kit number 700-32

Reviewed By Charles Landrum, #26328

Available directly from Gold Medal Model or through retail outlets

Gold Medal Models

1412 Fisherman Bay Road

Lopez, WA 98261

www.goldmm.com

I would like to thank Loren Perry of Gold Medal Models for this review sample.

Trumpeter took its 1/350 LEXINGTON kit and reduced it down to 1/700 for their offering in that eye-straining scale.  Still for a ship of that size many details are visible and it was crying out for a dedicated photo-etched set.  Not missing a beat, Loren Perry, has done the same and now offers his superb LEXINGTON PE set in 1/700.

Gold Medal Models PE detail set for Trumpeter’s 1/700 Lexington is a match in the level of detail as his larger set.  It is not identical however, but still Loren will surprise you with what has been carried over.  The respectable 5 x 3 ½ inch sheet is etched in .003 stainless steel (for greater rigidity in this small scale).  This set is matched to the dimensions of the Trumpeter kit and even in 1/700 the frets are clearly engraved with the identification of each detail, so there is no guessing or hunting around.  No other set is this well engineered.  As with their larger scale set, this is a “one-stop-shopping” set; you will need nothing else to finish the model.  And in case you were wondering, just like in 1/350, the set does come with a figure of CAPT Frederick C. Sherman!

There are a lot of details in this set.  Here is a breakdown of the parts you’ll find:

• More than enough life-rails, including pre-measured sections for all of the boat decks
• Inclined and vertical ladders
• Watertight doors, both open and closed (though the kit ones are very nice)
• Finely detailed flight deck nets
• Replacement 3-bladed ship’s propellers (the kit incorrectly provided 4-bladed)
• Replacement understructure supports
• A Replacement rigged yardarm
• Aircraft propellers (though not for the complete Air Group)
• Life-raft netting and paddles
• A petitly etched CXAM air air-search radar
• Support brackets
• DF Loops (backdate item)
• Gun details for 20mm and 5in 25cal guns
• Cable reels
• Flight deck details for the arresting gear, barrier, palisade and aft elevator safety rail
• Boat detail
• Funnel bars
• Helm and lee-helm for the bridge interior
• And of course CAPT Frederick C. Sherman!

I can’t believe what detail Loren has kept in this set!  The only thing missing from the 1/350 set are the small details for the .50 cal machine guns and 20mm, but the shields are there.  The flight deck details are a welcome carryover; especially the palisade which will look great in this scale.  As a bonus there are more detail parts for boats than offered in the larger scale.

This latest set from Gold Medal Models is a must if you want to build Trumpeter’s Lexington.  This set will cram your 1/700 with eye-catching detail, plus you will have many details left over for other projects.  The price is a bargain given the detail provided.  Highly recommended.

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