Model Monkey 3D-printed Scale Models

US Navy battleship fans! Happy to announce that a USS Pennsylvania BB-38 Boat Deck, Casemate and Cranes model, as the ship appeared at Pearl Harbor on 7 December 1941, is now available in 1/350 scale. Link:
https://www.model-monkey.com/product-page/1-350-uss-pennsylvania-bb-38-boat-deck-and-casemate

The model will be available in 1/700 scale and 1/429 scale (for Revell) shortly.

The model is intended to help build USS Pennsylvania BB-38 from your 1/350 scale USS Arizona BB-39 model kit.

Although Pennsylvania and Arizona were sisterships, they were not identical twins. This model captures the many conspicuous differences between Pennsylvania's boat deck, casemate, and cranes, and Arizona's.

Features:
- Overall dimensions and features scaled from official US Navy construction drawings of the actual ship obtained from the US National Archives.
- Accurately shaped deck, vents, and splinter shields.
- Accurate asymmetric splinter shielding configuration. Splinter shields on the real ship were not mirrored port and starboard.
- Forward 1.1-inch "Chicago Piano" circular splinter shield tubs correctly positioned for Pennsylvania (Arizona's tubs were positioned slightly further aft).
- Incinerator exhaust pipe (Pennsylvania's incinerator was located below the boat deck within the casemate and therefore not visible. - Arizona's incinerator was positioned on the boat deck.)
- Subtle plank detail.
- Deck edge waterways.
- Subtle recesses for forward superstructure and funnel, available separately.
- Recess for funnel is an accurate ellipse, not an incorrect oval with slab sides, and matches the footprint of the Model Monkey-designed Pennsylvania funnel available separately.
- Doors of the correct 3-bar type.
- Skylights, hatches, doors, ready service ammunition lockers and ammunition hoists accurately sized and located on the boat deck and within the casemate, in positions and configuration unique to Pennsylvania (Arizona's were different).
- Accurate portholes (properly called "airports") of the correct size (standard US Navy 11-1/4" diameter), properly positioned, with rigols (eyebrows). (Arizona's portholes did not have rigols.)
- Accurate vegetable locker bulkhead ventilation louvers (Arizona's louvers were different).
- Subtle, raised bases for 5"/25 cal. anti-aircraft guns (guns not included).
- Accurate and detailed fresh water tanks properly positioned on the starboard side of the funnel (Arizona did not have fresh water tanks on the boat deck).
- Accurate antenna trunks (Arizona's trunks were positioned differently.)
- Accurate fire hose configuration.
- Motion picture camera projection room partially surrounding the port side boat crane kingpost.
- Accurately located interior bulkheads surrounding the 5"/51 cal. anti-ship cannon stations (guns not included). Interior bulkheads include ammunition hoist and door detail.
- Integrated barbette for 14"/45 cal. triple-gun Turret No. 2 (turrets available separately). Barbette includes accurate footrail and handrail detail.
- Boat handling cranes (Arizona's cranes were different).

A superstructure model is also available. Link:
https://www.model-monkey.com/product-page/1-350-uss-pennsylvania-bb-38-superstructure-december-7-1941

And, of course, we offer nameplates for both ships of the class, USS Pennsylvania BB-38 and USS Arizona BB-39.

See this model and many more at:
https://www.model-monkey.com/

Have fun. Monkey around.™

US Navy heavy cruiser fans! Avid ship modeler James Bird is converting his 1/350 scale USS Indianapolis CA-35 model kit to sistership USS Portland CA-33 as she appeared during the desperate Pacific Ocean naval battles of 1942. To help complete the conversion, he chose to replace his kit's parts with a set of Monkey Monkey Portland parts. Here are a couple of in-progress photos he sent to us of his inspirational Portland conversion model and some photos of some the Model Monkey parts he used.

USS Portland CA-33 was one of the most highly decorated US Navy warships of World War Two. She fought in ever major Pacific action including Coral Sea, Midway, Guadalcanal and Leyte Gulf. She survived the war earning 16 battle stars for her service.

In one of her most remarkable engagements, she fought the Japanese battleship Hiei in a brutal nighttime action during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. Despite being badly damaged from a torpedo hit, Portland was able to start serious fires aboard Hiei and she sank the Japanese destroyer Yudachi, all by gunfire in what some historians called a "barroom brawl".

Indianapolis and Portland were sisterships but not identical twins. Indianapolis was completed as a flagship with additional accommodation for the admiral and his staff. USS Portland was not. Thus, Indianapolis had a longer forward superstructure that extended aft alongside the forward funnel and into the aircraft handling deck. Portland, having a shorter forward superstructure, has a longer aircraft handling deck. Her aft superstructure is also somewhat different.

Converting an Indianapolis kit to Portland is a big project, recommended only for very advanced modelers. To build an accurate Portland, the conversion project requires replacing the entire Indianapolis kit's superstructure and turrets. Our Model Monkey parts include the major superstructure components needed and we offer a set of turrets with details unique to USS Portland.

And, of course, we can print nameplates for both ships of the Portland-class: USS Portland CA-33 and USS Indianapolis CA-35.

See these models and many more at:
https://www.model-monkey.com/

Have fun. Monkey around.™

Essex-class aircraft carrier fans! Coming this weekend, models of the island of USS Yorktown CVS-10 as it appeared in its final operational 1968-1970 configuration will be released in 1/350, 1/530 and 1/700 scales. Here are some renderings of the design.

We're happy to report that we've largely recovered from a couple of weeks of crazy weather badly impacting our operations. Test prints that had been delayed are now proceeding normally between printing orders.

Thank you to all those who have been patiently waiting for this model.

Other Yorktown island models are available now as the island appeared during the following time periods:

- December 1942 - April 1944 (raids on Marcus Island, Wake Island, The Gilbert Islands, Tarawa, Makin Island and Kwajalein)

- September 1944 - 1945 (sinking of Yamato (Battle of Okinawa), Philippines campaign, attacks on the Japanese home islands)

- 1953-1954 (Korean War-era)

Following this 1968-1970 Yorktown island, we will be releasing a boat deck and casemate for the battleship USS Pennsylvania BB-38, sistership of US Arizona BB-39. Although the ships were sisters, they were not identical twins. Our design captures many of the differences. The model depicts the deck's 7 December 1941 Pearl Harbor attack appearance.

Have fun. Monkey around.™