USS San Francisco CA38 Heavy Cruiser 1944

This was my first Trumpeter kit, the last kit I did was a Tamiya Fletcher destroyer and found this kit to be on par with the Fletcher for the most part. A lot of parts included in this kit and it was a lot of fun to put together. The instruction manual was easy to follow and the painting guide looked simple even though I didn't go with the 1944 camo look. My only complaint was with the attachment to the entire hull version. It didn't want to sit all the way down into the lower hull and separated slightly when I left it overnight to cure. Other than that it was a great kit that was easy to put together.

After building one of this class of cruisers in 1/700, doing it in 1/350 was a definite benefit, plus you end up with a big ship when done. Same quality that Trumpeter is known for. As usual, great fit and finish of parts, very little excess plastic to remove. Instructions were clear and easily followable. Even though this is a larger model, a reverse pair of tweezers is a definite plus. My finished ship was awesome, with great detail, without having to paint anything. You will love this kit, it is a very unique format for a cruiser.

Built with the help of a photo etched kit. Results were great as compared to building straight out of the box. Fit was great with no issues.