Need an Opinion

I'm probably telling you something you already know, but...I'm building that kit next, and I took a look at it the other night (mine has been sitting on a shelf since the 80's) and the parts are just beautifully formed with little or no mold problems. Even for a 1/350 kit, the detail seems very sharp. I'd expect we're both going to have a good time building this kit.

Also, I'm not doing any PE on this one (budget concerns) but I'd bet that it's more than worth the investment if you've got the funds.

I'm building this kit as USS Ticonderoga for the Cold War Group Build. If you're interested in keeping tabs on my progress (or you're building yours as one of the Cold War Ticos and want to join us) come on over and check it out. I expect to start her in the next couple of weeks. Or, you can get my email address from my profile.

http://www.finescale.com/fsm/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=34490

I have found the dragon 1:350 scale ships pretty good myself. I've built the Tico and one of the Spruances (it's in the other room and I'm too lazy to get up). I have also built a few of the 1:700 scale ships, but they aren't quite as good. As to photo-etch, Only do it if you want to spend the money...and if this is the first of your ships, think about waiting for a later project.

I wish more 1:350 scale ships would come out myself....I could build a fleet of them! My next project will probably be the Tamiya Modern New Jersey.

I recently began Dragon's Bunker Hill (Ticonderoga class) 1/350th scale ship. The only problem I have run into so far was a broken and warped propeller shaft, which Dragon replaced cost free. I would suggest obtaining Gold Medal Models photo etched set to detail your Tico. While not cheap, photo etched detail really enhances what I consider to be a nice kit. My CG has kind of taken a back seat as I work on Panda's 1/350th DDG kit, which I am building up as the Stethem (DDG63). In my impression of the two kits, Dragon's CG definitely has finer detail than Panda's DDG. A few years back I built up DML/Dragon's USS Ingersoll and was quite pleased with the way it turned out. While I have only gotten the two prop shafts on the current Dragon CG kit and painted the bottom of the hull, my impression is that it is of the same quality as the old Ingersoll. Good luck with your endeavor; you definitely got a good deal on your Tico. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to e-mail me.
Dick McC