Return of the Mighty Hood

 Today I'm going to go over a recovered piece of my childhood. In about 1975 I got a model of the British battleship Hood. I had never heard of the Hood, but I found out that it was the pride of the British navy, that was sunk by the German battleship Bismark. Things didn't turn out so well for the Bismark either, as it was hunted down and sunk soon after. 

I wasn't really much of a model ship guy, but this one was pretty cool! You see, it was motorized! It could go in a figure 8 pattern or a circle and the guns moved back and forth and up and down. Pretty cool stuff! 

I built mine and sailed it a couple of times in the bathtub. No room for figure 8s or circles, but it did float and move. I can't tell you whatever became of her, but years later I decided to see if I could find another one, nostalgia being what it is. 

As it turns out, although Lindberg is still in business, and although they still make motorized kits, this one hasn't been made since 1978. That makes finding one, in any condition, a bit challenging. 

Whenever there is anything in particular that I'm looking for, I do an eBay search and save the search. Then all you have to do is check that one spot every day to see if you get any "nibbles." I finally got a hit a couple of years ago on a kit that was almost just what I was looking for. The date was wrong, and it was partially built (and may not have all the pieces) but it was (most importantly) CHEAP! Here it is!

The box top! Although it looks cool, it also proves that this isn't the one I had in 1975. This edition came out in 1978. Still, it's the same kit. By the way, at 26 1/2 inches, it's pretty big.

The side shows how you can "program" it for three different paths.

The end panel with the cover illustration.

The other side clues you in on the moving turrets and guns.

And the final panel is just like the other side.

This is what's in the box. Actually, there were a couple of more sprues of parts, but they wouldn't fit on my little table. 

I built it!!! Not really. I just stacked the parts.

The superstructure doesn't get glued on so that you can get to the batteries. It screws down with tiny little screws.

This is the motor that came with it. I realized, as I was taking pictures, that I had never tested it. It would be surprising if it worked, since little motors like this tend to get gummed up over a few decades. I hooked up a power supply. I was not surprised.

As I usually do, I've included all of the instructions for the kit. These are kind of interesting due to the mechanics involved.

A letter from Lindberg from 1978! I do feel like congratulations are in order, by golly!

My edition didn't have this motor mount, it had the older one. It worked, though. I wonder if they changed their motor supplier? No idea.

Now THIS would have been the box mine came in! This is from the "interwebs."

Another internet hit, with a helpful date! Interestingly, the original kit came out in 1964!

I think that I'll eventually try building her. I know the motor doesn't work, but those are easy to come by. I'm not sure if all of the parts are there, but that's half the fun! I SHOULD have more time for such things after December. If I do build her, I'll let you know here (Hey, another post! A good reason to get out the glue!)

Until next time, keep searching for treasure!