Friday, April 8

Preview: Meng's 1/700th scale Hainan coming to a beach near you...(hopefully not)

Meng's latest kit is the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy Hainan amphibious landing craft carrier in 1/700th scale. The kit & the real ship boast a few interesting features which we examine in our preview...

Preview: Meng's 1/700th scale Hainan coming to a beach near you...(hopefully not)

Chinese Type 075 LHD Hainan
From Meng Models
Kit No# PS-007
1/700th scale
The Subject: Chinese Type 075 LHD Hainan
China's first Type 075 amphibious assault ship, the Hainan, has reached initial operating capability, and the vessel will visit harbours and ports all over the world. The Hainan entered service with the PLA Navy on April 23, 2021, as China's first amphibious assault ship. Often dubbed a helicopter carrier, the vessel can carry a large number of helicopters in addition to amphibious armoured vehicles and tanks, and launch both horizontal and vertical landing missions on islands and reefs, and even land from the sea, analysts said.
The warship is ready for deployment for basic missions, and can start to participate in more complicated, realistic combat-oriented exercises to enhance its combat readiness to fully work up the ship and its amphibious complement to mission-ready status.
Chinese press has said that military analysts expect that the Type 075 will play vital roles in possible operations on the island of Taiwan, as well as islands and reefs in the South China Sea, the Hainan will have missions that go further.
In addition to greatly enhancing the PLA Navy's amphibious combat capability, the Type 075 will also contribute to the force's strategy of far sea defence, The ship can be self-sufficient in far sea areas for an extended period of time.
Amphibious assault ships can not only conduct amphibious landing missions as part of traditional warfare but also join anti-terrorism warfare and participate in many types of military operations other than warfare, such as disaster relief, humanitarian aid and evacuation of nationals.

For the first time, the PLA Navy demonstrated the flights of shipborne Z-8CJ helicopters from the deck of the Hainan 31 amphibious assault ship. Also, for the first time, there was shown footage of the landing operation.
The Hainan is the lead ship of the Type 075 landing helicopter dock of the People's Liberation Army Navy. She was commissioned on 23 April 2021 as the first ship of the class and laid down in 2018 and launched on 25 September 2019 at the Hudong Shipyard in Shanghai.

The Kit: 
PS-007 The Chinese Navy Hainan Ship Model Kit is a 1/700 scale co-created by MENG and Eizo, and the assembled model has a total length of 337 mm and a width of 66 mm.
The kit can be assembled without glue if you fancy that - the pre-painted kit design makes it easy to assemble, and the real thing can be reproduced with more attention to detail if you choose.
The lugs inside the kit ensure that you can press-fit the kit together instead of glueing it.
The whole fleet of hovercraft, helicopters, AFVs, trucks and MRAPs and light tanks are included for your amphibious battle group.
Water transfer decals add various details to the Hainan ship.
Also available is kit No SPS-089 (a separate purchase)  for the 1/700th scale "Hainan Ship Photo-Etching Sheet" is sold separately if you want that extra detail
The kit is expected in early December. You can find more about it on the Meng Models Website