In a word? HELP!!
I am becoming increasingly frustrated; I have been trying to find anyone who produces a model of the USS Wainwright (CG28), a BELKNAP-class guided missile cruiser. I dont want to pay through the nose for it though! I loved my ship, im a plankowner, but I cant afford $200.00 + for a resin kit! Any ideas?

Ahoy, Steve,
Welcome to Model Shipwrights, mate!

Hmmm, you put up a toughie there, my friend...The only readily available, designated kit for the Wainwright (CG28) is Iron Shipwright's, and as you have stated, yer gonna pay for this beauty...
Now, with a set of plans, some kit-bashing, and scratch-building innitiative, you may save a few bucks (or possibly not )

Sorry I couldn't be of more help. mate, let's see what the other crew members can add!
~Gunny

Plain and simple, we're out of luck. My first ship was Jouett, sister to Wainright. And I ran this same drill.

Our choices are as follows:
1) big bucks for resin kit,

2) take a Monigram double-ender kit of Leahy/Halsey and throw out everything except the screws, anchors the terrier missiles, 3"50 guns and the SPG-55s, because nothing else in the kit looks quite like a single-ender. The hull of a Leahy needs a lot of work to convert to a CG-26 class, and the upperworks of the kit are as she was originally built, with one lower superstructure level before NTDS.

3) use a 1/2400 metal wargaming miniature and a REALLY BIG magnifier.

Otherwise, we wait.

Sorry,
Rick