by Mark Taylor
1/350 USS Laffey DD-459 (DML)
This is my latest build in plastic. Dragon's new 1/350 Laffey. I love the story of this ship and was very happy when the news came out that Dragon was going to release this subject. I painted her in the Measure 21 Navy Blue color scheme that she last appeared in before sinking the early morning hours of November 13, 1942 in Iron Bottom Sound. I used Cyber Hobby's photo etch upgrade set and some Tom's PE that I had left over from prior builds. For paints I used Tamiya acrylics and Polyscale. Decks and hull below the water line were sprayed with an airbrush and the remaining parts, including the hull above the water line were brush-applied. Rigging is fine silk fly-tying thread, stained dark grey. It was a very enjoyable and easy-fitting model to build. No wonder so many modelers call this family of tin cans in the Dragon line the most exquisite plastic ship models made to date.
