Dragon Models Ltd

1/700 USS Bon Homme Richard CV-31 Korean War

Kit Number: 7063

In-Box Review by  Fred Amos, IPMS# 6672

MSRP: $14.95 The U.S.S. Bon Homme Richard was a 27,100-ton Essex-class aircraft carrier built at the New York Navy Yard, Brooklyn, New York. Commissioned in November of 1944, she went to the Pacific Theater in March 1945 and in June joined the fast carriers in the combat zone and took part in the final raids on Japan. With the end of hostilities in mid-August, Bon Homme Richard continued operations off Japan until September when she returned to the United States. She was inactive and decommissioned at Seattle, Washington in January of 1947. With the outbreak of the Korean War in June 1950 Bon Homme Richard was called back to active duty and recommissioned in January 1951. She was deployed to the Western Pacific that May, launching planes against enemy targets until the deployment ended late in the year. A second combat tour followed from May -December 1952. The Bon Homme Richard was decommissioned in May 1953 to undergo conversion to operate high performance jet aircraft. Recommissioned in September 1955 with an angled and strengthened flight deck, hurricane bow, steam catapults, a new island and many other improvements she joined the Seventh Fleet. The Vietnam War in early 1965 brought the Bon Homme Richard into a third armed conflict and she was deployed on five Southeast Asia combat tours over the next six years. After several other excursions Bon Homme Richard was ordered deactivated at the end of 1970. She was decommissioned in 1971 and after two decades in "mothballs" was sold for scrapping in March 1992. She was scrapped at San Pedro California. The kit. I believe this kit is the most highly detailed 1/700th scale kit I have ever seen. There are 682 injection-molded parts, 61 photo etched parts and decals for the flight deck and the aircraft. The flight deck can be done in one of two different ways. There is a clear plastic deck that will allow the very detailed hanger deck to be visible or there is a normal deck. I think the best of both worlds would be to use the clear deck and paint part of it and leave a part unpainted so the hanger deck would be visible. Also as clear parts are the ships aircraft. There are Skyraiders, Corsairs, Panthers, Banshee's, two helicopters, and for some reason two Cougars. A few of each aircraft can be built with the wings folded.

The hanger deck can be pretty well detailed with the pieces this kit offer, how much is up to the individual builder. The photo-etched parts are for the radar antennae, bracing under the shipside elevators, and four booms along the side of the flight deck. One of the highlights of this kit is the hull. The modeler can build it as a waterline model or as a full hull model with a stand.

I understand from a reliable source that there are several problems with the instructions being inconsistent, incomplete, and sometimes inaccurate about just where the parts go. I will leave that to the experts. I guess the best way to show you the modeler how detailed the kit is to show you the instruction sheet.

Thanks Dragon USA and the IPMS/USA Reviewer Corps for the opportunity to review this kit.

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