Dragon’s newest 1/700 plastic ship kit set to launch onto the international market is a Benson-class destroyer of the U.S. Navy. However, Dragon’s kit has a few pleasant surprises in store. The most important point is that it’s a 1+1 kit! This means there’s not just a single destroyer in the box, but two complete models are enclosed (one with a waterline hull and the other with a full hull). This allows modelers to make a 1/700 scale kit of the USS Laffey AND USS Woodworth. Another special feature is that this is the first Smart Kit in Dragon’s 1/700 sea power series, with all the associated advantages of slide molds, advanced engineering and sheer convenience.
The USS Laffey (DD-459) was commissioned on 31 March 1942 and was dispatched to the Pacific. It helped rescue survivors from the USS Wasp, before later engaging in a fierce battle near Guadalcanal. In the battle on 13 November 1942, Laffey took on a Japanese battleship and two destroyers at point-blank range before succumbing to the enemy’s superior gunfire. The USS Laffey was sunk with heavy loss of life. On the other hand, the USS Woodworth (DD-460) was commissioned one month after the Laffey. Serving in the Pacific theater, the USS Woodworth had a busy time in numerous engagements with Japanese aircraft, a cruiser, destroyers, ground artillery and a submarine. After surviving the war, this destroyer was subsequently transferred to the Italian Navy.
Since the design of these plastic kits is based on a larger 1/350 kit, these new ships benefit from unprecedented levels of detail. There are photo-etched metal parts (for example, funnel ladders, bridge supports). Modelers can produce both the Laffey and Woodworth, with decal markings provided for both vessels. Since the box contains one waterline hull and one full hull, modelers can decide which ship will receive the relevant hull. With this 1+1 set, there are two very good reasons inside the box for ship modelers to acquire these important WWII destroyers!
Features:
- Two options of upper hull w/undercut details realistically represented
- Bilge keels are represented on lower hull by slide mold technology
- Deck has relistically reproduced camber
- Waterline or full hull version can be assembled
- Forward superstructure deck retooled for close mounted 20 mm gun tubs
- Flat faced superstructure deckhouse for Benson class is newly tooled
- Extra-fine detail on superstructure walls like hose, ladder patterns delicately reproduced
- Rear undecked funnel trunking for superstructure is newly tooled
- Optional barrels with blast bags provided for gun turrets
- Upper mpunt and lower mount 5-inch guns realistically reproduced
- Flar-sided funnels for Benson class destroyers
- Funnels provided w/option of molded on ladders or add on photo-etched ladders
- Turret w/realistic detail
- Realistically detailed gun barrels are slide molded w/hollow ends
- Smoke generator w/fine detail
- Quintuple torpedo launcher in fine detail
- 5-inch practice loading machine in great detail
- New lower profile platform for 36-inch searchlight
- Extremely fine detailed parts like davits for 26' whale boats
- Whale boats w/photo-etched parts finely reproduced
- Sky-lookout shield finely represented w/photo-etched parts
- 1.1-inch AA gun reproduced w/delicate detail
- Rudder is movable
- True-to-scale ultra thin propellers reproduced
- Depth charges and K-gun molded w/extra-fine detail
- Special device included to bend specific photo-etched parts to correct angle
- Bridge supports finely represented w/photo-etched or plastic parts