Omaha Class Light Cruiser
Reviewed by Timothy Dike
| The Corsair Armada USS Detroit represents a late war fit of the Omaha Class light (scout) cruiser. These cruisers are of a WW1 design, but were completed too late to participate in that war. They saw action in WW2, and had considerable upgrades over their lifetimes. They are unique among the other US Cruisers in that they include 3" guns in their secondary armament. This kit is based on the 1945 refit the Detroit received that added numerous anti aircraft guns and a modern radar suite. If you are going to build this kit I recommend getting the Warship Pictorial Omaha Class Cruisers book, as it has some great close-up shots of all the ships in this class. | |
| The hull casting was very clean, there was no sign of air bubbles and all the splinter shields were intact. The hull includes cast in portholes, and hatches. My hull was slightly warped in the stern area, probably due to the thinner section of that area compared to the rest of the hull. This should be easy to fix with a little hot water and some gentle pressure on the stern. |
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| The superstructure parts are very nice, the resin over pour is so thin it practically falls off without sanding. The molding on this kit is quite impressive, again with paper thin splinter shields. The four funnels even have molded on ladders, though the modeler may want to sand these off and replace with photo etch. |  |
| The main guns are nicely shaped with the only complaint being the rather large casting gate on the rear that must be sanded off. The other main guns are arranged in individual round turrets that are attached to a long runner. These are quite nice, they include resin barrels, but these would be a good candidate for metal replacements. |  |
| Rafts, Boats, davits, and all the miscellaneous parts are all there. This is a very complete kit, plastic rod and strips are provided so there will be no last minute trips to the hobby shop to by extra parts needed to finish your kit. I would like to see all resin manufactures include these extra items. |  |
| The light anti aircraft guns are nicely molded as well. The 20 mm guns are a resin and photo etched brass combination that should work out pretty well. The base is resin and the shield, pivot point and attachment point are to be folded up in a "U" shape. The PE guns are a little 2 dimensional, but a good compromise compared to other alternatives. |  |
| The instructions are first rate, and very thorough. The include 3 dimensional views that show how the parts fit together. The alignment of the superstructure is noted in some elevation views that will prove to be helpful when attaching the upper bridge area to the lower hull casting. There is also some nice photographs of the flying bridge to help you get this part of the kit right. A parts page shows the outline of all the parts included in the kit as well. |  |
| Overall this is a great kit, that captures the look of
the Omaha Class Cruiser. Almost everything you need to build it is in the
box, with the exception of a photo etch set. This kit lists for $59.00.
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