Trumpeter 1/350 scale "Liberty Ship"

Kit: No. 05301
Scale: 1/350
Manufacturer: Trumpeter, distributed by Stevens International, 856-435-1555, www.stevenshobby.com
Price: $45.95
Comments: Injection molded, 262 parts, decals
Pros: Good packaging and instructions, upper and lower hulls fit tightly, excellent surface detail, small parts well detailed, welcome subject
Cons: Hull and deck parts too thin, sprue attachment points on small parts too large, mediocre superstructure parts fit, no kit stand

Liberty Ships transported millions of tons of war supplies to American troops and allied forces throughout World War II. These ships were designed for mass production - the Jeremiah O'Brien was built in less than 60 days. The O'Brien was at Normandy on D-day and it is one of two surviving "Liberty Ships."

The model can be built full-hull or waterline style. Its upper hull and part sprues are molded in light gray; the lower hull and the waterline hull plate are molded in red. The center-deck section is molded into the upper hull and separate forward- and aft-deck sections are included. The superstructure levels are broken down into four sides and a top. The cargo boom towers have separate superstructure bases.

The hull and deck parts are thin and flexible. I glued the upper and lower hulls together, then ran a bead of super glue along the inside seam. I couldn't reach the center seam area where the deck and hull meet. Later, as I peeled off some hull masking tape, this seam cracked. I recommend reinforcing the inside of the hull where the deck sections join with strips of .030" styrene strips.

The delicate small parts, like the cargo booms and deck-winch assemblies, are less likely to be damaged if you cut them flat-side-up with a sprue cutter. The superstructure is made up of five pieces, and although the large sections are easily aligned, the small ones are difficult to work with. The left and right halves of the boom towers don't match, so be careful to ensure that they remain round. The cargo booms fit well into their locations, and they can be positioned in either a "stowed" or an "in-action position." They have no resting cradles so you'll need to add them.

The lifeboats fit loosely in their deck cradles, and the frames for the large life rafts need some tweaking. The forward-deck locating holes for the life-raft frames also need to be enlarged. The single 5"/38 mount is the same one found in Trumpeter's aircraft carrier kits, but the 20mm guns seem slightly smaller and more petite. The 20mm splinter tubs are a bit too high, and the stern splinter shield should be a bit higher. The deck winches are tiny models in themselves. Be very careful when removing the small parts for the winches, as they can distort or break very easily.

I painted the model with Testor enamels, light sea gray for all of the vertical surfaces, and European I gray with some flat white added to lighten up the color for the horizontal surfaces. The lower hull is flat red with a flat-black boot strip. Decals go on without any problems as long as you gloss the surfaces first.

I spent 25 hours on the Jeremiah O'Brien. It looks accurate compared to my photos of the actual ship. Considering Trumpeter's past ship model kit successes, I was surprised at the fit problems. I recommend the "Liberty Ship" to modelers who have some experience building ship kits.

- Mike Ashey