Gold Medal Models

1/350 Saratoga (CV-3) Detail Set For the Trumpeter 1/350 Saratoga (CV-3)

Stock Number: 350-39

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $42.00 Available directly from Gold Medal Models or through retail outlets:    Gold Medal Models, 1412 Fisherman Bay Road, Lopez, WA 98261          website: www.goldmm.com I would like to thank Loren Perry for this review sample. Gold Medal Models has released a separate and specific PE detail set for Trumpeter's 1/350 USS Saratoga (CV-3). While this set borrows a lot from the Lexington release, it is in many ways different, but it is still of the same high quality that we have come to expect from GMM. This is a large, nearly 8 x 10 inch, double relief-etched sheet that is accompanied by an equally large double side 8-1/2 x 14 sheet instruction sheet. The photoetch is neatly laid out and clearly marked as to purpose of each detail. As with most GMM sets, everything you need for the model is in one set, including enough PE for the aircraft provided with the kit. There are a lot of details in this set, more than enough allow the modeler to choose his or her level of desired accuracy. The standard details such as railings, ladders and flight deck nets are here as are many parts designed to replace oversized plastic parts and in the case of the propellers including correct three bladed ship's propellers that fix the incorrect Trumpeter 4 bladed propeller (a holdover from the Lexington kit). Here is a breakdown of the details you will find in this set:   · More than enough liferails, 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   · Palisade pickets for the flight deck (used to provide a windbreak for the lightweight biplanes)   · Replacement 3-bladed propellers   · Replacement understructure supports   · A replacement rigged upper yardarm and lattice lower yardarm   · Aircraft details sufficient for the aircraft provided including propellers and struts   · Direction Finding (DF) Loop Antennas   · Details for the 8in turrets and 5in 25cal guns   · Cable reels and boat platform perforated stanchions   · Flight deck details including the arresting gear sheaves, barrier stanchions, and aft elevator safety rail   · Boat details   · Davit details and boat cradles   · Crane detail   · Funnel cap grills   · Bridge interior details   · Turnbuckles and eyebolts   · CAPTs William F. Halsey, John Towers and Albert C. Read. The most noteworthy parts of this set are 3-bladed ship propellers, the bridge interior detail, the boat cradles, the DF loops for back aft, the palisade. The notable ship captains are as usual a nice touch, although I dare anyone to recognize them at a distance! I scrutinized this set to ensure that all of the detail required for the 1930's version of the ship is there, especially those offered with the Lexington release - it is. If you plan to backdate the Lexington kit to the late 1930s, this would be the better set to have, in many respects, since it has the boat detail. There are no significant omissions in this set, but I have a short list of "nice-to-haves" - I would have liked to see more crane details, boat boom details (block and tackle) and accommodation ladders. In short this latest set from Gold Medal Models is a must if you want to build Trumpeter's Saratoga. The only additional set that you will likely need is the newly released GMM fret of details for the 1930's air group (reviewed separately). Highly recommended. Editors Note: On 16 January, 2006, Loren Perry issued the following statement about the Saratoga PE set: While modifying the 1/350 scale Saratoga PE design to create the 1/700 version for Trumpeter's 1/700 Saratoga kit, I discovered a missing railing section in the Gold Medal Models No. 350-39 1/350 scale Saratoga PE set. The missing railing is GMM Part No. BP5, the pre-shaped rail for the starboard side boat pocket in the hull. Although most modelers could easily make this part from extra rails supplied in the GMM set, I've decided to produce a small fret with this railing in it and include it in the remainder of the first production run of the Saratoga PE set. (Corrections have been made and all subsequent production runs of the Saratoga PE set will have Railing BP5 included.) Anyone ordering a 1/350 Saratoga PE set after today (January 15, 2007) will receive the extra fret with the BP5 railing. At the same time, I'm making this small fret with Railing BP5 available at no charge to any GMM customer who purchased one of the early production 1/350 scale Saratoga PE sets. Simply e-mail us with your request and I'll send it off at no charge. I sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Editor Again: Customer support doesn't get any better than this !!!

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