New 1/700 USS Enterprise announced!

[JasonW]

Coming from Cyber Hobby a new mold kit of the USS Enterprise in 1/700 scale with new mold aircraft and a complete hanger deck! Can be built in her 1969 fit.

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/download/file.php?id=41176&mode=view

http://www.militarymodelling.com/news/article.asp?a=8682

Edited October 22, 2011 by JasonW

[HOLMES]

WHOA !!! That is pretty awesome Jason.

[IrishGreek]

Jason,

That's pretty cool, until now only the old revell kit was available in this scale (or maybe 720?), right? Is there a 700 scale in her more recent outfit available?

[JasonW]

Jason,

That's pretty cool, until now only the old revell kit was available in this scale (or maybe 720?), right? Is there a 700 scale in her more recent outfit available?

You're right, Revell was it really in smaller scales. Arii did a 1/800 kit of a more recent fit (post 1979). However, up til now there has been nothing available currently for the CVN-65 Enterprise in 1/700 or 1/720. Even the Revell kit is OOP now. The Tamiya 1/350 kit has pretty much been the gold standard of the various scales available.

Here is a build by a member over on Model Warships website combining the Revell 1/720 and Arii 1/800 kits to make a 2006 fit Enterprise that looks really good:

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/cv/cvn-65/720-nk/nk-index.html

[arnobiz]

Considering that the Revell kit already exists for the original Enterprise I wonder why they did not do a modern (2001 or 2005) variant?

Arnaud

[IrishGreek]

You're right, Revell was it really in smaller scales. Arii did a 1/800 kit of a more recent fit (post 1979). However, up til now there has been nothing available currently for the CVN-65 Enterprise in 1/700 or 1/720. Even the Revell kit is OOP now. The Tamiya 1/350 kit has pretty much been the gold standard of the various scales available.

Here is a build by a member over on Model Warships website combining the Revell 1/720 and Arii 1/800 kits to make a 2006 fit Enterprise that looks really good:

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/cv/cvn-65/720-nk/nk-index.html

Well, it looks like a nice kit (most of the new ones really are!) and I will probably get one too. Hopefully someone will do the Kennedy soon , since I think that might be the only super-carrier that has not been done?

Thanks for the link too!

[JasonW]

Considering that the Revell kit already exists for the original Enterprise I wonder why they did not do a modern (2001 or 2005) variant?

Arnaud

Well, the Revell kit is a relatively old mold. I think it dates from the late 1960's or early 70's. It had some fit issues and just wasn't state of the art in terms of detail so this is a welcome release either way. They could still produce a more recent fit of the Big E by replacing some parts and adding a few additional sprues and it wouldn't be relatively complex one would think. The island was the major external difference.

Cyberhobby has really been doing well by us 1/700 scale USN guys lately, they recently released a 1/700 Albany class guided missile cruiser as well as having done the CGN-38 USS Virginia and CGN-9 USS Long Beach not that long ago. They're giving us 1/700 kits that up til now had been available in 1/700 scale only in resin format and for tons of money.

[IrishGreek]

Well, the Revell kit is a relatively old mold. I think it dates from the late 1960's or early 70's. It had some fit issues and just wasn't state of the art in terms of detail so this is a welcome release either way. They could still produce a more recent fit of the Big E by replacing some parts and adding a few additional sprues and it wouldn't be relatively complex one would think. The island was the major external difference.

Cyberhobby has really been doing well by us 1/700 scale USN guys lately, they recently released a 1/700 Albany class guided missile cruiser as well as having done the CGN-38 USS Virginia and CGN-9 USS Long Beach not that long ago. They're giving us 1/700 kits that up til now had been available in 1/700 scale only in resin format and for tons of money.

Didn't they just to a USS New York (the new amphib) too?

[JasonW]

Well, it looks like a nice kit (most of the new ones really are!) and I will probably get one too. Hopefully someone will do the Kennedy soon , since I think that might be the only super-carrier that has not been done?

Thanks for the link too!

Right again, nobody has ever done a JFK, in ANY scale (except for the old Monogram 1/900? Snap kit from the 1970's). I have seen and read about folks who used the Italeri USS America as a starting point and also the Fujimi USS Kitty Hawk for pretty intense modifications, but it is a lot of work to get all the finer details in terms of differences between these ships and the JFK.

Someday a manufacturer will get this figured out and produce one.

At the current rate, we may be long gone before that happens though......

[JasonW]

Didn't they just to a USS New York (the new amphib) too?

They did, and also the USS Independence LCS and USS Freedom LCS kits which are very nice. The New York kit is looks great in the box. Their (Dragon/Cyber-Hobby/DML or whatever they're called now...) Arleigh Burke class kits are nice as well. They have also recently done the HMS Daring Type 45 Royal Navy destroyer that is pretty nice.

[JasonW]

IrishGreek, check out this build of the JFK:

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/cv/cv-67/720-bc/bc-index.html

[IrishGreek]

IrishGreek, check out this build of the JFK:

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/cv/cv-67/720-bc/bc-index.html

Jason,

That's a pretty nice build! I am working on a Kirov and want to put it in a sea setting. Working on the PE now, which is REALLY challenging. It's so easy to break at the bend points.

Another quick question, do you know if anyone has done a 700 or 720 (close enough to each other scale wise) of either the Midway or Coral Sea?

Thanks,

John

[JasonW]

Jason,

That's a pretty nice build! I am working on a Kirov and want to put it in a sea setting. Working on the PE now, which is REALLY challenging. It's so easy to break at the bend points.

