Just finishing up the build on the California, 1945 version. Trumpeter does good job with its molds and accuracy on this one and gives the builder a choice of what type of main guns to use...with or without the blast bags. The only real problem I have had with this that there is a spot on both sides of the forward upper hull where you have to remove (cut out) a section of the hull to get the forward deck to sit properly with the addition of AA gun location. The area to be removed is not very well defined and I had to guess where and how much to remove, but it came out pretty well, but not an exact fit. A boat cranes are just a little brittle and have to be careful not to break off the horizontal booms. The 20mm's are just a shade to tough to fit in the gun shields for mounting but can be done as I first put the shield in place first, then attached the guns. I painted the hull and all vertical structures in Model Master Intermediate Blue and the horizontal surfaces starting with the main deck in Navy Blue-Gray by Model Master...all the AA guns are painted in Med Gray/Model Master. I have not yet done the PE parts for the catapult and plane boom. Other than that I think it comes out pretty well. Would have given it 5 stars except for the cutout and working with PE for the first time. Good practice for me before starting of the 1941 USS Maryland (Pearl Harbor version) by Trumpter.

This is a model for you must have time for. The parts fit well but there are a lot of small parts that must fit then must let dry before going on. Tweisser are a must the twin 20mm guns are not easy. The inst are good and paint guide is good to. But you must take you time with this one. A good model can come out of it.

I am glad the Trumpeter has taken on the task of releasing ship classes such as the Colorado class battleships and the New Orleans class cruisers that have not been produced in plastic before, Now if only they will produce the New Mexico Class Battleships - USS Idaho, USS Mississippi and USS New Mexico.