1/426 USS Arizona BB-39

This next build is the Revell 1/426 scale USS Arizona BB-39. I will be building it as she looked before the attack at Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941. I will be using the Gold Medal Models photo etch detail set, Model Monkey 3D printed turrets to replace the kit versions, and some 3D printed O2U Kingfishers to replace the kit Curtiss Bi-planes. This will be displayed next to a Bradford Exchange USS Arizona Memorial sculpture that I received a number of years ago as a gift. I chose the Revell kit because the length of the kit is the same length as the sculpture.

I started this build with the hull. I first drilled out all the portholes on the sides and opened up the anchor and mooring holes on the bow. I then removed the molded in railings. The two halves fit were not as bad as I thought it would be. The seam still required putty but was surprisingly close so not much was needed. I then removed the molded in anchor chains as these will be replaced with real chains.

At this time I ordered some other items. The first was the Legends of Warfare book by David Doyle on the USS Arizona. The second items I ordered were the 1/426 USN Vought OS2U Kingfisher Seaplane Set from Distefan. These are 3D printed aircraft. I ordered these because the kit only supplies the Curtis Bi-planes which were replaced in January of 1941.

I then needed to remove the molded in railings and gun shields as these are being replaced with photo etch detail parts. I also removed the molded in stairs as well. It took a few days to carefully remove them so I am currently working on the photo etch parts now. I will then work on the numerous upper decks that have the plastic railings and replacing them.

The second week of the USS Arizona was spent removing all the molded on railings from all the decks and platforms. There were also a few areas with mold marks as well as some details added. One example is the signal flag boxes. These needed to be removed from the molded railing and then added back on to the photo etch railing.

I also received the Distefan 3D print 1/426 USN Vought OS2U Kingfisher Seaplane Set. This set has 4 aircraft and the details on them are great. I may trim off the canopies and replace them with clear scratch built versions. I will experiment later on one of them.

I am still working on adding the railings now. Once I finish them I can start building up the levels and adding the ladders between the levels.

The third week of the USS Arizona I continued adding railings. I then ran into an issue. The second level of the superstructure has a piece that the instructions want you to add to the rear end. However after reviewing photos in the reference book the section they are trying to represent is actually a part of the smoke stack. This led me to do a deep dive into the smoke stack details. There are none in the kit.

So I switched to modify the stack. The section towards the superstructure was scratch built. I then cut open the funnel on top and removed the vent pipe on the aft side of the stack. I replaced this vent and added the other vent ducts. I cut off the vents on the funnel and scratch built ones that match the reference photos.

With the smoke stack detailing completed I went back adding more photo etch railings to the upper levels of the superstructure. I am hoping to get the superstructure built up and the forward mast assembled this coming week.