¹⁄700

USS Constellation

USS Constellation…

The Kit: Fujimi’s 1/700 Constellation in plastic. No PE is provided with the kit so I enhanced it with Gold Metal Model’s Nimitz class PE set. This was of immeasurable value on this build as many of the detailed components aren’t available packaged together. Fujimi’s effort on this kit wasn’t bad, it just wasn’t great. A number of omissions such as the rear radar assemblies, the visible spars along the catwalks on the edge of the ship and all of the life raft bubbles were disappointing.

The CWIS parts included in the kit were poorly done and out of scale. I replaced them with aftermarket parts from JAG. I added the life raft bubbles from another Nimitz class kit. They were a rather large omission as they are literally all over the sides of the kit. Also omitted in the kit were the “curbfeeler” antennae extending from the catwalks at the front of the ship. I scratch built them from 1/32 brass wire and stretched sprue. Also a bit lacking was the molding for the island’s large windows.

The lack of clear dividers between windows meant it was very difficult to paint good clear squares of black to represent the windows. As for the deck details, I would have liked to have been given the option to have the catapult blast shields raised - the kit’s were molded down. Overall, not a bad kit for a beginner or intermediate modeler, but not in line with the newly minted line of IJN kits Fujimi is producing.

My patron on this one didn’t need me to do the airwing, so it is not included. The Gold Metal Models PE set provided the netting, railing, hose reels, and virtually all details one could want for a carrier. Unfortunately, the Connie is not a Nimitz class, so few of the nets fit so I had to cut up what was provided and make due, but the results of acceptable. The decals provided were ok, but the large deck lines were done in two parts. The only thing harder than putting on long carrier deck decals (and keeping them somewhat straight and true) is trying to put on long deck lines in several pieces and getting them to line up and be straight and true.