Loose Cannon Productions
1/700 Admirable Class Minesweepers and
USS Hazard at Freedom Park, Omaha, NE
The Admirable Class Minesweepers were a new class of minesweeper built to fill the void that existed in US minesweeping capability at the beginning of World War Two. They were quite successful and the same basic design was also used as the Patrol Craft Escort when the need for convoy escorts became urgent. The USS Hazard was typical of the Admirable class and served in the Pacific escorting convoys and clearing out minefields. After the war she was decommissioned and was later acquired for a museum ship at Freedom Park, Omaha. 

AM-240 Specifications: 

Displacement  540 tons light
795 ton full load
Length  184' 6"
Beam 33' 
Draft 9' 9"
Speed 15 knots
Complement 104
Armament one single 3"/50 gun mount
two twin 40 mm gun mounts
six single 20 mm gun mounts (later changed to six twins) 
one depth charge thrower (hedgehogs)
four depth charge projectiles (k-guns)
two depth charge tracks
Propulsion diesel electric, two turbines, twin screws, 1,800 shp

There are four kits included in this set; two Admirable Class Minesweepers and two Patrol Craft Escorts. They are the USS Hazard AM-240, and the USS Pirate AM- 275, PCE-827, and PCE-842. Between the four ships you can build most any variation of AM or PCE. An interesting one would be the HMS Kilchatten, originally PCE-827 before being transferred to Great Briton under the lend lease program.
All four ships were are cast on a fairly thin resin wafer along with the major superstructure parts. They are all well cast and have some nice detailing on each one. At first glance the kits appear to be all the same, but each one has subtle differences in the layour of the guns and sheilding.  click images
to enlarge
Most of the weapons and fittings are also cast in resin. Some are pretty delicate so be careful handling them. The 20 mm gun mounts use a resin gun assembly with a photo etch shield giving it more to-scale appearance.
A brass photo etch fret is included with the railings, ladders, depth charge racks and miscellaneous fittings. I especially like the way the boat davits include the rigging and lines.
The instructions consist of eight sheets showing each ship with it's distinctive weapons fit, and plan and elevation views for all. Where applicable, camouflage markings are shown as in the case of the USS Hazard.

Conclusions: 

 Price for the set is $40.00 plus shipping. That works out to be just $10 a kit, a great value, especially when you consider that it includes photo etch.
 
Check the Loose Cannon page for details on these and other kits.

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