Dragon Models Limited
1/700 USS Hancock CV-19 (1945)
Kit Number: 7056
First Look by  Luke R. Bucci, PhD, IPMS# 33549
[kit boxart image]
MSRP: $37.95

DML's latest Essex-class carrier kit turns out to be an ultimate. This kit is the best choice for a long-bow Essex-class carrier in 1:700 scale. For a few extra dollars, the modeler gets enough parts to build any World War Two version of a long-bow Essex-class carrier, but specifically, the late war, post-refit version of the USS Hancock as she appeared in June 1945 and thereafter. Somebody at DML did their homework because almost everything about this kit is accurate and well-researched (unlike other kits of Essex-class carriers from other companies). In addition, there are many options that go with this kit. Full hull or waterline. Regular or clear flight deck. Hangar shutters closed, open or partly open (you decide). Elevators up or down. AA platforms from plastic or photoetch metal. Radars from plastic or photoetch metal (use the photoetch, of course). Elevator bracing in plastic or photoetch metal. Aircraft with wings folded or extended. There are even two tugs to go with your carrier (Navy or civilian).

There are so many benefits from this kit it is hard to remember them all. Here are some of the many reasons why this kit is superior to the other long-bow Essex-class carriers from Hasegawa and Trumpeter.

Pros:
  • More accurate - from the positions of the 40mm mounts to the bridge radar layout to the paint schemes to aircraft squadron markings, DML has the right appearance for the time period.
  • The upper hull above the waterline is molded in one piece. This removes the seams that other kits have in conspicuous places that are difficult to fill. Also, building time is shortened.
  • Life rafts are molded on the undersides of platforms, eliminating the tedious steps of putting them on individually and saving time.
  • Construction of other components is simpler with fewer pieces and fewer seams (for example, the bridge and funnel are single pieces, but are two pieces in other kits).
  • Photoetch antennae, radars and other pieces are included, making the model look better out-of-the-box. Also saves money since a separate photoetch sheet (approaching the cost of a carrier kit itself) is not needed for an attractive kit.
  • 40mm and 20mm AA guns have shields (unlike Trumpeter kits), and are more to scale and look more accurately shaped than Hasegawa or Trumpeter kits.
  • Instructions are clearly marked as to which pieces are optional or can be modified.
  • The mainmast has crossbars, which other kits do not have. This helps the kit have the proper cluttered appearance characteristic of Essex-class masts.
  • Construction of the model is straightforward, with less steps than other kits, which should help speed building. Of course, there are all those AA guns to assemble, which is where much of the time spent building this kit will be.
  • Hangar is finished so that it can be built and painted. The clear flight deck is an interesting touch to offer the option of showing off the interior, as are the shutter closing options. Now if only there were more aircraft with the kit.
Cons are few and minor:
  • There are a few ambiguities in the instructions, an inevitable result of trying to make the shortest possible instructions. For example, part D49 (port 40mm sponson deck) should have three Mk51 director tubs on it, which is shown (already assembled) in step 9, but not clearly shown in step 5 when this part is assembled.
  • After her refit, in June 1945 Hancock carried only the forward pair of the tall lattice radio masts on the starboard side, but the assembly instructions (Step 9) and pictures show all four masts. Do not install the two aft masts for Hancock painted in Measure 21 or 22 (June 1945 and later).
  • The starboard hull has the catapult attachment stub, meaning it will have to be sanded off.
  • No photoetch railings or ladders are supplied with the kit, which would really have made it complete. Yes, there are many 1:700 aficionados who feel that railings are out of scale and not attractive, but I and many other 1:700 scale aficionados disagree. However, only railings and ladders are needed from aftermarket photoetch sets, and these sets are less expensive than carrier sets.
  • Step 1 shows the hangar catapult assembly (parts D28, D29), which was not carried by Hancock, especially after her late-war refit. Simply ignore building the hangar catapults.
  • Shields on platforms and AA guns are rather thick, but this is typical in 1:700 scale and not worse than other companies. At least they are present and the right shape.
  • There are only 6 aircraft of each type carried by Hancock. This is very small compared to the 76 Hellcats, 22 Helldivers and 15-18 Avengers carried in June 1945. For those wanting to show the air group in the hangar, aftermarket planes will be needed, and more decals or painstaking painting.
  • Props on the aircraft are rather thick, and to match the look and quality of the rest of the kit, should be replaced with photoetch propellers.
  • The flight deck has both the bow and stern notches for the Mk37 directors (which were never installed). While Hancock had the bow notch when commissioned, she never had the stern notch, and during the period depicted by this kit, the notch was removed to give a straight edge to the forward flight deck. This is one of the very few structural corrections for this kit.
