by Chic Sky » Tue Dec 12, 2006 3:43 pm
I'm not sure if there already is a similar post here, but I'll start one anyway.
Trumpeter has manufactured all four ships in 1:700 in their modernized configurations. However, all have some minor detail errors.
The New Jersey kit is probably the most accurate of the four, having fewer detail errors. Below would be an enumeration of the errors I noticed (most of which other Iowa class fans should have easily noticed too).
1. Forward tower: Correct for New Jersey, the other three having the wrong form and missing the radars (which are present on the New Jersey kit). Scratchbuilding would be adviced.
2. Location of 5-inch directors beside forward stack. Many builders overlook this error -- they are far too forward. In fact the support blocks below (blocks with "X" pattern) are in the right position but the directors are not. A little modification without scratchbuilding would solve this problem.
3. Aft 5-inch director. It is placed too high, trim the disc that supports it underneath to about half its height to lower the director.
4. Oversized phalanx gun barrels -- trim these down leaving only the center (at this scale, a multi-barrelled gatling gun is difficult to cast and is barely noticeable), or cut them off and replace with wire.
5. Missing boom crane on port side (opposite of the refueling boom). Scratchbuilding is adviced.
6. Aft deck. This is correct only for New Jersey. Rescribing more teak planking would be required for Iowa and Wisconsin, sanding off the planking required for Missouri (reference photos are a must).
7. Flagpoles -- aft flagpole: The intructions show placing this perpendicular to the deck, but reference photos show this should be angled aft. forward flagpole: placed too far aft, this should be at the very front of the bow bulwark. Also, the in-box flagpoles are a little thick so scratchbuilding is adviced.
8. Anchors. Not much is wrong, but the instructions call for a much shallower angle than should be. Use reference photos for proper angle of anchors.
9. Missing antennae on bridge structure. Several antennae are missing, scratchbuilding required.
10. Missing radar on conning tower. Scratchbuilding required.
11. Forward RPV control dome support. For the Wisconsin and Missouri kits. The instructions call for cutting out a slot in the tower that is far too low. Ignore that part. The piece is also a little too short. Slight modifications would help.
12. Navigation level on tower. The face is too low. Increase its height with some scratchbuilding.
13. Seahawks. The helos are mirror images of what they should be (left side is at right, check out the tail-rotor), and the landing gear is poorly molded. Just buy the Trumpeter 1:700 SH-60B seahawk set.
14. Other minor errors: 5-inch gun barrels too thick, 16-inch gun barrels a little short, 16-inch blast bags wrong shape. Radar dishes on 5-inch directors are the wrong shape. Iowa and Wisconsin should still have splinter shields on their bow bulwarks. Missing stern slots for towed torpedo decoy. Missing hole in bow bulwark. Missing antennae on stern movie booth (cube shaped deckhouse on the stern). Stern guntubs should be modified in some ships (get reference photos). Modify or scratchbuild if you wish better accuracy.
Please post some feedbacks here, point out what I missed, and tell me what I got wrong. I intend to bring this up with the executives in Trumpeter, and hopefully they will incorporate the changes in retooled versions.
I'm not sure if there already is a similar post here, but I'll start one anyway.
Trumpeter has manufactured all four ships in 1:700 in their modernized configurations. However, all have some minor detail errors.
The New Jersey kit is probably the most accurate of the four, having fewer detail errors. Below would be an enumeration of the errors I noticed (most of which other Iowa class fans should have easily noticed too).
1. Forward tower: Correct for New Jersey, the other three having the wrong form and missing the radars (which are present on the New Jersey kit). Scratchbuilding would be adviced.
2. Location of 5-inch directors beside forward stack. Many builders overlook this error -- they are far too forward. In fact the support blocks below (blocks with "X" pattern) are in the right position but the directors are not. A little modification without scratchbuilding would solve this problem.
3. Aft 5-inch director. It is placed too high, trim the disc that supports it underneath to about half its height to lower the director.
4. Oversized phalanx gun barrels -- trim these down leaving only the center (at this scale, a multi-barrelled gatling gun is difficult to cast and is barely noticeable), or cut them off and replace with wire.
5. Missing boom crane on port side (opposite of the refueling boom). Scratchbuilding is adviced.
6. Aft deck. This is correct only for New Jersey. Rescribing more teak planking would be required for Iowa and Wisconsin, sanding off the planking required for Missouri (reference photos are a must).
7. Flagpoles -- aft flagpole: The intructions show placing this perpendicular to the deck, but reference photos show this should be angled aft. forward flagpole: placed too far aft, this should be at the very front of the bow bulwark. Also, the in-box flagpoles are a little thick so scratchbuilding is adviced.
8. Anchors. Not much is wrong, but the instructions call for a much shallower angle than should be. Use reference photos for proper angle of anchors.
9. Missing antennae on bridge structure. Several antennae are missing, scratchbuilding required.
10. Missing radar on conning tower. Scratchbuilding required.
11. Forward RPV control dome support. For the Wisconsin and Missouri kits. The instructions call for cutting out a slot in the tower that is far too low. Ignore that part. The piece is also a little too short. Slight modifications would help.
12. Navigation level on tower. The face is too low. Increase its height with some scratchbuilding.
13. Seahawks. The helos are mirror images of what they should be (left side is at right, check out the tail-rotor), and the landing gear is poorly molded. Just buy the Trumpeter 1:700 SH-60B seahawk set.
14. Other minor errors: 5-inch gun barrels too thick, 16-inch gun barrels a little short, 16-inch blast bags wrong shape. Radar dishes on 5-inch directors are the wrong shape. Iowa and Wisconsin should still have splinter shields on their bow bulwarks. Missing stern slots for towed torpedo decoy. Missing hole in bow bulwark. Missing antennae on stern movie booth (cube shaped deckhouse on the stern). Stern guntubs should be modified in some ships (get reference photos). Modify or scratchbuild if you wish better accuracy.
Please post some feedbacks here, point out what I missed, and tell me what I got wrong. I intend to bring this up with the executives in Trumpeter, and hopefully they will incorporate the changes in retooled versions.