Gold Medal Models

1/700 1/4- 1930s Air Wing Detail Set For the Trumpeter 1/700 USS SARATOGA CV-3

Stock Number: 700-35

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $7.00 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. Gold Medal Models has released a separate and specific PE detail set for all 8 of Trumpeter's 1930s aircraft sets in 1/700 - the aircraft intended for their USS Saratoga kit. If this set looks familiar, it is a scale down of its 1/350 detail set. This set includes: · Curtis F6C/BFC Goshawk fighter · Grumman F2F fighter · Grumman F3F fighter · Brewster F2A Buffalo fighter · Curtis SBC Hell Diver scout bomber · Vought SBU scout bomber · Vought SB2U Vindicator scout bomber · Great Lakes TG-2 Torpedo Bomber As the photo attests, this is not a large fret and the details are quite petite. Despite this, the fret is packed with double etched details sufficient for 6 aircraft of each type - a total of 48 aircraft. It is hard to believe that included on this fret: cabane and interplane struts for the biplanes; radio antenna masts for the mono planes; and wheels, propellers and tailhooks for all aircraft. GMM has left the rigging to you! Note while this set is called a 1/4 set in its title, it really is a 1/3 third set. The reason being that during the 1930s and into the early war years, squadron sizes were 18 aircraft, based upon six 3-plane sections. So in fact GMM has provided you with enough PE for 2 sections. The details of the Trumpeter aircraft are quite nice, petite and well proportioned - but the GMM takes them one step further. For the bi-planes this set is a must, because Trumpeter molded the planes in clear plastic including a solid piece that represents each strut pair. Left as molded, you end up with a windowpane appearance - the GMM set fixes this shortcoming. The GMM PE is a complete package and gives the planes a more graceful and scale appearance. This latest release by will greatly enhance the scale appearance of all of Golden Wing aircraft now available and will go a long way to providing realistic aircraft on the flight deck. Strongly recommended.

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