Trumpeter 1/350 USS Intrepid CV 11
The USS Intrepid was the third ship in the Essex-class ordered and laid down before the US entered World War II. After the war, Intrepid was mothballed until 1952, when she was transferred to Newport News for a complete overhaul under SCB-27C which removed the gun turrets from her deck, replaced the flight deck with a much stronger structure, upgraded the elevators for greater lift capacity, incorporated steam catapults and stronger arresting gear, all of which allowed for operating the new generation of jet aircraft. These modifications were completed in 1954 and Intrepid was reclassified as CVA 11.
In 1956, Intrepid was back in Newport News to receive SCB-125 which enclosed her bow and added an angled flight deck for recovering aircraft. Back in service in 1957, Intrepid conducted Operation Crosswind to assess the effects of cross-winds on catapult launches. In 1962, Intrepid was back at Norfolk and was reclassified as CVS-11. Intrepid was the last ship through the New York Naval Shipyard receiving SCB-144 (FRAM II) in 1965, and with the yard closing before work was completed, Intrepid finished the refit in New Jersey. With SCB-144, Intrepid received the distinctive SQS-23 bow-mounted sonar dome.
USS Intrepid began the first of three Vietnam cruises as an auxiliary attack carrier in 1966 with Carrier Air Wing 10 (CVW-10) embarked. The final cruise ended in 1969 and Intrepid returned to Atlantic and Mediterranean operations before her decommissioning in 1974.
Gallery Models is a brand name under the Model Rectifier Corporation which has been producing some outstanding modern US Navy ship subjects. With the proximity of the USS Intrepid Museum, MRC decided to create the first angle-deck Essex-class aircraft carrier in 1/350 scale that isn't resin. When this kit was first announced, the response was outstanding and as feedback came in from a variety of sources, the kit was modified to what we now have coming to store shelves very soon.
This kit is molded in light gray styrene and presented on 31 parts trees plus separately molded single-piece hull, flight deck, two-piece hangar deck, and island superstructure. One display stand molded in black and six frets of photo-etched details round out this kit. Note that duplicate trees are not shown in the images to the right.
Among the features and options in this kit:
- Full-hull design with separate SQS-23 dome on bow (hinting at other versions coming in the future)
- Very straightforward construction
- Awesome photo-etched details under the elevators
- Positionable forward flight deck elevator
- Positionable port side elevator
- Positionable aft-starboard elevator
- Positionable crane
- Photo-etched radar dishes
Aircraft
- 4 x A-4B/C Skyhawk
- 2 x E-1B Tracer
- 4 x A-1H/J Skyraider (identified in instructions as EA-1F)
- 4 x F-8C Crusader
- 4 x UH-2B Seasprite
