Crew-mate Jay Massey gives us a closer look at one of PitRoad/Skywave kits, John C. Butler Class Destroyer Escort, in this MSW "inbox" review."

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Thanks!
~Gunny

Great review!

In-dept info, well done, it is appreciated! Pretty cool stuff, too.

Great review, Jay! I always love Pit-Road's little two packs. Pit-Road's stuff is top notch and the added value of getting two in one box is very nice.

hello Jay,
great review,lots of indepth detail on the history of the ships.1 question,did they get the US Flag right ie:48 stars.
cheers,
Bruce

Thanks Guys,

Having long had a love affair with Sky Wave kits, there isn't much that they do that I don't like. I like using their Extra Equipment Sets for improving other kits less than stellar small parts as well as adding the proper number of items that other makers may have come up short with in the box.

This little kit is a pretty fair example of a lot of their kits and the same moldings have been brought out by other manufacturerers with their box covering the contents and usually one less than what Sky Wave puts out in the same sized box. These are great to get a taste of what working in 1/700 scale is like without breaking the bank. If upgrading with a little PE is what you like to do, there are several PE makers that have sets that are ideal for the purpose.

Bruce, as to your question, I will admit that I didn't actually break down and attempt to count stars. As a matter of fact they sort of just made a blue field that contains nothing but blue and in reality it is actually a lighter shade of blue than what it should be, at least they did put the stripes on there.

hello Jay,
one of my kits has a 52 star flag and an other has 41 and they both are for ww2 ships.
there is a company that makes nice fabric flags and the prices are great.that is where i am getting my flags.
cheers,
Bruce

Hi Bruce,

Sometimes kit makers tend to fall a little short of what is necessary to make a super accurate and well detailed kit, that is what keeps us modelers on our toes and the aftermarket companies in business. But I must admit, that with all the great kits out now and the burgeoning accessories and aftermarket goodies that are from all over the world, it is a good time to be a ship modeler.

I was looking over a few internet hobby shop sites and ran across Trumpeters' USS England in 1/350 scale that was mis identified a number of places as a destroyer even though they had the DE designation on the box as well as calling it a Buckley Class ship. What can you say, I just shook my head and got an excellent buy on it no matter what they wanted to call it.

Thanks again Jay for such an interesting review.
For the info of other members, besides the surviving Cannon class DE that is a museum ship on the Hudson, another Cannon class survives and is still in active service.
The USS Atherton was retired from the US Navy and sent to Japan as a patrol craft. After years of service there she was returned back to the US. She was then sold to the Philippine Navy, joining two other Cannon class DE's. One of these sank in a typhoon, the other apparently scrapped, leaving the former USS Atherton ( renamed the Rajah Humabon, PF-11 ) still in service as the PN's flagship and largest combat vessel. She is deployed in their Patrol Division, based at the Cavite PN naval base, just South of Manila. She can be occasionally seen in Manila Bay, her appearance changed ( by my last observation in 2003 ) little from the WW-II configuration.
UPDATE: Hey Guys, Here is shot of the Humabon as she looks now (sorry I have'nt mastered creating a link yet) : desausa.org/images3/uss_atherton_de_169_history_story.htm

Good review Jay!!!!

I am using this kit for Cold War Tin Cans Around the World Campaign:


NRP Diogo Cão (1957)

Keep tuned


Rui

I've built a couple of these kits and agree they go together very well. Unfortunately they are out of production and are becoming harder and harder to find.

Thanks Again Mates,

This was a fun review to do since I like the ship designs and enjoy the history aspect.

Peter, try Pacific Front Hobbies, that was where I got mine and he seems to have some left in stock.

Rui, looking forward to your build up. Lots of these little ships saw service overseas after the war and had long careers. Getting to see one done up as an NRP vessel will be interesting.