Calling all rebuilt "Big 5" (TN/MD class) fans

[SeanF]

Unless I'm mistaken, I believe Colorado was the only one of her class to have aircraft handling rails on the stern deck - a detail that Trumpeter did pick up in the kit. To do a 1944 Maryland, you'd have to remove them (scrape/sand down, then re-scribe the planking... not easy to do convincingly, especially with how fine the planking detail is), swap aft decks with another kit (cross-kit a '44 colorado and '41 Maryland to produce a '44 Maryland and early '42 Colorado, and there should be little to no waste.), or maybe get one of the wood decks meant for the '41 Maryland kit and glue gun tubs over it as needed.

BTW, I saw the new Trumpeter listing for the '45 Maryland, with the twin 5"/38 mounts, and they talk about her serving off Okinawa this way. Is this correct? I thought I'd read that the 5" twins were added later in '45, and she didn't make it back out to the front with them before the war ended. NavSource photos are a bit vague on early '45 (NavSource's captions aren't always entirely accurate; looking for another point of reference).

- Sean F.

[Dick J]

The refit where the 5" twins were added was from May to Aug of '45. So, no she did not have that config at Okinawa.

[SeanF]

I got the new Trumpeter USS West Virginia 1945 kit about a week and a half ago, and have already started building it. While examining the parts, I noticed that the lower hull piece bore the label of "1/700 Colorado." Checking against my 1944 Colorado kit, I found this correct, they are the same - though they shouldn't be! Colorado (and Maryland) could still go through the Panama Canal with their bulges; West Virginia could not. So, taking out a ruler and a calculator, I checked which was correct - It's the WeeVee. (Actually, it may be about 1 scale foot too narrow, but that's hard to tell) The lower hull - and the waterline plate, and the bulges of the upper hull - of the Maryland and Colorado kits are about 1/8" too wide (not scale - I mean literal).
So, not only is the shape of the bulges wrong and making them look too wide; they really are too wide. Re-shaping them to the correct taper helps the look considerably, and if you're building it waterlined you can pretty easily narrow it at the waterline in the process of tapering. But if you're building it full-hull, it's a major undertaking if you want to narrow the lower hull.

- Sean F.

[garyrunnalls]

Thanks, this is very useful information because I was getting ready to order both kits by Friday.

[tjstoneman]

Trumpeter's 1/700 WEST VIRGINIA kit includes SC-1 Seahawk aircraft. The instructions suggest painting the model in her 1944/45 scheme of Ms 32/7d. However, even a photo of "Wee-Vee" in Sagami-Wan at the end of the war (in Ms 21) seems to show OS2U Kingfisher aircraft on the fantail. Did she ever carry SC-1 aircraft - particularly when wearing Ms 32?

[Steve]

The Trumpeter kit of her [mod edit: USS Maryland 1945] with the twin 5"/38 mounts has the 40mm quad mounts shielded. Can anyone advise if this is correct or were they unshielded as on her sisters.

[Timmy C]

Navsource photos seem to suggest only the bow mount had the shield.

[Steve]

I posted my impressions of this new kit over on SN today.

I received mine from Freetime today and it is a nicely rendered kit. My impression is that Trumpeter took the time to modify the West Virginia molds to represent The differences between the two near sisters. Here are some observations.

1. As expected the hull is duplicated between them.

2. Both the fore and after decks vary significantly in the location of the many 20mm galleries. The West Virginia kit has 26 mounts while the Tennessee only 11 in similar locations.

3. The layout of the platform deck with the 5" twin mounts is the same and there are some minor differences in details and the number of Mk 51 directors. The number and location of the 20mm galleries is the same.

4. There are some minor differences in the superstructures the most obvious being the masts and radar suites.

5. The 20mm galleries on "X" turret are different with the Tennessee carrying 2 fewer mounts.

6. All 10 40mm mounts on both are unshielded as has been correctly noted in other posts.

7. Both show a pair of twin 20mm mounts in the forward superstructure. I have no idea if this is correct.

8. the use of common sprues generates plenty of spare single and twin 20mm and quad 40mm mounts.

8 The Tennessee has many more life rafts stacked and located around the decks. Four new sprues numbered U1 providing a total 44 additional rafts are included.

I believe the Tennessee is reasonably accurate with regard to the general layout of the 20mm AA mounts. I suspect the Maryland is also reasonably accurate. With Trumpeter listing a late war California for this year a comparison to the Tennessee could be interesting due to the addition of four 40mm quads replacing many of the midships 20mm mounts. There are sufficicient parts included in the current kits to cover this. Now we still need to see the 1941 Tennessee and California to round out the "Big 5" collection.

[Timmy C]

Simply highlight the text in your SN post and paste it into a new reply to this thread.

[MartinJQuinn]

Simply highlight the text in your SN post and paste it into a new reply to this thread.

Done for you Steve!

[garyrunnalls]

I just received my !/700 BB-43 1944 from Trumpeter and looks like a very nice kit, very pleased. Thanks to Freetime Hobbies for prompt shipping and price discount.

