Ok, as we are all aware, it is out now. Has anyone picked one up yet? I heard they were putting some PE in the kit and I saw they have (Trumpeter made it) A gun tube / propeller brass set. I hae heard that the guns are the smaller ones, not the main battery 15"? Of course brass detail sets are already out there as well from White Ensign for sure and I think Toms also has a set. I've got a couple of job interviews this week and if i get an offer plan to pick up this kit (found one for under $100). I picked up the North Carolina late last year and stumbled on that Lion Roar set that everything including the sink in it. Kinda want to make sure that I get only what I need for this. No need to spend 50 bucks for a set that I'll only use 25 % and would have been better off just buying rails or something.

Just a question about the Lion Roar set (assuming that you heave it), how is the quality of that one?

I have the Lionroar for the NOrth Carolina. I loved that it had several brass sheets of the usual, railings, cranes, radars, and such (13). Of course the funnel mesh, hatches, gun shields and lots of other little bitty pieces. What made the high price worth it was it had the 9 16" and 20 5" guns. There was chain for the anchors and brass propellers. I would imagine that this same kit could be used for the Alabama in several places. I am not that familiar with similarity of things like the length of gun tubes, cranes and catapults to know if the set could work all the fast battleship classes. Things like 20 and 40mm gun shields railings and ship ladders of course would be generic and probably a lot of other things.

They've got two of them at the LHS, with one of them having the shrink wrap opened. They offered to open it up for me to look at, but I just couldn't take it. It would only have been an opportunity to drool over the plastic.

I will say that I'm just a bit underwhelmed by the size of the box, and the box art. I would have thought the box would have been bigger, and while I can't put my finger on why I think the box art just doesn't do her justice. That is simplying a personal matter I'm sure.

Trumpeter doesn't seem to do much in the way of box art. Of course the prices on their ships (and tanks) for what they give you are pretty reasonable so I guess I'ld rather have mediocre art and a great model for a fairly reasonable price

Going to Squadron Shop Open House tomorrow so I'll look at everything I can then

In looking at the Trumpeter update set, I was initially confused...

The box contains 4 screws, 7 pairs of AA gun barrels, and 2 sets of 15in barrels. The box has them labelled as 5in. guns, hence the confusion until I actually saw them.

You get a choice of two barrel sets, one that's functional (elevation) without the canvas blast bags, the other fixed with molded blast bags.

This is definitely a must-have if you intend to superdetail this kit.

That being said, you'll still need a PE set for this model, either Tom's or WEMs or GMM when they come out with it.

Jeff

Squadron mentions it includes "phot etched radars, ladders and ropes." So that is all that is included? No rails, stack gratings, things like that?

I see that Tom's has a PE set for it already, at $32. I was kind of hoping Trumpeter would include enough PE that I wouldn't feel compelled to get a set like that, but I guess not.

Thanks Jeff:

Sqadron of course had the ship, but that detail set was no where to be found. Of course kits were sealed so I had no way to see what PE came with the set. I figure to get kit, tube and screw set, and at very least a British railings depending on what is in kit.

Thanks for clearing up mystery Jeff

Next day---talked with a guy who had the kit. He said that the brass that came with the set was minimal and he recommended a brass update. He had the Tom's and said it was excellent. With a great deal of joy he also announced that the deck joints were all hidden. No putty, filing or resribbing required.

What ?! You haven't run out and bought it yet?! :-)

Hi~
don't plan to buy it, but wonder how it is?
thanks~
Ron Hoover