Dragon 1/700 USS Belleau Wood CVL-24

Kit: 7058
Scale: 1/700
Manufacturer: Dragon, from Dragon Models USA, 626-968-0322, Dragon Models USA
Price: $25.95
Comments: Injection-molded, 365 parts (31 photoetched-brass), decals
Pros: Well-molded details; lots of optional parts; good decals; excellent photoetched-brass detail
Cons: Confusing, incomplete assembly and color drawings; major hull parts fit poorly; photoetched-brass parts difficult to fold, assemble

After Pearl Harbor, with the U.S. Navy desperate for aircraft carriers, nine Cleveland-class light cruisers were quickly converted to "light carriers." Despite being top-heavy and crudely equipped, these Independence-class carriers were fast enough to keep up with battle groups and served ably alongside more familiar Essex-class fleet carriers later in World War II. One, USS Princeton (CVL-23), was sunk October 1944 at Leyte.

Dragon's kit of the USS Belleau Wood is a modified reissue of the Skywave kit (USS Independence, CVL-22). Additions to the old kit are parts for a full hull, aircraft (six each of F6F Hellcats and TBM Avengers), supplementary Skywave weapons sprues, and a brace of optional photoetched- brass parts superior to the heavy, "solid" plastic latticework, antennas, rails, and an aircraft crane. A few additional plastic parts reflect changes in gun mounts and sealing plates over openings in the bow bulkheads.

The instructions show several options in the gun platforms edging the flightdeck. Presumably, platforms and equipment changed over time and among the ships of the class. But Dragon explains nothing.

The fit of the major plastic parts is OK, but the awkward attachment of the bulged hull to the bow and stern leaves prominent seams. I filled them with gap-filling super glue and sanded them smooth.

Most of the photoetched-brass parts go at the top of the tiny island. The instructions don't show all the folds necessary on some of these miniscule parts. In the case of the searchlight platform, midway up the main mast, it is impossible to install as shown; it must be trapped within the three sides of the latticework as the sides are folded together.

I found the "cranked" smoke stacks didn't fit properly to the right side of the superstructure, so I carved notches in the flight-deck catwalks to fix them.

Dragon provides an optional clear flight deck, and the superstructure sides also are molded clear. There is a large photoetched-brass hangar deck part, but it is visible only if you use the clear flight deck. I left the brass part out.

The aircraft, well-molded for this scale, feature separate folded wings, propellers, and landing gear.

The painting instructions show two schemes for the carrier, with colors pointed out in mixing ratios for Gunze Sangyo paints. I used Polly Scale acrylics to paint the simpler Measure 21 scheme of Navy blue with a weathered deck-blue on the flight deck.

Decals for the flight deck and aircraft went down fine with a little setting solution. Instructions show the aircraft's tiny stars and bars upside down on the top wing surfaces, and on the wrong wing for the lower surfaces.

My reference for the project is Stefan Terzibaschitsch's Aircraft Carriers of the U.S. Navy (Naval Institute Press). It took me nearly 40 hours to finish the little carrier - more than usual because of the fit problems and figuring out the folds on the microscopic photoetched-brass parts. You'll find Dragon's upgrade of the old Skywave kit an improvement if you're willing and able to accomplish the metalwork.

- Paul Boyer