resin castings are beautifully executed. The waterline hull is dimensionally accurate and adorned with much surface detail, though it does have a few sub-surface air bubbles. These are to be found on superstructure bulkheads but are covered by a thin resin film. Since these areas require no sanding, paint should conceal these bubbles. There is, however, a casting gate at the bottom of the stern that will require removal. The rest of the resin parts - and there are some very small ones – are of similar high quality. Some of the smaller parts such as the superstructure and main gun shields have casting gates needing removal. These are small and shouldn’t pose any significant problem, but be careful to avoid removing too much excess resin. The modeler can choose from either resin or photo-etched pom-poms and 0.5" machine guns. The resin guns are impressive one-piece castings (click on the penny photo for a cloer look at the quad pom-pom). The photo-etch versions may be more "in scale" than the resin parts, but they are comprised of fiddly brass parts that may scare off less experienced modelers. The choice is yours. The model will look fine either way.

The photo-etch fret contains all parts necessary for super-detailing, including rails, ladders, aerials et al. Everything is realistically thin and well organized. It should be mentioned that the bow railing has the proper shear for easier application. Although there are enough brass parts to satisfy even the most demanding modeler, the kit can be built into a handsome replica using only a minimum of photo-etch. Even if you use only the etched brass boat davits and depth-charge racks, the kit will still look better than most 1/700^th scale plastic kits. Again, the amount of detail to be added is up to you.