USS Essex Set
Toms Modelworks 1/350

By: John Rich

Pros ; comprehensive set, excellent instructions Cons ; no relief etching, slight imperfections.

Tom's Model Works photo-etched set for Essex class carriers ( Set no 3530) includes a comprehensive range of parts and fittings suitable for use with injection moulded or multi-media 1/350 kits. Contained in five individual frets, measuring from 185mm x 145mm to 35mm x 70mm, you will find inclined stairs, vertical ladder stock, radars, antenna masts and supports, tripod mast details, the list goes on, as well as accommodation ladders with the option for stowed or deployed condition. The splinter shields for the 40mm quad bofors (18 in total) are average and have some irregular edges, the rear guard rails being only the late war version. The 20mm gun details look good although the shields appear slightly short in height (about 0.5mm). Fine details for four of each different aircraft types are included (Hellcats, Helldivers, Avengers and Corsairs). The deck edge elevator bracing looks good but when it is assembled onto the elevator platform (kit part e31) proves to be a little short also the four small ladders attached appear heavy. An ample supply of 2 and 3 bar railings supplied are a little thick but would be an advantage to the less experienced modeller, the vertical bars on the railings around the flight deck are spaced a bit too far apart but this won't detract from a good finish.

Missing was a dedicated railing for each of the bow and stern with cut outs for chocks and none of the railing stock has any angle bracing. Of the gallery catwalks included none are perforated, these are available separately as Tom's Model Works set No 3528, as for the catwalk railings their thicknesses vary from fret to fret (light to heavy). When compared to photo references (US Navy Air Combat 1939- 1946 by Lawson & Tillman pages 92 & 106), the crash barrier supports appear to be at least twice the size they should be, the same can be said for the arrester gear sheaves.

Individual stair treads that are to be bent to the correct angles are not the drama that I first thought and the results are as good or better than relief etching. The stair sides are heavy but the handrails on the longer versions are correct for installation on and about the island superstructure. Be sure to fold the stair rails along the perforations or they will look narrow.

Another nice inclusion is the paravane rails that are not a feature of other sets. A one piece funnel cap grill makes a big improvement on the appearance of the kit part E7, however as seen in photographs in G.A.Arnolds Warship Perspective Essex Class, the grill should in reality be two separate grills and actually have a slight dome. Tom's Model Works radars and supporting towers look great, missing are the platforms for the SC-2 radar tower. When folded, the deck edge antenna masts and supports are a worthy representation of how the real thing should look at this scale. Many of the brass parts are substitutions for plastic parts in the Trumpeter kit. This means sometimes carving away the plastic from the kit parts other times it is just replacement. Laid out on four double sided pages the instructions are quite comprehensive with only one incorrectly labelled part item 27 named as item 16 in sketch "D". I was unable to identify a large piece of framework located on the fret with the five radio masts, beside the arrester wire sheaves, unfortunately not identified in the instructions. The set used for this review was slightly damaged during shipping, some of the 20mm gun details were unusable.

Overall, for the price, Tom's Model Works set for the 1/350 scale Essex Class Carrier will help transform a model into a fine replica of one of the worlds most successful warships. Many thanks to Sandle Hobbies who supplied the review sample.

Good luck and above all have fun modelling.

Copyright © SMML 2004