1:700 Destroyer USS Drayton 1944

The destroyer USS Drayton 1944 in 1:700 scale

The model represents an American destroyer as she was in 1944. 1:700 is a classic among collectors of warships, because even a whole force of vessels stays compact. The set is published by ROP o.s.

The real subject

Drayton was one of the destroyers of interwar design that served in the Pacific through practically the whole war. Ships of this generation escorted the fast task forces, covered landing operations, hunted submarines and attacked with torpedoes in night actions. Toward the end of the war their appearance changed considerably: radar sets were added, the antiaircraft armament was strengthened and a great deal of small equipment appeared on the superstructures. It is precisely this later state that the year in the name denotes.

Building and painting tips

In a small scale, clean work is what counts, because leftover flash shows more on a slender hull than on a large model. The masts and davits will take replacement with fine wire; the guard rails are usually added from a photo-etched set obtained separately. Spray the late war camouflage through masks of paper tape and keep the transitions restrained, because in 1:700 a hard edge looks unnatural.

Who the model is for

• collectors of US Navy destroyers
• modelers who build whole task forces in a single scale
• admirers of the fighting in the Pacific
• builders of display-case arrangements with a small footprint

The kit is unassembled and unpainted; neither the glue nor the shades needed are enclosed.