  • The circular, large SK-2 radar (part K7) is shown on assembly instructions (Step 6) and the 1944 camouflage scheme as being on Hancock, but it never was. Stick with the large, square SK radar photoetch parts (MA3, MA11), as the color scheme profiles show. The large radar is not in the correct position for the 1944 fit. However, this is a minor point since this kit is intended to build the post-refit version, which relocated the large SK radar to a platform off the funnel instead of the platform on the mainmast.
  • There is no indication of where to place the US flag supplied as a decal. The actual location was a rope extending from the mainmast, which is tricky to do. Consult references for proper location of the flag.
  • The paint color guide on page 2 lists GSI Creos Corp. colors, or Model Master color numbers. The descriptions of the colors are not the standard Light gray, Navy Blue or Flight Deck Stain colors used by the US Navy and by other paint companies (Testors, White Ensign and others). The flight deck color is never explained or listed. The major colors are supposed to be mixed from GSI colors (OK, who is really going to blend 2parts each of two colors with 94 parts of another?), when accurate colors are widely available. For Measure 22, use Light Gray 5-L and Navy Blue 5-N, along with the dark blue Flight Deck Stain (not Flight Deck Stain 21) and Deck Blue 20-B for other decks.
  • Bow 40mm tubs should be more circular and not squared off.
Kit Characteristics:
  • Injected plastic (polystyrene) kit. Full hull or waterline options, with a stand included for the full hull option.
  • Over 640 parts on 26 sprues, lower and upper hulls, two photoetch sheets, a decal sheet and an 8-page foldout instruction sheet with three different camouflage schemes (accurate, too).
  • Parts are sharply molded with virtually no flash, and packaged well to prevent damage during shipping. The box is crammed full of parts.
  • 8-page instruction booklet with three different camouflage patterns.
  • Instructions show each sprue and indicate parts that are not to be used.
  • Hull length scaled out to 886 feet without considering the aft 40mm sponson, close to the 888 feet actual. Hull beam (width) scaled out to 96 feet, close to the actual 93 feet. The flight deck width scaled out to 110 feet, also close to the actual 114 feet. Thus, the proportions are accurate enough for this scale.
  • The inside of the hangar deck is finished, so that enterprising modelers can add more details and aircraft inside the hangar.
  • A clear flight deck is included in case the modeler wants to show off a finished hanger interior.
  • Aircraft are molded in clear plastic and wings are disassembled so they can be built with wings folded or extended.
  • Paint guide is not listed, which is a plus since several companies produce accurate paints for this era - check with your local hobby supplier or favorite websites for matching paints. White Ensign and Floating Drydock enamels and Testors ModelMaster, Polly-S and Model Shipways acrylic paints closely match the official US Navy colors.
  • Measure 22 colors for Hancock in June 1945 were: Light gray (5-L) and Navy Blue (5-N) for vertical surfaces. Decks were Deck Blue (20-B), and the flight deck was the darker Flight Deck Stain.
  • Sprue A contains the hangar deck, forecastle deck, and elevators.
  • Sprue B is the regular flight deck, with very good detail molded on.
  • Sprue C contains larger platforms, vertical siding, shutters and propulsion gear (props, shafts and rudder).
  • Sprue D contains shutters and other hangar deck fitting (cranes, catapults, antennae).
  • Sprue E contains platforms for bridge and AA guns.
  • Sprues F, G, H & M contain AA and bridge platforms.
  • Sprue J contains the stand for the full hull version.
  • Sprue K (two) has armament, radars, directors, tubs and other small fittings.
  • Sprue L contains the bridge components and the better 5in gun turrets.
  • Sprue N (two) has all the parts for a civilian tug (full hull) as a bonus feature of this kit.
  • Sprue P (two) contains very late war AA guns (twin 20mm, quad 50cal mounts).
  • Three sprues contain two aircraft each for Hellcats, Helldivers and Avengers (6 total aircraft of each type) molded in clear plastic.
  • Photoetch fret MA has antennae, elevator bracing, radars and other parts.
  • Photoetch fret MB has AA platforms and flight deck arrestor wire gear.
  • Railings are not included in this kit.
Summary:
The DML 7056 1:700 USS Hancock CV-19 kit is the best injection-molded plastic kit of a long-bow Essex class carrier in this scale. My previous review on the Trumpeter kit stated it was marginally better than the Hasegawa kit, but after seeing all the candidates, the DML kit is clearly superior. Enough extra parts are included to convert this kit into other or later versions of long-bow Essex-class carriers. The model promises to be a straightforward and simple build without any glaring seams, unlike the other manufacturers. Somebody at Dragon has done their homework on this kit. Almost all the little details are accurate. Including photoetch for the radars, radio antennae and side elevator lattice will really help this model look to scale. There are a few confusing assembly instructions for some of the platforms, and the painting guide leaves much to be desired, but these are minor issues which can be easily remedied with a minimum of research from references. The modeler can rest assured that simply building this kit according to the directions will produce a mostly accurate and exceptionally good-looking kit of a late-war Essex-class carrier. Very highly recommended.

