¹⁄350

USS North Carolina

USS North Carolina...

I started this 1/350 Trumpeter USS North Carolina, BB-55, at the start of 2011 but got a little distracted by World War One aircraft for a while. But after I finished the last of my builds for the KotS Campaign on Aeroscale I got stuck into this one about half way through November 2011 if I remember rightly.

I used the Eduard Super Set with this kit and had very few problems with it at all. Sometimes the folding and placement guide can be a little vague but it all worked out in the end. The railings especially fit very well. I also used RB barrels for the main guns and 5in guns.

I built the quad 40 mounts as directed by Eduard using the kit barrels and the PE base, railings etc and they look about 10 times better than the kit mounts. Then with the numerous 20mm guns I used the kit guns with PE splinter shields. Problem is Eduard didn’t supply enough shields for the huge number of guns but Robert Melvin came to my rescue and went out of his way to send my about 40 shields and guns. I built the 8 I thought I needed extra but kept having to build more and more as I found more spots for them. I actually put two in incorrect spots and had to remove them and glue in the proper parts. The only fit problem I had was the main superstructure didn’t fit into the hole supplied in the deck. Problem is I had forgotten to test it earlier and as everything was together and painted I have to carefully remove the locating flange from the superstructure and carefully attach the part to the deck. Originally I mixed my own shade of deck blue. Life Color then released the colour and I ordered a few sets with it in them. When I painted the Life Color shade over my mixed colour they were almost identical, very difficult to tell the shades apart so I was happy with that.

I think I hit the tall masts twice after I had installed them but only dislodged one once and was able to bend anything back into shape. Eduard PE is pretty tough!

Camo on the hull was airbrushed on and brush painted on the superstructure etc. Life Color and the Tamiya paint I used were all excellent for brush painting. Once I find a good rigging diagram I will do the rigging. I made the whip aerials from piano wire. Should be finer but oh well.. Thanks to everyone who helped with advice etc during the build.