USS Wichita
Classic Warships - 1/700 resin

By: Loren Perry with imagery by Marc Flake

The 1/700 Classic Warships kit of the heavy cruiser USS Wichita arrived here a few days ago and it's a beauty.

The kit's contents are packaged in four sealed plastic bags inside a stout cardboard box. Also furnished are a 12-page instruction booklet (the inside covers are blank) and a three-color decal sheet with hull numbers in white, two US ensigns, and two US jacks.

Molded in light gray resin with many small fittings in white metal, the model is almost flawlessly cast with little or no flash and not one air bubble or void to be seen with the exception of one set of mooring bitts not fully defined. Other than this, the rest of the kit equals or surpasses the finest injection molding now available.

The hull includes integral 01 levels, three main turret barbettes, numerous gun tubs, catapult foundations, a beautifully engraved planked main deck, and the aircraft hangar cover which is molded closed. Anchor chains, capstans, and countless deck fittings are perfectly rendered, and the bulkheads features excellent surface detailing including watertight doors, portholes, and vents. The hull's bottom is perfectly flat with no overpour at all. A close inspection reveals an absolutely symmetrical bow and stern, nicely formed armor belts, well defined anchor hawsepipe lips, and neatly executed portholes.

The remaining resin parts are molded on a sheet of thin resin film that easily breaks away from the parts. Included are five superstructure components, two funnels (with excellent internal baffles and external steam pipes), three main turrets, five gun tubs, and three small platforms. Once again, the casting quality is outstanding with no flaws or voids visible anywhere. The master patterns had to be superb due to the wealth of detail including beautifully shaped vents and cable reels, all molded in place. The gun tubs and bulwarks are fairly thin and look good.

A small bag contains scores of excellent white metal detail castings. Some of these are authorized copies of standard Pit-Road/Skywave fittings while others are original items exclusive to Classic Warships. The latter include nicely detailed SOC Seagull catapult aircraft, the two aircraft catapults, the 5" 38 cal. single mounts, and the stern crane. Other items furnished include ship's boats, rafts, radar, gun mounts with separate barrels, gun directors, and propeller guards, among other things.

No photoetched fittings are provided nor are rods or wire for fabricating masts, a common characteristic of CW kits. And although no 20mm guns are provided, their cone-shaped pedestals are molded on the decks and in gun tubs. Classic's instructions specify the use of Gold Medal Models 20mm Oerlikon set (GMM No. 700-21) and instruct the user to cut the etched base from the guns and then glue the guns themselves (with armor shields) to the resin pedestals which should provide an excellent effect. Classic also specifies the GMM 1/700 WW2 USN Cruiser/Destroyer set (GMM No. 700-8) for those wishing to add rails and ladders plus more detailed radars, catapults, and cranes.

The instruction booklet contains well detailed and clearly drawn assembly sketches that explain how every part assembles to the whole. These sketches are similar to a Skywave kit's instructions. Also found here are a parts list, basic assembly tips, and painting methods as they apply to resin kits. Plans are also provided for fabricating the masts from rod and wire (not supplied.)

How would I improve this kit if it were up to me? I might include mast material and some 20mm gun castings for those wishing to build strictly out of the box. And a short history of the ship and a bit more color scheme information would have been a plus. The two blank pages previously mentioned could have been used for this.

But other than these little "nigglies", I can't find much to fault with CW's beautiful new cruiser kit. This is definitely one of the finest 1/700 resin ship kits now available from any maker.

Very highly recommended.