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1/350 3D Printed US Navy Cruiser Aircraft Catapult |
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Reviewed
by
Martin J Quinn |
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| From the earliest day
of flight, even before the advent of the "aircraft
carrier", the navies of the world have been adding
aircraft to ships, to use for spotting gunfire,
reconnaissance, scouting and, later, for anti-submarine
work and also search & rescue missions. The US
Navy was no different, and by the time World War II
unfolded, their battleships and cruisers sported
catapults and cranes, to allow them to launch and
recover aircraft. Many ships had multiple
catapults and hangar facilities to store and repair
aircraft.
During the Battle of Savo Island, on the night of August 8/9, 1942, those aircraft became a liability, when Japanese shelling started serious fires among the planes and in the plane hangar, on the cruisers Astoria, Quincy and Vincennes, with burned brightly and provided the enemy with a self-illuminated target. |
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 Click to enlarge images |
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| RED DEVIL CATAPULTS | |||||||||
| My catapults were part
of a larger order, so they were package together with
other items, taped to the lid of an upside down plastic
container.
There are two catapults per print raft. The details on these are very good - there are finely printed railings, tread plating and visible pistons on the sides of the catapults. The set only includes a pair of catapults - it does not include the pedestals, or floatplanes. |
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| CONCLUSIONS | |||||||||
| Modelers have had to deal with
clunky plastic catapults, or the tedium of trying to put
together photo-etch replacement catapults for years.
Now, for those of you building US Navy New Orleans
or Portland class cruisers, you can get a set of
these 3D printed catapults, to spare yourself the misery
of trying super gluing photo-etch parts together (or to
yourself), while upgrading your kit supplied parts in
the bargain. These catapults are nicely done, and
a very useful accessory. There are some print
lines visible, but I think those will be less noticeable
under a coat of paint.
This is Red Devil Designs, 1/350 3D Printed US Navy Cruiser Aircraft Catapults (x2). They are priced at $13.95 USD per set, and are available directly from Red Devil Designs, via their eBay Store. That is where I purchased mine. Highly recommended. |
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