Gold Medal Models

WW2 USN Cruiser/Destroyer Photo-etch Set (Upgraded) and Modern USN/JMSDF Warship Photo-etch Set (Upgraded) For 1/700 Warships

Stock Number: 700-8, 700-10

Reviewed By  Charles Landrum, IPMS# 26328

MSRP: $20 each 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. You would think that making PE detail sets for the stream of new plastic ship model releases would be enough work to keep Loren Perry fully occupied. But no, Loren has been also looking backward and upgrading his earlier releases, improving the quality and detail options. His latest offerings in this category are two upgraded 1/700 detail sets: the WWII USN Cruiser/Destroyer and Modern USN/JMSDF Warships. The older sets were designed to cover a numerous ship classes, since many of the details are standard from ship to ship. These upgraded sets broaden the coverage and cram many more details on to the 3.5 x 7.5 frets. Certainly one set is more than enough to build one ship. However, you can use one set for multiple ships, if you buy additional railings to finish the work. For strength in this scale the details are double-relief etched in stainless steel. Here is a breakdown of each set.

World War II USN Cruiser/Destroyer Photo-etch Set

Covers the following ship classes: Baltimore Class CA, Portland Class CA, Northampton Class CA, Cleveland Class CL, Atlanta Class CL, Gearing Class DD, Fletcher Class DD, Wickes Class DD (4-stacker), Rudderow Class DE and Buckley Class DE. Includes: · 2 and 3 bar railings with support stanchions · Inclined and vertical ladders · 2 catapults, catwalks and shuttles · Boat and aircraft cranes with sheaves and hooks for the different cruisers · Searchlight towers · Mast details including replacement rigged yardarms · Radar, directors, HF-DF and communications antenna · Depth charge racks and davits · Boat davits- with lightening holes! · Gun Shield for the 4 stack destroyer · Funnel grilles · Bridge windshields · Floater net baskets and liferings · 5in 25 gun details · Boat details · Aircraft details · Propeller guards · Ships Wheels!

This set will basically carry you through most of the mid-sized and small USN warships of WWII.

Modern USN/JMSDF Warships Set

Covers the following ship classes: Ticonderoga Class CG, Arleigh Burke Class DDG (and JMSDF Kongo Class DDG), Kidd Class DDG, Charles F. Adams Class DDG (and German and Australian sister ships), Spruance Class DD, Knox Class FF (and Spanish Baleares Class), Perry Class FFG (and Australian, Taiwanese, and Spanish classes), Blue Ridge Class LCC, Hatsuyuki Class DD, and Shirane Class DD. Includes: · Radar antennas - SPS-6, SPS-8, SPS-10/67, SPS-12, SPS-29/37, SPS-40, SPS-43, SPS-49 and JMSDF OPS-14B · ECM and HF-DF antennas · Generic grills · 1, 2, 3 and 4 bar railings with support stanchions with pre-measured railings for Arleigh Burke Class · Mast details including anemometers and yard arm footrails for Arleigh Burke Class · Inclined and vertical ladders · Flight deck safety nets, USN and JMSDF · Lattice masts for the FFG-7, FF-1052 and LCC · Cable reels · Flag bags · JMSDF UNREP cranes (bridge front) · DDG-2 missile launcher nets · SH-60 and Sea King Helicopter details · Boat details · Liferings

With this set you can basically detail models of most if not all post-WWII USN and Allied ships inspired by USN design practices. I am sure that more JMSDF ships can be detailed, absent only the lattice masts peculiar to each class. This set could also be used to further detail resin ships offered of most post war USN ship classes. I would like to have seen the 3-D radars SPS-48 and 52 included. While both of the previous sets offered by GMM were comprehensive and well detailed, these upgrades take the sets to new levels. It is hard to get much more details into these sets, the frets are packed! But modelers may want to pick up GMM's dedicated 1/700 sets - 700-20 Anchors and chains and 700-22 Watertight Doors - to supplement these reviewed. Both the WWII USN Cruiser/Destroyer set and the Modern USN/JMSDF Warship sets are a must if you model ships in 1/700. Providing one stop shopping for details for multiple ship classes, these sets are a bargain at the price. Highly recommended.

Information, images, and all other items placed electronically on this site are the intellectual property of IPMS/USA ®.