# USS Arizona



## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

I don't usually build ships but I picked this up at 40% off at Hobby Lobby and thought I would give it a try.


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## Modlerbob (Feb 10, 2011)

Looks like the good ole' Revell Arizona. Very nice looking, especially the float plane.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

nice clean build of a really old kit. The float planes do look nice although the tail would not be yellow just the top of the main wings (both upper and lower).


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

It is indeed the old Revell kit. I noticed the pictures on the box and even in the instructions gave inconsistent examples on both colors and rigging. Doing a search on the net seems to show that the Arizona went through many structural changes and paint schemes before it sank. Doing this kit was a learning experience for me and I think I will try another ship. Any recommendations? I'm not an advanced skills modeler.


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## Grahamjohn (Jun 18, 2012)

Well built and well painted good job


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Revell's Roger B Taney Coast Guard Cutter is a nice, fun kit. Their USS Ward/Campbletown is also nice. You also can't go wrong with the Revell USS Buckley DE kit. All are older kits but still pretty good and not overly hard to finish. Revell has also reissued the old Monogram USS Chicago which for the most part is an exellent kit too if you want a missile cruiser. A good step up would be Tamiya's 1/350 Fletcher Destroyer. It isn't a huge model but is nicely detailed and goes together very well. Ship kits can get big and rather complicated FAST. There are also a lot of old kits out there that are really hard to build like the Airfix 1/600 range which date back about 50 years in some cases.


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

djnick66 said:


> Revell's Roger B Taney Coast Guard Cutter is a nice, fun kit. Their USS Ward/Campbletown is also nice. You also can't go wrong with the Revell USS Buckley DE kit. All are older kits but still pretty good and not overly hard to finish. Revell has also reissued the old Monogram USS Chicago which for the most part is an exellent kit too if you want a missile cruiser. A good step up would be Tamiya's 1/350 Fletcher Destroyer. It isn't a huge model but is nicely detailed and goes together very well. Ship kits can get big and rather complicated FAST. There are also a lot of old kits out there that are really hard to build like the Airfix 1/600 range which date back about 50 years in some cases.


Thanks! I'll research your suggestions and see which ones I can find to try next.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Check Mega Hobby... they had some of the Revell ships on sale a month or so back. I forgot to mention that.


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

djnick66 said:


> Check Mega Hobby... they had some of the Revell ships on sale a month or so back. I forgot to mention that.


Indeed they still have the coast guard cutter and the Chicago on sale. Found the Revell Missouri at Hobby Lobby too which I can use another 40% off coupon on. Choices choices...


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Revell's Missouri is pretty bad... that is actually Revell's very first plastic kit and dates back to about 1952. It started Revell's annoying trend of flat bottomed boat kits which continued with the Helena, Randall, Pine Island, Fletcher, Roosevelt. The kits are not exactly waterline but not full hull either. The hull extends down below the water line, then just stops in a sort of blobby rounded flat shape. No props, rudder, etc. Much of the detail on the Missouri's deck and superstructure is just molded on in relief. Granted, back in 1952 this was a super duper kit, but today... not so much.


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

djnick66 said:


> Revell's Missouri is pretty bad... that is actually Revell's very first plastic kit and dates back to about 1952. It started Revell's annoying trend of flat bottomed boat kits which continued with the Helena, Randall, Pine Island, Fletcher, Roosevelt. The kits are not exactly waterline but not full hull either. The hull extends down below the water line, then just stops in a sort of blobby rounded flat shape. No props, rudder, etc. Much of the detail on the Missouri's deck and superstructure is just molded on in relief. Granted, back in 1952 this was a super duper kit, but today... not so much.


Hey, I date back to 1952 and my bottoms kind of a blobby rounded flat shape! ;-)

The Missouri is out then. For some reason the Chicago is interesting to me so I'll go with that.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Monogram's old Chicago is quite nice for its time. About the only thing I would really fix or try to is some of the latticework on the superstructure is just molded solid. The kit tells you to paint the void areas black... It would not be hard to cut away the open areas and rebuild the simple lattice supports with Evergreen plastic rod. The rest of the kit is pretty nice. You can even use parts from it to try to fix up the rather poor Revell USS Long Beach.

Another decent Revell ship is their 1/720 USS Enterprise nuclear carrier.


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## Tuxedo (Dec 14, 2011)

Nice clean build


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## The-Nightsky (May 10, 2005)

Nice work!!!!


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## surfsup (Apr 19, 2009)

YOu have done a real nice job on her. For the age of the Kit, it is probably one of the most accurate versions of her.....Cheers mark


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## roadrner (Jul 21, 1999)

:thumbsup::thumbsup: rr


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## harristotle (Aug 7, 2008)

Looks real good! What scale is that?


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## walsing (Aug 22, 2010)

harristotle said:


> Looks real good! What scale is that?


 1:426 I think.


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## paulhelfrich (May 11, 2009)

You did a very nice job on one of the great old kits. Congratulations!

Another good quality older kit is Revell's USS Yorktown CV-5 or USS Hornet CV-8 in 1/485 scale. Also surprisingly well-detailed kits given the era when they were first molded.


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## Trekkriffic (Mar 20, 2007)

I think I built this same kit when I was a kid. Mine wasn't as clean as yours though. It was when I first learned about weathering with black enamel paint mixed with thinner. And I used Testors rust too. That model sat rusting away atop the sliding door curtains in my parents rumpus room for years. 
Now I stick to starships.... but I weather them too! 
Thanks for bringing back the memories!


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