[MartinJQuinn]

Updated/edited the first page in topic with list of available Pre-War Big 5 kits and gallery entries.

If I've missed anything, please PM me and I'll add it.

[Haijun watcher]

If one wanted to build Tennessee in June 1942, at the time she was a member of Admiral Pye's Task Force One guarding the US West Coast during the Battle of Midway, would a 1/700 Trumpeter Colorado 1944 or Maryland 1945 kit be the best bet?

Both the later-era kits have the same (?) or at least similar aft superstructures as the Tennessee has in these Feb. 1942 pictures (shown below) from Navsource, which she retained until late 1942, before her second rebuild that saw her look like a fat South Dakota class.

While the aft superstructures that replaced their aft cage masts are the same/similar, I assume the latter ships have a heavier AA suite. However, did the Tennesee at this point have the same torpedo bulge that you can find in the later Maryland/Colorado kits? If that's the case, perhaps using the Trumpeter West Virginia 1941 kit might be better choice since it doesn't have bulges?

Replacing the 16-inchers on the Colorado class kits with 14-inch triples typical of Tennessee also shouldn't be a problem since the Trumpeter kits also came with alternative turrets, if I can recall correctly.

[SeanF]

For a Feb. '42 Tennessee, the easiest way would be to get the upcoming '41 Tennessee kit, available for pre-order at HLJ under the Pit Road label - that way you have some of the superstructure variations already covered (assuming they pick up on them). If you just really want to start now, go with the West Virginia '41 kit. I see no bulges of note in those photos - just the armor belt. I don't think they'd've had time to add Maryland-style bulges in the almost 3 months since the attack, what with keeping Tennessee patrolling the coast as much as possible.

- Sean F.

[Haijun watcher]

For a Feb. '42 Tennessee, the easiest way would be to get the upcoming '41 Tennessee kit, available for pre-order at HLJ under the Pit Road label - that way you have some of the superstructure variations already covered (assuming they pick up on them). If you just really want to start now, go with the West Virginia '41 kit. I see no bulges of note in those photos - just the armor belt. I don't think they'd've had time to add Maryland-style bulges in the almost 3 months since the attack, what with keeping Tennessee patrolling the coast as much as possible.

- Sean F.

Thanks Sean for your insights.

I was also thinking about the West Virginia kit too, but the problem with that kit or the Tennesee 41 kit is that both still have their aft cage masts.

I was more particular with the aft superstructure that replaced this aft cage mast on 1942 Tennesee as well as the 1944-45 Maryland and Colorado.

I guess I will probably end up buying 2 kits then: a West Virginia or Tennesee 1941 for the non-bulged hull, as well as a Maryland 45/ Colorado 44 kit merely for an aft superstructure.

Unless someone here has scratch built that aft superstructure before?

[Frank Fowler]

It would be best to use the upcoming Tennessee 1941 as the base for your 1942 build. The forward superstructure decks are different between the West Virginia/Colorado and the Tennessee. You would have to rebuild these decks if using one of the Colorado class. Also, the biggest difference, and not an easy fix, is the shape of the 01 or gun deck (the deck the 5"/25 guns are on). This structure/deck is a different shape in plan view as opposed to the Colorado class ships. It is even different from the California which is also different from the Colorado class. The 5'/25 guns are also located in different positions then in the Colorado Class. The Tennessee 1941 should be accurate since I would assume, as in the other 1941 versions, it is based off of the very nice Pit Road Resin 1941 Tennessee. However, the Pit Road kit did have a couple of issues. It does not have the four 3"/50 gun tubs (two in the forward superstructure and two on the main deck either side forward of turret 3) and the 5'/25 splinter shields have the reinforcement ribbing as seen on some US ships. The Tennessee shields are smooth with the ribs.

[Frank Fowler]

Should of said smooth without the ribs.

[garyrunnalls]

I know the Dragon USS Penn BB-38 1944 has the tower you're looking for, and let me check my drawer of wrecks to see if I still have that tower. If so, I can mail it free to you.

[Haijun watcher]

I know the Dragon USS Penn BB-38 1944 has the tower you're looking for, and let me check my drawer of wrecks to see if I still have that tower. If so, I can mail it free to you.

I might be interested if you do find it. Please send me a PM/private message when you do. Thanks.

I'm guessing your Dragon Pennsylvania build didn't go well then?

[Haijun watcher]

The lower hull - and the waterline plate, and the bulges of the upper hull - of the Maryland and Colorado kits are about 1/8" too wide (not scale - I mean literal).
So, not only is the shape of the bulges wrong and making them look too wide; they really are too wide. Re-shaping them to the correct taper helps the look considerably, and if you're building it waterlined you can pretty easily narrow it at the waterline in the process of tapering. But if you're building it full-hull, it's a major undertaking if you want to narrow the lower hull.

- Sean F.

Sean F,

So if I'm going to build my Trumpeter Maryland 1941 kit in a 1942 configuration, I have to snip off an eighth of an inch off the bulge?!!!!