by Dave Becker
1/350 USS Texas BB-35 ( Iron Shipwright)
Model is a Iron Shipwright/Commander's Series 1/350 scale USS Texas kit. The kit itself shows the Texas in late 1944 through 1945 time period. The kit comes with 6 - 5"/51's, 10 - 3"/50's, 40 - 40 mm and 44 - 20 mm guns plus the usual extra dosage of ISW extras.
I wanted a 1942 USS Texas when she was dressed in Measure 12 Modified Camouflage. I picked August 19, 1942 when Texas just finished overhaul and upgrades. The old box spring CXAM was gone and replaced by an SC-1 air search and two SG surface search radar's. Four more 1.1" Quad's and numerous 20 mm guns were added giving a total of 32 - 1.1" and 38 - 20 mm guns. The Spare Parts Box supplied the 1.1" Quads. All of the 40 mm gun tubs were replaced with smaller versions for the 1.1" Quads. All of the 01 Level 3" gun partitions had to be removed and replaced with different versions. Bridgework was heavily modified to reflect Texas in 1942. In 1942 you were able to see completely under the Bridge structure. By late 1944 this had all been filled in with structures.
All in all a fun build and one of the longest that I can remember. I started originally when the ISW Texas kit first came out several years ago. Other higher priority projects and scrounging needed parts were the main delays.
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