¹⁄350

Further to this news writers earlier reports Dragon Models have released more detailed information on the impending release of their 1/350th U.S.S. Benson DD-421, 1945 Smart kit .

The most exciting news is that this kit will be released in August 2010.

The retail price has yet to be announced.

This kit represents the U.S.S. Benson as it appeared in 1945 towards the close of the war. It features a brand new aft deckhouse and a new director radar dish. Unlike other vessels in the Benson class, it also possesses a second torpedo launcher.

We understand that the kit includes photo-etched elements to render items like antennas, ladders, antiaircraft guns and propeller guards. Some door hatches are even provided as optional parts so that they can be portrayed open. There are other accessories like half a dozen scale crewmen to populate the deck, together with Dragon’s flexible self-adhesive signal flags.

Kit features:

• Newly tooled flat-sided funnels;
  
• New director radar dish;
  
• New separate piping on rear of funnel;
  
• New flexible self-adhesive materials for signal flags;
  
• Photo-etched parts finely reproduced for radar and antennas;
  
• Funnels provided w/option of molded on ladders or add on photo-etched ladders;
  
• Realistic photo-etched funnel caps gills and funnel platform;
  
• Extra-fine detail on superstructure walls like hose and ladder patterns delicately reproduced;
  
• Extra-thin shield walls on superstructure reproduced for accurate 1:350 scale appearance;
  
• Extremely fine detailed parts like davits for whalers;
  
• Whalers w/photo-etched parts finely reproduced;
  
• Sky-lookout shield reproduced w/photo-etched parts;
  
• Open topped upper-mount 5-inch gun w/textured canvas cover;
  
• Upper-mount and lower-mount 5-inch guns realistically reproduced;
  
• Realistically detailed gun barrels are slide molded w/hollow ends;
  
• Turret with realistic detail;
  
• One-piece slide-molded upper hull w/undercut details realistically represented;
  
• Deck has realistically reproduced camber;
  
• 5-inch practice loading machine in great detail ;
  
• Sponsons are represented on lower hull by slide-mold technology;
  
• 20mm AA guns finely reproduced w/photo-etched shields;
  
• Quintuple Torpedo launcher in fine detail;
  
• Special device included to bend specific photo-etched parts to correct angle;
  
• Photo-etched propeller guards finely reproduced;
  
• Optional barrels provided for gun turrets;
  
• Rudder is movable;
  
• True-to-scale ultra-thin propellers reproduced;
  
• Bridge supports finely represented w/photo-etched parts;
  
• 12-inch, 24-inch and 36-inch searchlights provided;
  
• Movable structure for 36-inch searchlight w/clear part included;
  
• 36-inch searchlight platform delicately rendered;
  
• Side doors (w/optional photo-etched parts) can be assembled open or closed;
  
• Smoke generator with fine details;
  
• Depth charges molded w/extra-fine detail;
  
• Waterline or full-hull version can be assembled.
  

Ships History
Commissioned on July 25 1940, the USS Benson was in time to see extended combat during WWII. The USS Benson (DD-421), the only ship of this name in the U.S. Navy thus far, was the lead ship in a class of destroyers. Before the USA entered the war, the vessel was escorting convoys to and from Iceland. Subsequent to the events of Pearl Harbor, it was again escorting convoys, this time to the UK. An at-sea collision prevented its participation in the landings in North Africa, although it did support the later invasion of Sicily and the landings at Salerno. In 1944 it was fully engaged in convoy duties in the Mediterranean, and succeeded in shooting down several German aircraft. It also supported the invasion of southern France. The final weeks of WWII were spent in the Pacific. Its valorous WWII service earned the ship four battle stars.

History courtesy of Dragon Models

Images courtesy of Dragon Models