Riich 1/350 Los Angeles Class Submarine w/DSRV Kit First Look

By Michael Benolkin

First Look

Riich Models has returned with a 3-in-1 release of their 688-class submarine kit. The kit is molded in dark gray styrene and presented on three parts trees plus a base and stand-offs molded in black, a small fret of photo-etched detail parts, and a photo-etched brass plaque for the display base.

The kit provides options for all three configurations of the Los Angeles class. The three configurations are: Flight I with the original deck and mounting the dive planes on the conning tower; Flight II which added vertical launch missile tubes in the bow (new deck) but retaining the dive planes on the conning tower; and, Improved 688 which relocated the dive planes from the conning tower to the bow. Also in this kit is a Deep Sea Recovery Vehicle (DSRV) with cradle mounted to the aft escape hatch.

The kit consists of the two lower hull halves plus two versions of the upper hull molded separately to allow for changes in configuration. There are two small gray trees which provide the two configurations of the conning towers used in these three configurations.

The kit offers movable stern dive planes and your choice of extended or stowed periscopes and antenna masts.

Decals are provided for three examples:

• USS Los Angeles, SSN 688 (Flight I)
• USS Chicago, SSN 721 (Flight II)
• USS Hartford, SSN 768 (Improved 688)

The decal sheet is included in all three releases and you're only supposed to build the Los Angeles from this sheet. The sheet does include sufficient numbers to render whichever boat you'd like to represent.

If you're looking for a nicely detailed kit of this distinctive nuclear attack boat, look no further. Check out one of these kits from Riich Models.

My sincere thanks to DML for this review sample