| Laid down as a Oregon class cruiser,
the Northamton was not completed before the end of the war. Instead construction
suspended until the early 50's when she emerged as experimental command
cruiser/force flagship. The Oregon city was similar to the Baltimore class
with the major difference being the singe stack. The Northamton as completed
bore little resemblance to either class except for the hull. She had one
extra deck added to her hull, increasing freeboard and giving her a sleek
look similar to later guided missile designs. She was fitted with extra
radar and communications gear for her role as a command ship. Instead of
the large triple 8" turrets, she had four 5"/54 caliber rapid fire guns
and 3"/50 light weight A.A. weapons. Later this ship would be fitted out
as the NECPA (National Emergency Command Post Afloat) in 1961. The
Northampton was to become a floating refuge for the President and
his advisors in the event of a nuclear attack. She served in this role
until the early 70's. Northampton was then placed in reserve, and
later scrapped. |
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| HULL |
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| The hull is cast in the waterline and features appears to have the
correct hull contours and higher freeboard of this unique ship class. The
casting is well done and features some nice surface detailing. It looks
like the only cleanup will be at the waterline. |
Click images
to enlarge
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| SUPERSTRUCTURE |
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| The major superstructure parts are cast on thin resin wafers.
They also feature nice casting and well defined surface detailing. Cleanup
should be limited to some flat sanding to remove the part from the resin
wafer. |
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| SMALL PARTS |
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| The main guns appear to have the correct turret shape. The smaller
3" guns and gun directors are not bad. These are cast in a harder resin
and will need some slight cleanup. |
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| The large pole mast and various platforms have a little flash to cleanup,
but are otherwise well cast. |
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| A variety of ships boats are provided in various styles. |
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| Brass rod, plastic rod, and real anchor chain are included to finish
your ship. |
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| INSTRUCTIONS |
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| The instructions are four pages a parts list, exploded
views and plan and elevation drawings. These are adequate to build your
ship.
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| CONCLUSIONS |
|
Yet another kit that few manufacturers wouldn't dare to produce. Now
you can add a truly unique cold war warrior to your waterline fleet. This
is kit # 70026 USS Northampton CLC-01 1954 fit, retailing for $90.00
US, a fair price for a resin carrier. Thanks to Imperial
Hobby Productions for the review sample. Don't forget to check
their website for a complete list of Ship kits in metal and resin. Mike
Bartel has many more planned so stay tuned. |
