1:700 Holzdeck für USS Arizona 1941 (Hobby Boss 83401)

The real subject

The USS Arizona was a battleship of the US Navy, one of the two units of the Pennsylvania class. She lay at anchor in Pearl Harbor, where the Japanese attack struck her on 7 December 1941 and the ship sank; her wreck is still on the spot today and serves as a memorial. The deck corresponds to the ship as she appeared in 1941.

What the set contains

The set holds a wooden deck for the Hobby Boss kit with the part number 83401 in 1:700 scale. It replaces the deck formed on the plastic part, where the structure of the planking is only suggested by engraving and disappears once it is painted. Wood has a grain of its own and light reflects off it unevenly, so even in a small scale the deck looks alive and does more for the model than any painting could.

Building tips

Offer the deck up dry first, check how it lines up with the superstructures and the openings, and only then fix it in place following the manufacturer's instructions. The edges seat against shaped cutouts, so do not pull the part or bend it. The base has to be level and free of dust, as every grain will print through a part this thin. The deck does not need painting, but it will take gentle toning and a light picking out of the seams; work with very thin paint, as wood absorbs and a heavy coat floods the grain. Glue the superstructures, the armament and the small parts only once the deck is seated, otherwise it is awkward to handle the part around them.

Terms of supply

The wooden deck is supplied on its own. The kit, paints and glue are not part of the delivery, unless stated otherwise.