by David Salvin
1/700 USS Seattle AOE-3 (JAG)
Next on the list of the exotic for my patron is the USS Sacramento kit from JAG. He wanted the kit done as the USS Seattle in or about 2005 shortly before she was decommissioned . The kit itself is massive (by 1/700 scale standards) at just about 12 inches long. The kit comes with a full instruction book including rigging instructions and color recommendations. None of which were of much use in my case as the USS Seattle of 2005 is a bit different from the USS Sacramento of 1975 as depicted in the kit. However, the modifications were not terribly significant. JAG even sent me two Phalanx close in weapons when they sent out two of the derricks which were missing from the kit.
The kit comes with a PE fret with everything you need except railings. (And for a retail price of $120.00, it should) However, due to the length of the ship and the deck configuration, you will need nearly a full PE set of railings for this kit. (I used Lion Roar’s US Navy set.) Also included was a length of anchor chain (pre-rusted) and metal wire for the refueling lines.
While the detailing is excellent and casting well done, the resin in this kit was a real problem. Even after being scrubbed with dishwashing soap and a tooth brush, then primed with oil based Tamiya surface primer, the neither the primer nor the Tamiya acrylics I used would stick to this kit. Any tape I put on to mask would instantly peal off the paint. Only though significant sanding along the waterline could I get the paint to stick for black waterline boot topping. That level of sanding on the decks and superstructure just wasn’t possible. I wrote JAG about this problem, but they had no answers or explanation.
The kit not only included most of the PE you need, but a full decal sheet with battle E’s, decorations and citations (all too large to actually fit on the wings of the bridge where they would actually be displayed. Speaking of the derricks, they, and the life boats were all cast in white metal. While not exactly state of the art for this day and age, nor particularly detailed, they did allow for me to bend the derrick stanchions slightly to match the deck and the angles necessary to meet the other parts of the derricks.
Overall the kit came together fine (other than the paint not sticking). Jag makes fine, well thought out kit. (If you can get your paint to stick to it)
