May 1, 2008

1:350 USS Missouri Complete





Well it is time to wrap the pig in the blanket on this one- the USS Missouri is roughly 90% complete. The rudder system, a few 20mm orliekons and a few antannae need to be attached and the model will be complete.


I enjoyed this project in that I was not satisfied with a deck tan paint job- the decks came out hideous. I went and repainted them a gunship gray and approved of the results. I also added a basic camo job to the model, with a blue hull above the waterline, a waterline and a mica red hull. Nearly all horizontal surfaces were painted deck tan, and the AA were painted as well.


This project is unique in that we have very little space left inside the hull, it is a maze! The ship features a speaker system, an LED lighting system (my roommate and I just completed that, the searchlights light up upon a flip of a switch), a basic two way system (steering and acceleration) and a mossfet anti-leak system. Should any water be exposed to the bare copper wires lining the ships interior, a "whirly bird" siren will go off, telling me that there is a problem, and it is LOUD.


The USS Missouri is Ipod compatible and I am able to insert an Ipod, or any MP3 player for that matter. With Itunes I can control a playlist and have a "show" of sounds play as the ship is played with. There is also the capacity to insert an audio presentation into the ship for people who are interested in learning about the ship as it sits where I will put it on display. The search lights light up, but not the superstructure to simulate blackout conditions.


The molded deck chain was removed and scale chain was added to simulate a more realistic look. Smaller deck details were also painted to simulate a more realistic look, including a weathering job.


For a Mini-Hobbies model (chinese) it wasn't too bad, however there were a few areas of the kit that could have used more detail. Overall, for what it is I am very pleased with this model kit and I will be float testing it tomorrow along with a propulsion test. Video should follow!


The next project will be to work on the 1/350 USS Enterprise, and she is a big one. This ship will feature a two speaker system, Ipod compatibility, superstructure lighting, possible runway lighting, a basic two part system (propulsion and steering), a two piece rudder, four piece, 1.5v-3v motor system with an option to cut power to 50%, and a seperate motor system to rotate dishes in the top of the superstructure. It should be a lot of fun! The catch? ehh I won't have my roommate this time- he is off to another state for training and he won't be coming back next year.

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