USS Tortuga LSD-26
by Mark Gloor

1/288 USS Tortuga LSD-26 (Lindberg)

LSD-26/USS Tortuga - Casa Grande Class

No flash kit, GREAT, but only 2 of the 15 ramps for the LCVPs were flush, all others required fill. Had planned on floating in water but decided I did not want the hull full, but did come close to drilling a hole in the bottom. 4 LCVPs that I tested DID float.

Otherwise a real fun build for a very interesting vessel. Minor enhancements, deckside LCVPs have bumper rope, cranes have wrapped grey thread, painted steel, at cable take-in base. A stern "26" decal came off so I had to improvise that. Luckily had press-on letters the same size, if mildly different font.

Most tedious aspect was three sets of decals on EACH of the 15 LCVPs. Did that last.

Trivia learned while researching:

1. Deckside LCVPs are nearly always the deck color, kit called for them to be the pale green shown on most. Did only 12 pale green.
2. It takes 2.5 hours to properly ballast the tanks for proper stablization before vessels can leave.
3. Once bay emptied of water, crew could often have sea bass for supper.
4. There is a great pic at the wiki entry for specifically LSD-26 that shows a group of LVTs on their way out.

Kit has the camo cover, however only found one pic, of many, of the Casa Grande Class, in the camo coloration. Unfortunately nearly all pics were from a distance of the whole vessel.

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