With the recent release of the Tamiya USS Indianapolis, it was only a matter of time before Tom's Modelworks came out with a set specifically for it. This is not a generic set designed to cover a broad bunch of ships, this one is dedicated to the Indy as she was fitted in 1945. Virtually everything the modeler needs to detail the ship is included, even a few items that are generally left for larger scale ships are here. All of the obvious choices for PE replacement are here, the aircraft crane, and catapult. These will really accent the the Tamiya kit. The molding on the plastic kit is very fine, but can not compete with the thin mast supports provided on this fret. The inclined stairways include steps that can be bent horizontal, a task not for the faint hearted. But the result is very rewarding, even if it takes a magnifying glass to really appreciate it. Not to mention that you wont have to worry about the handrails on the inclined stairs as they are custom made for you. They are also custom made for the specific locations on the ship so pay close attention to the instructions as to where each one goes.

Note: image scanned in B&W to allow higher resolution without increasing file size.

While some modelers won't bother to modify their rubber life rafts to accept the etched netting in the bottom, it's nice to have the choice. The railings for the quad 40's will really make them stand out. Finish it off with the proper radar and you have a really attention getter. When was the last time you saw floater baskets on a 1/700 scale ship?
 

Included in the set are;

• Two and three bar hand rails
• vertical ladders
• anchors with base
• funnel grills
• raft netting
• floatation baskets
• inclined stairs with pose able steps
• inclined stairs with matching platforms
• aircraft handling crane
• propeller guards
• SK radar
• catapult with base, walkway, and rails
• bracing for tripod mainmast
• aft tripod mainmast platform
• TDY Jammer
• HFDF, RDF, and TBS antenna
• gun director radar
• radio direction finder antenna
• quad 40 mm mount rails

Instructions (click to enlarge)

I am very impressed with this set, I know that it is more profitable to produce a set that is more generic to allow for greater sales potential, but this really simplifies the building process for us modelers. This is a one stop PE set! By including items normally reserved for the larger scale modelers this set gives you options we simply didn't have before.

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