The Benham class was an improved Bagley and similar
Gridley Class Destroyers. The primary difference was in the funnel trunking.
The Benham had a lower more compact trunking arrangement. The Benham's
were armed with four 5" 38 cal guns with the forward two being in enclosed
mounts. They had a heavy torpedo armament with four quad mounts. This class
of ship was active in both the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans during the war.
Midship Models a new line of ships from Chris Decker of Trident Hobbies has produced a completely new line of waterline ships. This one, the USS Stack represents a mid war Benham class but can easily be converted to prewar or even late war versions of any of the Benham class destroyers. |
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HULL AND SUPERSTRUCTURE PARTS | |||||
The hull is molded one piece with a bow insert. There are
slight drag marks on the sides near the hull break. These are probably
due to the long vertical sides that need a little draft to keep them from
hanging on the mold. But don't worry a light touch with some fine sandpaper
will smooth them out. The hull looks very much like the Benham (Gridley
and Bagley) class destroyers.
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DECALS | |||||
The decal sheet includes flags and pennants as well as
both prewar and early and late war hull numbers. These are printed by Microscale
and are typical of the high quality decals they usually produce. They are
nicely registered and sharp.
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INSTRUCTIONS | |||||
The instructions are nicely done on an A-size sheet. Page
1 includes a color profile with Model Master and White Ensign Colorcoats
paint equivalents. The color profile is however so dark it is hard to make
anything out on it. A class list and specs of the ship are included as
well. Some basic subassemblies are shown on the first page as well. The
main hull assembly is shown on page 2. These are all you really need to
build the ship out of the box.
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LINKS AND RESOURCES | |||||
Conclusions: | |||||
Conclusions: It's good to have a new line of ships on the market. Especially one with so many build options. A lot of thought went into the design of this kit. I am however disappointed with some of the errors in the parts. Having said that I know that this is pretty good for a first kit, and the next ones will be even better. This kit will provide a good base on which to produce a whole bunch of ships that have not been available in some time time. Order yours now for $19.99 on the Trident Hobbies online website. |