Picked up Dragon's "Premium Edition" 1/700 U.S.S. Arizona today...
I haven't built a ship model since I did Aurora's New Jersey when I was a kid...
The time is nigh to get back into the water!
Ever since I visited the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii this April, I've wanted to build the U.S.S. Arizona as she appeared in 1941 right before the attack on Pearl Harbor. After returning to Japan, the only kits I could find were the 1/426 scale and 1/720 scale Revell kits...the larger kit isn't too bad, but the little 1/720 kit is simply awful...
Some Internet research revealed that Banner had released an Arizona in 1/350 and Dragon had released a 1/700 waterline kit in recent years. Evidently the Banner kit has its problems (one being availability here in Japan), but the Dragon kit seemed to receive fairly universal praise. But, like the Banner kit, I couldn't find it anywhere in Japan.
Then, almost as if they knew I was looking for one, Dragon announced the release of a new "Premium Edition" kit of the Arizona, and even had an example on display at the Shizuoka Hobby Show which I attended in May. It went on sale here in Japan today (July 4th), so I picked one up.
Compared to the original release of a few years ago, the new "Premium Edition" includes a more comprehensive PE fret (including railings, the rear crane, ladders, and those distinctive swept-back rigging yards on the forward fire control tower's "fighting top"), anchor chains (a bit out of scale, however), slide-molded main cannons with open muzzles (brass barrels are also included, but the plastic parts look just as good and will not require the surgery that the brass barrels will need for installation. I'm using the plastic parts!), lower hull parts (you can build her full-hull or waterline), and new bridge and crane parts. Other good news is that all the plastic is styrene, unlike the previous release that inexplicably featured some parts molded in vinyl. Cartograf decals are included for the markings.
It seems to be a great kit as is sits in the box. It's been a while since I've built a ship, but here's hoping the experience of all those years of building armor, aircraft, automobiles, starships, and monsters won't let me down here in the shipyard!
Here's a pic of the box art:
A bit later than their stated release date, but a welcomed release nonetheless!