1/700 USNS Lewis and Clark dry cargo/ammo replenishment ship

[Don Grasmick]

3-D model purchase review.

Timmy C indicated that it would be easier to review the Lewis and Clark model here. For ease of reading, I will refer to the model as L&C.

I have several attached pictures of a 3-D printed model that I ordered on 03/13/2026 from a seller in China on eBay. If one wants those hard to find "one-off" model offerings, then this is the route you likely have to take. The model arrived yesterday (05/21/2026). The packaging was in a Styrofoam box sealed in with some stout packing tape. Inside the box the model was wrapped with an abundance of bubble-wrap. Overall, the packing was made in such a way that it will survive a trip around half the world, lol.

On opening the box up, the model itself was crisp, no bubbles or warping. The secondary items such as hose reels, cranes, kingposts, etc. are equally well printed. The model itself measures out at 11 7/8 inches. I know the ship measures out at 689 feet. You guys will have to do the math to see what the model actually scales out to.

One of the few issues I do have with the model is that stern helo deck has raised landing markings which will need to be sanded down. Hopefully the below listed pictures will help educate you in making up your minds if you are on the fence with a possible purchase.

If you have any questions I can help answer or clarify about the model, please reach out and ask away.

[William Smallshaw]

Don,

Thank you for taking the time to post this. Interesting kit. I received a USNS Mercy from this manufacturer. It was a nice representation of the ship that arrived in the same mode of packaging. Not very elaborate, but effective.

One thing that I noticed while doing the build of Mercy was some of the superstructure was incorrect. It was a minor point that I only noticed when I started to paint the hospital crosses on the ship. I would be interested in you taking a closer look to see if the superstructure of the Lewis and Clark is correct. Regardless, these kits are great additions to the market even if they contain slight flaws.

Bill

[Don Grasmick]

William,

Thank you for the reply. I've now taken a closer look at specific superstructure locations on the model as compared to NAVSOURCE.org pictures of the lead ship in class. Overall, the model will make a fairly accurate representation of the Lewis and Clark (L&C) class. However, as in your USNS Mercy findings, I too have spotted some minor errors in the superstructure of the L&C. Without being nit-picky, as we all are guilty of, here is a listing of what I've noticed.

The funnel should actually be a bit wider. The base of the aft port crane is slightly misshaped slightly (too angular). The stern should be more rounded at the port and starboard points where they enter the water (hope that makes sense). Just forward of the main superstructure where the bridge is located there should be a small "block house" at its base. I'm hoping that the "block house" structure is contained in the additional parts that came with the ship. If not, one can easily construct a modification. The location of the opening (hawsehole?) where the bow anchors are, are offset from the anchor guards which are located just underneath the anchor openings. That appears to be an overt printing error. Simple fix is to grind the hole ring off and drill a small hole in the correct position above the guard. The last error is the shape of the forward most structure which appears too "thick" or "blocky".

Overall, I hope this doesn't discourage anyone from buying the model. It appears to be a good representation. She will make a fine addition to anyone's fleet. As we know, no two ships are exactly alike. The L&C class is comprised of 14 ships, the "errors" I've pointed out above could just possibly be correct on latter versions of the class, who knows?

If I can help with any further questions as I know I don't take the best pictures, send them my way!

Thx,
D.

[JoeP]

Thank you. I live near Earle NWS in NJ and two of these are based out of there, so I might be interested in building one as well.
The flaws you note all sound minor and easily correctable.

Joe C