| The USS Massachusetts BB-59 was the third
unit of the South Dakota Class Battleships. These were the follow up to
the successful North Carolina class. They had a similar armament but on
a more compact platform. Their armor protection was greatly increased,
but having all the anti aircraft weapons clustered so close limited their
effectiveness somewhat. The ships saw extensive action during the war,
all survived with the Mammy and Bamma being preserved as museum ships in
their respective states.
Ships in the class included South Dakota (BB-57), Indiana (BB-58), Massachusetts
(BB-59), and Alabama
(BB-60).
This new kit by Trumpeter features all new tooling with over 360 pieces.
The ship is depicted in 1946, a curious choice. It appears that backdating
to a WW2 fit should not be difficult due to the way the kit is constructed. |
| HULL PARTS |
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| Like other Trumpeter 1/350 kits, the modeler is given a
choice of full hull or waterline. A flat and full hull waterline bottom
is molded in red plastic. The main hull itself is molded as one piece open
at top and bottom. There are chocks located around the edges that are molded
partly open. These will be easy to open up with a small drill. The upper
and lower hull seem to fit nicely together and there is no warping on my
kit. |
Click images
to enlarge |
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| DECK AND SUPERSTRUCTURE PARTS |
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| The deck is molded in three parts. The surface detail is very nice,
with realistic planking done with a staggered pattern. There are chocks
and deck hatches molded that look nice. The only thing I don't like is
the molded on chain. Many of the mounting holes for the various splinter
shields are not molded all the way thru so if you do want to convert this
kit to another version, you wont have to fill a lot of holes. |
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| The upper deck has the same nice planking. Thankfully the deck parts
join where the seam will be the easiest to hide. |
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| SPRUE A |
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| This sprue features superstructure details, walls, and other deck details.
The walls include open portholes and door and plumbing details. |
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| SPRUE B |
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| The hull side plating is included here. Molding this way allows for
more detail on the hull, but will require some filling to blend. Propellers
and shafts are also included. Overall detail is good and flash is minimal. |
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| SPRUE C (x 2) |
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| There are two of these main weapons spures here. The 16" main guns
and 5" twin mounts are featured. Detail is nice, but be advised that the
compromise is more seams to fill. |
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| SPRUE D (x 2) |
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| More weapons including the 40 mm quad mounts. The quads have been retooled
to include molded shields. These look nice for the average builder, but
those who want to add photo etch will have to do some cutting. I do like
the diamond deck plate floor detail, even if it is somewhat exaggerated.
The other parts such as anchors and rafts are nice. The rafts do seem to
have an excessive amount of binding. Other items like the cable reels look
very nice. |
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| SPRUE E (x 2) |
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| The big 16" guns and little 20 mm guns are included here. The main
guns are pretty nice and can be individually elevated. Trumpeter has used
slides to create hollow barrels. The 20 mm guns are fair and still do not
include any shields. This is not a problems for advanced modelers who like
to replace these, but for the average out of the box builder, this leaves
the guns somewhat naked. Other items like the Mk-51 directors look nice. |
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| SPRUE F |
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| More superstructure parts are here. The splinter shields are thin and
taller than past ships and look pretty realistic. |
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| SPRUE G |
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| The main superstructure is here with molded on grab irons and other
surface detail. Molding is pretty nice on all these parts. |
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| SPRUE K |
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| The catapults and crane are not bad for plastic. But it is not practical
to mold open the framework on these parts. So you might want to consider
photo etch upgrades. |
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| DISPLAY BASE |
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| The standard Trumpeter ships base is included with a name plate for
the Mammy. |
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| FLOAT PLANE |
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| An OS2U Kingfisher float plane is included molded in clear plastic.
The detail is nice and the shape appears to be accurate. You will need
to be careful as clear plastic is more brittle than the softer gray plastic. |
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| DECALS |
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| A simple decal sheet is included with flags, hull numbers, and aircraft
ensignia. They are well registered but only include numbers for BB-59. |
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| INSTRUCTIONS |
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| The instructions are an extensive 20 page booklet with all kinds of
exploded views. They are step by step and cover all the assembly steps. |
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| BUILDUP PHOTOS |
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| These are photos from the manufacture showing a buildup
of
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| Conclusions: |
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 Yet
another impressive kit from Trumpeter, this one even better than the last.
TSM-5306 1/350 USS Massachusetts BB59 Battleship with a suggested retail
price of $139.95. Thanks to Stevens
International for the review sample. They are the exclusive importer
for Trumpeter kits in the US. If your hobby shop does not carry Trumpeter
kits have them contact Stevens
International or try their Hobby Shop Locator to find one. |
