Gold Medal Models

1/350 USS Buchanan Fitting Set For the Dragon kit

Stock Number: 350-45

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $32.00 Available directly from Gold Medal Model or through retail outlets.    Gold Medal Models, 1412 Fisherman Bay Road, Lopez, WA 98261          website: www.goldmm.com [Editor's Note: Charles uses this set in his build of the Dragon Buchanan, which is reviewed separately on this website.] I would like to thank Loren Perry for this review sample. The Dragon USS Buchanan is a superb kit, one of the best released. The level of detail is incredible and results in a stunning replica of the Gleaves Class destroyer. The kit comes with single relief etch PE that provides support structure, ladders, gun details, anchor chain and PE doors. Cyberhobby has released a PE detail set to complement the model that includes railings (without openings in the netting for the closed chocks) and the radar for the director. As welcome as these details are, they are not on par with the aftermarket PE sets, in particular Gold Medal Models. Fortunately, Loren Perry could not ignore such a nice kit and has come to the rescue with a comprehensive PE set tailored to the kit that provides much finer and more details. A double relief etched set, this latest offering packs the detail into a 3 inch by 10 inch brass sheet. It is typical Gold Medal Models, providing not only the basic details like railings and ladders, but also the finer details to make your model a standout. There are some really nice details in this set like the yard arm details and manropes for the whaleboats. The radar detail includes some of his finest etching to date especially the SA radar. Here is a complete list of the details you will find in this set: Pre-measured life rails. It is in two styles, with and without very petite snaking (safety netting to prevent sailors from washing overboard) for the main weather decks and a bridge railing with canvas windscreen. The deck edge railing with the snaking has openings for the chocks. Inclined and vertical ladders. The inclined ladders come in two styles, with a complete set of each - ones with folding treads (with jig) and ones without. Watertight doors, both open and closed including bridge doors. Gun sights, shields and hand wheels for the 20mm and 40mm guns. Depth charge stern racks. Depth charge storage racks, arbor heads (which mount on the disposable ram assembly), and J-bar davits for the K-guns. Details for the Motor Whaleboats and davits including manropes. Life raft bottoms, floater net baskets, paddles and life raft racks. Finely etched radar antennas including: SA, SC, SG, SC-2, Mk.22, the Mk.12 for the Mk.37 director. Communication and direction finding antennas including: DF loops, TBS, BK and Type A and Type B ECM. Antenna brackets. A highly detailed yardarm and doublers and masthead lights. Searchlight tower. Funnel handrails, foot rails and platform railing. Rigging turnbuckles and padeyes. Stokes litters. Anchor chain. Life rings. Capstan hand wheels. Spare hand wheels. Prop guards. Signal stands. Jackstaff and flagstaff. And LCDR Phillip Francis Queeq, Commanding Officer of the fictional USS Caine! Like I said, there is a lot of detail in this set and nothing else is required. I could quibble and point out that there is no accommodation ladder, but I doubt that many will miss it. Some of the details in this set are very small, like the padeyes and turnbuckles, may tax the patience of those not very experienced working with PE. CAPT Queeg is a cute addition. But in truth the ship that played USS Caine was USS Thompson (DD-627/DMS-38) a later Gleaves Class with a distinctive flat bridge face; the kit provides the earlier round bridge face. So it will require that modification and others if you want to replicate Caine. This latest set from Gold Medal Models is an excellent augmentation to a great kit. It is a potent combination that will replicate the busy, business-like appearance of these workhorses; these ships were crammed with machinery and weaponry. Strongly recommended!

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