| The USS New York is the fifth ship of
the San Antonio class Amphibious Transport Dock ship. She was laid down
in 2004 with 7-1/2 tons of steel recovered from the World Trade Center
towers used in her bow section. She was commissioned on March 1, 2008 and
is home ported at Norfolk, Virginia.
Amphibious transport dock ships are warships that embark, transport,
and deliver 700 Marines anywhere they are needed. These ships have a large
well deck that can accommodate LCAC, and conventional landing craft. With
three vehicle decks they can transport a large contingent of tanks, trucks,
and other vehicles. Their large flight deck can carry V-22 Osprey or any
of the Navy's helicopters. These ships are replacing many of the Navy's
older Amphibious landing ships.
Cyber-Hobby has rushed this USS New York to market to commemorate the
10th anniversary of 9-11. An all new tooling, the kit features some really
nice molding and even a bonus Marine Amphibious Forces sprue.
|
The reader might want to take into consideration that I consulted
for Dragon on this kit. My opinions might be a bit biased. However I think
the photos speak for themselves. |
| SPRUE A |
|
| The main sprue contains the upper superstructure and the
covered masts, the Bushmaster II 30 mm guns and the loading crane. Slides
molding is used to allow for detail to be molded on several sides of some
of the parts. The is evident on the superstructure parts. The crane assembly
looks nice, but it is fixed in the deployed position. If you want to show
it stowed, you will have to cut the arms off and reattach them. A nice
rolling airframe missile launcher is also provided. |
Click
images
to enlarge |
 |
|
|
| SPRUE B |
|
| The lower hull is well molded with that large bulbous bow and
the stern with subtle propeller tunnels carved into hull. There are two
sets of stern doors provided. One closed and the other separated to allow
for it to be molded open. Nice five bladed propellers and hinged rudders
are also included. |
 |
|
|
| SPRUE C |
|
| The main superstructure is molded as a single part thanks to slide
molding. This leaves nice overhanging platforms, and surface detailing
on all sides. The fit between this part and the hull is exceptionally nice.
The seam almost disappears when the two parts are held together. There
is a door that is right on the seam and it lines up perfectly. |
 |
|
|
| SPRUE D |
|
| The upper hull is nicely molded and comes comes with a plastic bow
protector to protect the fine detailing during shipping. The lines of the
hull are nicely done. I am however disappointed that there is no interior
for the well deck provided. |
 |
|
|
| AMPHIBIOUS FORCES SPRUE |
|
| A big bonus is the return of the Amphibious Forces sprue. The sprue
is an older tooling, but one that is sought after for all the vehicles
and helicopters it contains. Dragon has released it to equip your LSD with
an LCAC, 2 landing craft, 2 V-22's, 4 CH-46's, 2 AH-1 Cobras, 2 CH-53's,
4 Harriers, 2 AAV-7A1's, and 2 M-1 Abrams. The latter are newly tooled
and replace the old M-60's. You wont need all these, but they will come
in handy for other projects. I wish they were not molded in clear, but
some modelers may appreciate this as it allows you to mask the canopy off,
paint and then remove the mask. This gives you a clear canopy. The down
side is clear plastic is more brittle than gray styrene. |
 |
|
|
| SPRUE Z |
|
| The base for this kit has been designed based on how most modelers
like to display their ships in full hull mode. The stands which resemble
lamp finales are even slide molded so they have no seams to fill and sand.
Hole locations are provided so all you have to do is open them up with
a knife or drill. |
 |
|
|
| PHOTOETCH |
|
| A simple photo etch fret is included with safety netting and the sliding
doors for the hull side. |
 |
| DECALS |
|
| The decals are sharply rendered and include the standard hull numbers
and flight deck markings. Also included are markings for the aircraft and
LCAC. Window and door decals are a nice touch as are the low visibility
Marines markings. |
 |
|
|
|
|
| INSTRUCTIONS |
|
| The instructions are six pages with lots of subassembly views that
are easy to follow. The last page features a painting guide showing decal
placement. I am including a color painting guide as a bonus for our readers
on the right. |
 |
|
|
|
|
| BUILD UP PHOTOS |
|
| These are photos of a fully assembled production version
of this kit built out of the box.
|
|
|
| CONCLUSIONS |
|
This latest kit from Cyber-Hobby is a fitting tribute to USS New York
and will make an excellent addition to your modern fleet. The kit is well
engineered for a great fit and the bonus amphibious forces vehicles are
a great addition.
These kits is shipping now. Look for them on the shelves of your favorite
hobby shop or get it direct from Dragon
USA or Cyber-Hobby for $39.95. |
Powered by
 |