USS Hancock CV-19 - Brief History
The fourth US Navy Hancock (nicknamed Hannah) was laid down as the Ticonderoga on January 1943, but renamed Hancock on May 1943, launched January 1944 and commissioned on April 15, 1944 as the first long-bow Essex-class fleet aircraft carrier. The Hancock's clipper bow was lengthened while building to accommodate two 40mm AA mounts in the bow, and the flight deck was shortened to improve their arcs of fire. Hancock was commissioned in a Measure 33/3A dazzle camouflage scheme. Hancock arrived at Ulithi ready for action on October 5, 1944. She participated in the attacks on Ryuku islands, Formosa and the Philippines, although she just missed the Battle of Leyte Gulf. On November 25, 1944, Hancock destroyed a kamikaze 300 feet above the ship, and pieces of the aircraft rained on the flight deck and gun gallery, causing no serious damage. After weathering the infamous typhoon of December 17, 1944, she continued to attack targets in the Philippines, Formosa and the South China Sea. During this period one of her planes landed and exploded abreast the bridge, killing 50 men, but Hancock was fully operational the next day. Next she attacked the Japanese mainland and islands around Iwo Jima. In March 1945, Hancock was back in Japanese waters when two kamikaze aircraft attacked during refueling of the destroyer Halsey Powell. Again, the Hancock shot down the enemy aircraft, with pieces raining down on the flight deck. In April 1945, Hancock was supporting the Okinawa invasion when a kamikaze cartwheeled into planes parked on her flight deck, killing 62 men. She was operational hours later, but retired for repairs. During repairs, Hancock was given five additional 40mm mounts and twin 20mm mounts replaced most of the single 20mm mounts. Radars were repositioned around the funnel in different locations than her original fit. Hannah also received a new paint job - Measure 22 (the simple, two-tone scheme of light gray on all vertical surface above the hull sheer with Navy blue hull), which this kit depicts. Hancock was back in action around Japan in June 1945 until war's end. Hancock earned four battle stars for World War Two service. After several Magic Carpet runs to bring troops home, Hancock was decommissioned on April 1946. In the early 1950s, Hancock was fitted with the first steam catapults able to handle jet aircraft and renamed CVA-19. In the mid-1950s, she received modernization to an angled deck configuration, and spent the rest of her career in the Far East, including seven tours off Vietnam. Hancock was finally decommissioned in January 1976 and scrapped soon thereafter.
I'd like to thank DML and IPMS for this review sample.

References:
  • Arnold GR. Warship Perspectives. Essex Class Aircraft Carriers in World War Two. WR Press.
  • Campbell J. Naval Weapons of World War Two. Conway Maritime Press, London, UK, 1985. 0-85177-329-X
  • Faltum A. The Essex Class Aircraft Carriers. Nautical & Aviation Publishing, 1996. ISBN: 1-877853-26-7
  • The Floating Drydock. United States Navy Camouflage 1 of the WW2 Era. Part 1. The Floating Drydock, Kresgeville, PA, 1976. ISBN: 0-944055-01-X
  • The Floating Drydock. United States Navy Camouflage 2 of the WW2 Era. Part 2 Fleet Carriers. The Floating Drydock, Kresgeville, PA, 1976. (this book has been updated with more photos and is newly available on CD from Floating Drydock)
  • Friedman N. U.S. Aircraft Carriers. An Illustrated Design History. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1983. ISBN 0-87021-739-9
  • Raven A. Warship Design Histories: Essex-Class Carriers. Naval Institute Press , 1988. ISBN: 0-87021-021-1
  • Self C. The USS Hornet CV-12 - CVA-12 - CVS12. The Aircraft Carrier USS Hornet Foundation, Inc., 1995. ISBN: 1-56311-336-3
  • Smith M. Essex Class Carriers in Action. Warships Number 10, Squadron/Signal Publications, Carrollton, TX. ISBN: 0-89747-373-6
  • Terzibaschitsch S. Aircraft Carriers of the U.S. Navy, 2nd Edition. Naval Institute Press, Annapolis, MD, 1989.
  • Wiper S. USS Ticonderoga CV/CVA/CVS-14. Warship Pictorial #22, Classic Warships Publishing, 2004. ISBN 0-9745687-2-4
Websites: (ED: Please report broken links)
[Port hull - note side elevator supports molded on instead of needing to be added, as in other kits.] [Starboard hull - note absence of seams in critical large, flat area.]
[Hangar deck with detail.] [Crystal clear flight deck.]
[Sprues unique to this kit with 20mm twin AA guns and the tug.] [Clear aircraft sprues.]
[Photoetch frets.]
[Page 1 of Instruction sheet showing sprues and which parts are not used.] [Page 2 of Instruction sheet showing paint guide and assembly of weapons.] [Page 3 of Instructions showing hull assemblies and hangar shutters. Notice the relatively few parts, reducing seams and build times.] [Page 4 of Instructions showing bridge build and other deck items.] [Page 5 of Instructions showing final assembly, aircraft assembly and tug assembly.]
[Decal sheet.] [Page 6 of Instructions showing Hancock in Measure 22 as this kit should appear when built according to instructions.]
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