On December 5, 1941 USS Arizona steamed into Pearl Harbor and moored on Battleship Row. Most of the crew was looking forward to liberty for that weekend. No one realized that the next journey the Arizona would make would be the short 20 feet that separated the bottom of her keel from the seabed of the harbor. Her destruction on December 7, 1941 made USS Arizona one of the most remembered warships in the history of the United States Navy.  

Hull Casting

Hi-Mold has just released a 1:700 scale model of the USS Arizona. Having previously released the West Virginia, Maryland and Tennessee, it clearly appears that Hi-Mold will be covering the entire Battle Line at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. With this presentation Hi-Mold has departed in certain aspects from their previous releases. Their releases have always been known for beautifully cast resin parts, supplemented by a smaller number of parts in white metal. The resin casting is still of the high level expected of Hi-Mold, however with Arizona the white metal parts have be supplanted by all resin parts. On a purely cosmetic level, the resin used for Arizona is a light green instead of the light gray of previous releases. Of course this would have no bearing, once the model is painted. The outstanding brass machined barrels found in earlier releases are still present with this kit. Rounding out the parts count is a decal sheet and thin brass rod for yards, jack staffs and other items.  

Smaller Resin Parts

The hull casting is a knockout. Crammed with fine detail, it is a stellar example of the resin casting art. The turrets even have apron tie-down straps. The smaller parts are grouped into two large sprues, very similar to layout found in most styrene plastic kits. The smaller parts do have some minor flash that needs to be removed but nothing of significance. The instruction format has changed slightly as well, most noticeably in the manner in which the parts lay down/matrix is depicted.

Box, Brass Barrels, Decals & Instructions

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