Another quick question, do you know if anyone has done a 700 or 720 (close enough to each other scale wise) of either the Midway or Coral Sea?

Thanks,

John

Ah, there is another black hole in the 1/700-1/720 aircraft carrier world. Arii did a modern fit Midway in 1/800 which is kind of toyish but can be built up to look decent with some work. HP (a resin manufacturer from Germany) did the FDR, Coral Sea and Midway in 1/700 resin but as seen in the late 1940's and after first rebuild in the mid-50's. The HP kits are like $225 each if you can find them now, a little too thick for my blood. I'd love one, but $225 is a lot of money for a 1/700 ship. Another resin manufacturer by the name of Loose Cannon makes a Midway in her original as launched configuration, again for $225. I think Pacific Front Hobbies (aka Free Time Hobbies now) might have either or both of the resin kits in stock in case you win the lottery. Revell put out an injection plastic kit many years ago of the Midway in her as built configuration, but it was box scale (something like 1/545 or something). You can find it on eBay from time to time, occasionally it becomes a bidding war. Not a bad kit, given it's from the 1950's. I started one a few years back, still sitting unfinished to this day. I think I have modellers ADD or something.

For whatever reason, the Midway class has gone relatively untouched over the years by model manufacturers. Maybe Cyber-Hobby will surprise us and release a kit of her AND the JFK. (You listening Cyber-Hobby?!)

[IrishGreek]

Ah, there is another black hole in the 1/700-1/720 aircraft carrier world. Arii did a modern fit Midway in 1/800 which is kind of toyish but can be built up to look decent with some work. HP (a resin manufacturer from Germany) did the FDR, Coral Sea and Midway in 1/700 resin but as seen in the late 1940's and after first rebuild in the mid-50's. The HP kits are like $225 each if you can find them now, a little too thick for my blood. I'd love one, but $225 is a lot of money for a 1/700 ship. Another resin manufacturer by the name of Loose Cannon makes a Midway in her original as launched configuration, again for $225. I think Pacific Front Hobbies (aka Free Time Hobbies now) might have either or both of the resin kits in stock in case you win the lottery. Revell put out an injection plastic kit many years ago of the Midway in her as built configuration, but it was box scale (something like 1/545 or something). You can find it on eBay from time to time, occasionally it becomes a bidding war. Not a bad kit, given it's from the 1950's. I started one a few years back, still sitting unfinished to this day. I think I have modellers ADD or something.

For whatever reason, the Midway class has gone relatively untouched over the years by model manufacturers. Maybe Cyber-Hobby will surprise us and release a kit of her AND the JFK. (You listening Cyber-Hobby?!)

Thanks for all the info. I didn't know about those resin ones, but personally I am more interested in their late-life configs (angled decks, CIWS, etc). I had seen the old FDR from the 50's (revell I think) that was around the scale you mentioned. But I am trying to keep things 'sort-of' size relevant. Either 700 (or very close) or 350 (or close). You know, the old apples to apples comparisons...

Come on Cyber-hobby! I never imagined a injection Virgina, Long Beach or Albany. Surprise us again. PLEASE!

[roym]

Jason,

That's a pretty nice build! I am working on a Kirov and want to put it in a sea setting. Working on the PE now, which is REALLY challenging. It's so easy to break at the bend points.

Another quick question, do you know if anyone has done a 700 or 720 (close enough to each other scale wise) of either the Midway or Coral Sea?

Thanks,

John

Hi John,

The Arii Midway while stated as 1/800 actually works out at very close to 1/730 so fits in lovely with the Italeri and Revell carriers.

Nice build here;

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=18158

Scroll down about 2/3rds on the first page.

Then a few pages after shows a conversion of Midway kit to Coral Sea. Much, much, much later is one to FDR. Big long thread there...

HTH

Roy

Edited November 3, 2011 by roym

[IrishGreek]

Hi John,

The Arii Midway while stated as 1/800 actually works out at very close to 1/730 so fits in lovely with the Italeri and Revell carriers.

Nice build here;

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=18158

Scroll down about 2/3rds on the first page.

Then a few pages after shows a conversion of Midway kit to Coral Sea. Much, much, much later is one to FDR. Big long thread there...

HTH

Roy

Roy,

You are not kidding! Wow, that is some awesome building going on in that thread! Thanks for sharing it.

john

[JasonW]

Hi John,

The Arii Midway while stated as 1/800 actually works out at very close to 1/730 so fits in lovely with the Italeri and Revell carriers.

Nice build here;

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=18158

Scroll down about 2/3rds on the first page.

Then a few pages after shows a conversion of Midway kit to Coral Sea. Much, much, much later is one to FDR. Big long thread there...

HTH

Roy

Roy, just out of curiosity where did you read or hear about the Arii kit being close to 1/730? Is there a thread over on Model Warships website that details the specifics?

If that is in fact true, I'm a happy camper as I have two of the Midway kits but I'm pretty much a 1/700 guy, so at 1/800 it was not going to fit in well with the rest, but as you pointed out at 1/730 it does.

[EX_Birdgunner]

So is there any update on when the 1/700 Enterprise is coming out? Also, can it be built with a modern configuration? I would love to do a final cruise version of Big "E".

Denis

[JasonW]

So is there any update on when the 1/700 Enterprise is coming out? Also, can it be built with a modern configuration? I would love to do a final cruise version of Big "E".

Denis

They have had this thing announced for about a year now. No clue as to an actual release date right now. The kit is for her as commissioned configuration so you'd have to do some work to get her to a final cruise configuration. One would think they would release additional configurations, but you never know.