Building and Detailing Trumpeter's 1/350 USS North Carolina BB 55 Book Review

By Michael Benolkin

Trumpeter/HobbyBoss has released a variety of kit subjects that I never thought we'd see in 1/350th scale. Subjects like the Essex-class aircraft carriers and this USS North Carolina battleship are good examples of why it is a great time to be a scale modeler. On the other hand, some of these kits have challenges with structure, fit, and complexity that can frustrate the average modeler. When these challenges are overcome, the resulting models can be spectacular. Enter Mike Ashey Publishing and the title focused on building the North Carolina.

As with other titles in Mike Ashey Publishing series, the author walks you step-by-step through the process of building this huge kit. One of the first areas addressed is the basic structural integrity of the model. Despite its size, the thickness of the plastic can allow for too much flexibility when being handled resulting in popped seams or worse. The author shows you how to modify the hull and main deck for a strong and rigid foundation to build upon without losing surface detailing. The author provides excellent photography to illustrate step-by-step how to overcome some of the fit problems and achieve excellent results.

One of the big takeaways from this particular monograph is how manipulate and install the variety of photo-etched parts from railings and ladders to catwalks and catapults. There are some nice tips presented here.

If you've got this kit in your stash or one of Trumpeter/HobbyBoss' other 1/200 or 1/350 scale ships on your project list, the information contained in this title will help you with techniques that can be applied to any larger scale warship model.

My sincere thanks to Mike Ashey Publishing for this review copy!