by John Bange
1/500 USS Iowa BB-61 (Revell/Kitbash)
This is my attempt at the USS Iowa BB-61. I have been kitbashing this old Revell Missouri kit for 40 years or so. This is the first time I have ever completed one. the kit is really only good for parts. The hull is flat and lacks detail and the bow is wrong. I am not sure the bow on my cedar hull is any better but I like it better.
The bridge area of this kit has been carved and ground to try and show the differences of Iowa from the other 3 ships in this class. I cut off all rails and replaced them with pe. Poto-etch replaces all ladders, hatches, and radar also. I used mark 37's from 2 Lindburg "Essex" kits but kept the FH main battery fire control.
The 5" mounts are from the kits but I removed the barrels and replaced them with pins. I added a fiber washer to the bases to lift them up a little. It takes 2 "Missouri" kits to get the 10 5" mounts and 3 usable 16" turrets. Hey! Revell, This mold is out of gas! 40mm's from the kit are used and are not bad for this scale.
The Iowa carried Kingfishers when she entered the Pacific war and I made mine from those supplied with the Revell heavy cruiser kit. I cut the nose off and added a pe prop. The wing is from the biplane on the Revell Arizona where the awful wing struts become wing floats.
When Iowa entered the war in 1944, she was in this black and gray scheme with one feathered edge. I need an airbrush real bad and this is as close as I could get.
I am out of black fly tying thread so I am sending her in without the rigging. I will do that later
