Gold Medal Models

1/700 NIMITZ Class CVN Details For the Trumpeter 1/700 NIMITZ class CVN

Stock Number: 700-33

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $20.00 Review copy provided by Gold Medal Models, 1412 Fisherman Bay Road, Lopez, WA 98261. Their website is www.goldmm.com. I would like to thank Loren Perry for this review sample. Trumpeter's 1/700 scale NIMITZ class CVN, like their 1/350 scale kit of this class, has resonated with modelers due to the detail offered in the kit. At 1100ft scale feet long, even in this small scale there is a lot of surface area and potential for detail. With the class in service for over 30 years there have been a lot of configuration changes, either as the design has evolved, or in upgrades to the commissioned ships. As a result no two ships of the class are the same. Thus it is a tall order to produce a PE set that can adapt to the needs of modelers building across this 30-year span. Loren Perry, a stickler for detail, and one who takes pride in engineering as many options as possible into his PE sets, has taken on this challenge. Measuring 3.5 x 7.5 inches and etched from .003 stainless steel, this offering is dense with detail and addresses a wide range of details across the history of the class. The detail is extremely fine. The details are matched to the model, especially the pre-cut handrails, saving the modeler a lot of heartache. Here is what you get: · More than enough liferails, many pre-measured sections for the sponsons. · Retractable Elevator safety rails etched with catenary (the catenary goes up!). · Hangar door maintenance catwalk railings. · Port aft catwalk (at the hangar deck level aft of elevator 4). · Inclined ladders, vertical ladders, catwalk ladders to flight deck. · Mast towers for the 2-dimensional air search radar that reflect differing configurations over time and by class, plus mast platform details including doors. · LSO Platform and safety net. · Fuel delivery rig. · Transom boat fender structure. · Various communication and electronic warfare antennas. · Sector antennas. · Antennas platforms and platform braces. · Vertical ladders with safety cages for the superstructure. · Replacement blast shields for the island NATO Sea Sparrow launchers. · SPS-10/67, SPS-43A SPS-48 and SPS-49 radars. · Anemometers (also called wind birds - very small!). · Ordnance jettison ramps. · Hose reels. · Numerous aircraft tow bars. · Hooks for the boat and aircraft (B&A) cranes. · Bicycles for the hangar (it's a 70's and earlier thing). (Note: the SPS-48 3-D radar represented is the SPS-48C. In the 90's the CVN's were fitted with SPS-48E antennas, which are larger and have a noticeable difference in the pattern of the array face.) The detail that is especially noteworthy is the multiple parts that form the LSO platform and the safety net below - that "catcher's mitt". These are typically left off models, because when not in use, the LSO platform is folded flat and therefore easily overlooked. The other detail that is not often found is that of the bomb jettison ramps, that allow ordnance to be rolled off the flight deck and clear of the catwalks into the ocean. The jet blast deflector (JBD) actuator arms are also a nice touch, especially if you want to display your ship during launch. The last two details I want to call out are ones that were part of my job as the First Lieutenant - boating operations and replenishment at sea (RAS). Loren provides a one-piece assembly for the boat fenders rails across the stern. This structure allows boating in the calmest location along side in a variety of sea states. Lastly it is nice to see the fuel delivery rig represented. This is the serpentine maze of hose used to give escorts JP-5 (jet fuel), which can be burned by their gas turbines. This latest set from Gold Medal Models is a must for your 1/700 NIMITZ Class CVN. While this set is designed for the Trumpeter kit, with some work the details could be adapted to the Italeri 1/720 kits. Because of the gauge and the fact that it is in stainless steel, in my experience the detail holds up well to cutting and folding, without distorting. Make sure you have a hard cutting surface and sharp blade. I prefer a no. 11 or 15 blade. I found no significant omissions in this set, there is plenty of detail to give your model a much more prototypical look; you will likely have many details left over for other projects. The price is a bargain given the detail provided. Highly recommended. See also the review of the GMM 1/700 CVN 1/4-Air Wing Detail Set on this website.

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