Who does the best 1/700 Tarawa, Wasp or Makin Island kit?

[Volkodav]

Seems like the best place to post this question, hope I got it right, feel free to move the topic if I didn't.

Basically got an idea involving whiffing a LHD or LHA (yes into RAN carrier replacement), don't have a kit yet so thought I'd ask people for their opinions on those currently available before going shopping.  I imaging there are some very good ones out there but also some very average ones too.

Thanks in advance.

[GTX_Admin]

1/700?  Bah!  Go big!

[Cliffy B]

Quiet Greg!     If they made one in 1/72 you'd tell him to build a 1/48 version

For LHDs Hobby Boss makes the best in 1/700 in my opinion.  RoG makes one as well that's a bit cheaper but not as good.  Depends on how heavily you're gonna whiff it.

Here's the Revell.  Take a look at the Instructions to get an idea of what you're getting (link under picture)

Hobby Boss makes the entire class from LHD-1 through 6.  They all come with PE and ship specific decals.  Take a look at each as HB posts photos of every sprue and PE sheet.
LHD-1
LHD-2
LHD-3
LHD-4
LHD-5
LHD-6


For LHAs your selection is rather bad sadly.  RoG makes one in 1/720 and Dragon makes LHA-1 and LHA-2 in 1/700.  The Dragon kits I know are out of production and I think the RoG ones are as well. You can still find them on EBay and the like at times though for decent prices.

Here's a review of Dragon's LHA-1

[GTX_Admin]

Quiet Greg!     If they made one in 1/72 you'd tell him to build a 1/48 version

Nah!!  1/35!

[Volkodav]

Was just at the local Hobby/Toy super store and saw a Revell 1/72 Skipjack SSN, suppose its a re-boxing of the Mobius kit  .  Wife was there, I got slapped, may have to sneak back latter, no LHDs of any variety there.

Hobby Boss, cool I will check if any are around locally.  Thanks for that.

Just been reminded that there is an old mattress and a trailer full of palm fronds to go down the dump, damn real life and responsibilities!

[elmayerle]

For what it's worth, I've got shots of the Bon Homme Richard's air group when she was in Hong Kong, with, of course, emphasis on Bell products since the pictures were taken by a Bell rep.

[Volkodav]

For what it's worth, I've got shots of the Bon Homme Richard's air group when she was in Hong Kong, with, of course, emphasis on Bell products since the pictures were taken by a Bell rep.

Bon Homme Richard stopped by my part of the world late last year.  Was hoping to get a close look but didn't happen.  The MV-22 in flight really is something though.

[elmayerle]

Bon Homme Richard stopped by my part of the world late last year.  Was hoping to get a close look but didn't happen.  The MV-22 in flight really is something though.

Tell me about it, I was up close and personal when our tech demonstrator returned to flight with our project on it.  Since then it's flown the first, dry, air-to-air refueling tests with a F/A-18 out of Carswell Field and is being prepped for other tests I can't comment on.

[GTX_Admin]

... other tests I can't comment on.

Tease!

[Volkodav]

Bon Homme Richard stopped by my part of the world late last year.  Was hoping to get a close look but didn't happen.  The MV-22 in flight really is something though.

Tell me about it, I was up close and personal when our tech demonstrator returned to flight with our project on it.  Since then it's flown the first, dry, air-to-air refueling tests with a F/A-18 out of Carswell Field and is being prepped for other tests I can't comment on.

You must be mistaken, only the other day someone on a defence blog was telling me the MV-22 is a death trap and a waste of money, not like the old Sea Knight etc. etc.  He also called BS on me when I pointed out missiles can actually have intercepted other missiles. 

[Rickshaw]

Bon Homme Richard stopped by my part of the world late last year.  Was hoping to get a close look but didn't happen.  The MV-22 in flight really is something though.

Tell me about it, I was up close and personal when our tech demonstrator returned to flight with our project on it.  Since then it's flown the first, dry, air-to-air refueling tests with a F/A-18 out of Carswell Field and is being prepped for other tests I can't comment on.

Are those with the Ukranian Markings? 

[elmayerle]

Are those with the Ukranian Markings? 

Ask me no questions, I'll tell you no lies. ;-)

[elmayerle]

... other tests I can't comment on.

Tease!

But, of course.

[elmayerle]

You must be mistaken, only the other day someone on a defence blog was telling me the MV-22 is a death trap and a waste of money, not like the old Sea Knight etc. etc.  He also called BS on me when I pointed out missiles can actually have intercepted other missiles.

*laughs* And the MV-22 fuselage is built by the same folk who built the Sea Knight and the wings and engines build on over a half-century of experience with this type of aircraft just within Bell.

[Volkodav]

I thought you'd appreciate that.  The poor guy didn't know whether to call me a Nazi or a Commo when I kept applying common sense and real world arguments to counter his "is cos it is" statements, you know the type.

What most of these clowns don't realise is in the good old days they rant about most platforms entered service before they were ready which is why they were followed so quickly with B, C, D, E, F, etc. models there development was continuing as the crews were trying to use them and stay alive.  The perfect models they rave about are often upgraded, life extended rebuilds of the fourth or fifth major change model with little or anything in common with the model that entered service a decade earlier.  These days we try and get it right before building hundreds of a thing.

[elmayerle]

What I think would be interesting would be a Sea Knight that received as many upgrades as it's larger sibling, the Chinook has received.  That could get real interesting in capabilities, though I think the V-22 would still have an edge, save as a gunship; fitting weapons to the V-22 gets right interesting if you don't wish to damage your prop-rotors.

[Rickshaw]

What I think would be interesting would be a Sea Knight that received as many upgrades as it's larger sibling, the Chinook has received.  That could get real interesting in capabilities, though I think the V-22 would still have an edge, save as a gunship; fitting weapons to the V-22 gets right interesting if you don't wish to damage your prop-rotors.

The return of interrupter gear? 

[elmayerle]

What I think would be interesting would be a Sea Knight that received as many upgrades as it's larger sibling, the Chinook has received.  That could get real interesting in capabilities, though I think the V-22 would still have an edge, save as a gunship; fitting weapons to the V-22 gets right interesting if you don't wish to damage your prop-rotors.

The return of interrupter gear? 

Not for pylon-mounted stores; you could probably carry free-falling stores aft of the prop-rotors but any propelled stores would need some other carriage location.

[Volkodav]

Yes I could see that you would basically be limited to nose, belly and ramp mounts for anything.  A bomb bay maybe?