My wife was out running errands a couple of days ago and when she came home she brought me a new model kit, the Revell 1/426 USS Arizona. This is one of the kits that Revell includes in their assortment packs that go to general merchandise and non-model specific hobby and craft stores. It’s not a kit I would normally choose for myself but after opening it and looking it over I’m glad she got it. For one thing it’s a model of one of the most iconic and historically significant ships in history, for another it’s a departure from my normal genres of aircraft and armor. The kit itself is fairly simple and not overly detailed (an understatement if there ever was one) but when you consider it was first released in 1959 and has been a staple in the Revell lineup every since you realize it isn’t at all a bad kit, just one that was created before today’s modern manufacturing techniques.
As with most ship kits the construction begins with the two-part hull. There are minimal alignment pins (two, one bow and one stern) plus several interlocking “fingers” along the bottom of the hull to line things up. In reality those fingers actually make it harder to get the keel seam to line up so I cut them off, something I’ve since seen recommended by others for this kit. By using a fair bit of masking tape I got the seam to close up quite nicely, although due to minor warpage issues the bow and stern required a bit more attention. I applied Testors Liquid Cement to the joint after taping everything up. There was a little seepage in a couple of spots but nothing major.
Hull and box art overview
Bow section
Stern Section
As you can see the railings are molded with only surface detail. There is a photo-etch kit available for this kit from Gold Medal Models but it literally triples the cost of the kit, from $20 to $60 ($40 for the photo-etch). That’s just too much money for me to invest right now although I may consider it if I decide to do this kit again.
Given the kit’s age all detail is of the raised variety, no recessed details. The deck planking is represented by surprisingly fine raised lines. I tried painting with a darkish brown followed by a wash of lighter color (Testors Acryl Earth Red and Armor Sand) and the result was okay, but not what I"m looking for.
Deck painting, first attempt
I’ve since repainted the deck with the Armor Sand with much better results. It’s a good representation of the wood decks. The upperworks and hull will be painted with Tamiya Neutral Grey to represent the scheme she wore in the late-1930s and 1940. No photos yet of those last two and no work today, arthritis just won’t tolerate it.
Did manage to get a few minutes of painting in. Have the superstructure, barbette and most of the detail bits on the foredeck painted. Still need to get the rest of the details and do some minor touch-ups to the deck - darned hands are only so steady these days. Had to give it up when holding the brush was getting too painful.
FYI, rainy, humid, hot days and arthritis do not play well together.
Try looking at Tom’s Modelworks for a PE set, they are more affordable than Gold Medal Models PE. Good to see somebody else having a go at this classic.
I’m just going to plod along and do what I can with what I have. I did manage a bit more work, mostly finishing up the superstructure stack and attaching it to the main deck. Here are a couple of photos of where it stands now:
The grey is darker than it looks, camera flash washed it out. Repainting the decks made a huge difference, they were way too dark earlier. There’s still a long way to go!
From reading may debates her pre-September 1941 colors should be 5D Dark Gray hull with 5L Light Gray superstructure and upperworks. After that it would be 5S Sea Blue hull with 5L Light Gray uppers. I’m sort of having to work with what I have where paint is concerned. I don’t have the exact colors I need and can’t afford to get them right now. Would love to have the entire set of White Ensign US Navy colors but that’s not going to happen anytime soon. I do have some Model Master Dark Sea Blue but that’s way too dark and I’m not sure I can mix it to look right.
Ran into one assembly that was a royal pain, the rear mast. Three legs, two platforms and the fire direction tower all needing to be manipulated and glued at the same time. Must have taken me an hour of fiddling and muttering before I finally got it to look the way it should.
Haven’t made any progress today. If I do go to the bench it will be to do some more detail painting. Need to be able to set up my airbrush to do the rest and I just don’t feel like messing with it right now. Too hot in the garage and I don’t have a vented hood to use inside. When I finally can I’ll mask the decks and spray a color closer to 5L. As for the Hull…well, I’ll see what I can do.
Well, my wife has said she’ll pick up some paint for me while she’s out on errands on Tuesday! Now I just need to figure out which colors to tell her to get. Not sure the LHS carries the Model Master International paints so I need to find out what’s closest in the standard lines, either MM enamels or Acryls or Tamiya acrylics.
Here is where she stands now:
The fore and aft masts aren’t glued on yet, still need to paint them.
Stikpusher, looking at that first photo is appears her turrets were a lighter shade of grey? Any ideas what those actual shades would be? Found this photograph that shows what appears to be overall light gray with possibly black for the smokestack cap?
Tamiya Hull Red is matched to the IJN hull red, which was more brown than the US Navy’s. I prefer my hulls the more brighter US red.
The 5-L gray used in 1941 is the same tone as the prewar #5 Navy Gray that was used, but is more neutral (prewar gray had a slight blueish color to it). That may help with your color choices. Arizona was in the prewar gray in 1941 up to about late May.
Turrets were NOT lighter than the rest of the ship, the angled slopes causes more light reflection, which makes them appear lighter. Turrets 1,2 & 4 had insignia red painted on top for recognition purposes:
I agree most emphatically with Tracy on the matter of the red lower hull. I have seen far too many otherwise outstanding ship models marred by that IJN hull red. Model Masters has a line of railroad colors in acrylics with a “caboose brick red” that comes close. They also have a line of naval colors that advertises a “Navy Red” that I have never seen and am very curious about. Use a red that looks right to you. IJN Hull Red ain’t it.
Don’t forget .The two gun stations just aft of the step-down would remain empty. She never got the guns for there . That would be both port and starboard .Put some sprue in the holes, smooth it out and paint it grey inside .
I was wondering about this kit. My 10 year old son is getting into battleship models right now and he bought the (I mean I bought ) U.S.S. Missouri from Revell from your favorite chain hobby shop. He was going to get the Arizona but decided on the Missouri instead. I think he’s going back for the Arizona so I’ll be paying this build attention. Thanks for posting this.
If you want to go that route, leave the two forward tubs on the boat deck empty as well; these four were meant to receive the quad 1.1" “Chicago Piano” gun mounts, but they weren’t available in time and the tubs were empty for all of 1941 and eternity…
It’s a great kit for a kid - I built it a couple of times and that kit is why I have a real fire in the head for the ship itself (she’s my favorite battleship). It’s not a spectacular build, but it’s not a treacherous one either, in my opinion. Hardest part is the tripods.
The Revell “box scale” 1/426 Arizona is just one of those things, been in production uninterrupted for over 50 years that make ya say, “Wow, this is one of them that got it all started…” And ya hope it never stops. Build it out of the box or super detail it with scratch building and GMM’s photoetch set. Either way, you will have truely an American icon.
