There are not too much carriers on the market in 1/350 scale. There are less from the modern ones. To be exact, there are only 2. The old USS Enterprise CVN-65, - the first nuclear carrier - from Tamiya, and the Trumpeter USS Nimitz CVN-68. Both kits can be built to a huge, and very impressive model if you have the skills and the room to accommodate them. Who already met with any of the 2 modern carriers, he knows that both needs lot of work to make them accurate, and detailed.

There are aircraft options for both kits, and I have to say that non of them are up to date concerning the quality - if we look at the detail level the companies can achieve nowadays at other kits -, even not the Trumpeter ones, although they are much better (as it's new instead of Tamiya's offer)

Gold Medal Models offers a very nice photo etch set to detail those toy-like aircrafts.

As the first impression, I have to mention that GMM posted the set in a very nice envelope, with cardboards to strengthen the whole pack to make the PE sets bending virtually impossible. The pack included the PE set itself, a detailed instruction sheet with the aircraft profiles and description of the parts placement. There's a product list and order form included also.

My first impression with the PE set itself was very good. It' not easy to find this small and detailed parts on the market. All the parts are very clean, and sharply detailed. The fret contains useful information about the parts at a place, and all the parts are grouped by plane types. It's a nice idea.

This set will equip any of the aircraft for Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise (CVN-65) and Trumpeter's 1/350 scale Nimitz-class aircraft carrier kits. It is intended to equip one fourth of a full air wing with a few parts left over. Four of these sets will be required if a modeler wishes to replicate a full air wing. Three sets will fill the flight deck and leave a few planes left for the hangar. Two sets will give a flight deck a busy look and leave one or two planes for the hangar, a good choice for budget-minded modelers. One set will equip all the aircraft included in Trumpeter's Nimitz kit with some parts left over.

The set contains:

• 6 F-14 Tomcats

• 6 A-6 Intruders and/or EA-6B Prowlers

• 6 A-7 Corsair II's

• 10 F/A-18 Hornets

• 6 F-4 Phantoms

• 3 S-3 Vikings

• 2 E-2 Hawkeyes

• 2 SH-3 Sea Kings

• 2 RA-5C Vigilantes

• 2 EA-3B Skywarriors.

Total number of aircraft of all types: forty-five (45.) Not all types will be used at one time on one ship. Extra parts are provided in the event of loss or damage. 

In addition, 86 underwing bomb racks in six styles for several aircraft and 14 Sidewinder missile racks for A-7 Corsairs are supplied. Tailhooks for several aircraft are furnished (some models of aircraft don't need them because their hooks are completely concealed when not in use) and boarding ladders for A-6, EA-6B, and F-4 aircraft are also included as well as four non-aircraft-specific boarding ladders. Also furnished are 6 refueling probes for A-6 and EA-6B aircraft. Cabin doors and SAR winches are supplied for the SH-3 Sea Kings. Extended nose gear struts for F-4 Phantoms are also furnished for aircraft about to be catapulted. Extensive relief etching is employed for added detail on wheels, rotors, and numerous other parts.

Please see the high resolution full fret image below to inspect the whole fret!

It's very simple. If you'd like to detail those small birds, it's highly recommended!

If you like this set, you can order it from Gold Medal Models at www.goldmm.com 

Or you can send orders to:

GOLD MEDAL MODELS 
1412 Fisherman Bay Road
Lopez, WA 98261 USA 
USA

Sample kit courtesy by Loren Perry's Gold Medal Models. Thank you!

Photos and text © 2005 by Zoltan Pocza

www.carrierbuilders.cjb.net