CA-36 USS Minneapolis
by Keith Bender

1/350 USS Minneapolis CA-36 (Classic Warships)

The USS Minneapolis CA 36 is a Classic Warships kit of the USS New Orleans CA 32. I used the NO kit because of the earlier turrets she had that were the same as the Minne's turrets. This model was built on a commission for the grandson of a former crewmember who served aboard her from April 43-April 46. It was decided to make her as Oct. 43. This meant that the MS 8. camo pattern would be used. I have always wanted to build the Minne just so I could do this pattern. Colors consist of 1943 light grey 5-L, Ocean Grey 5-O and Dull Black with Weather Deck Blue 20-B on all horizontal surfaces. The hull was pretty much built right out of the box. The aft superstructure was modified some by adding a few extra areas. The MK 33 directors did not come with the kit and were obtained separately from CW. The forward super was the biggest problem. It had to be completely scratchbuilt. I also turned six 40mm gun tubs from brass and four MK 51 director tubs as well.  Both fwd. and main mast are made of all brass rods and tubes soldered.

I disregarded the metal planes and used resin SOC planes from WEM to eliminate some weight from the catapults. I find the planes usually brake off during a long trip because the only thing holding them on is the float. This time I soldered a brass pin the cat deck and drill a hole right up through the float to the planes fuselage. They won't come off now during the models flight to it's home in San Francisco. Most of the 20mm gun tubs are made from brass sheet or plastic. Photoetch from the kit as well as Gold Medal and Tom's was used for this project. Most of the splinter shields around the superstructure are brass sheet soldered together. The quad 40mm and 20mm's came from Tamiya.

This like the CW 1942 San Fran kit were pretty good builds. I put about 60 hours into this one. I used CW book #2 on the Minne and the internet for research.