Revell USS Wasp (LHD 1)

Air Wing

Revell provide a very impressive amount of aircraft to grace the deck and hangar area of the Wasp; 2 Sea Hawks, 3 Sea Knights, 2 Cobra, 4 CH-53, 4 Osprey and 2 Harriers.  All moulded in clear plastic which will enable those interested to mask off the windows whilst this could be quite tricky, I think it will be a rewarding process.  Each aircraft is a multi part kit (like the armour mentioned above) and has recessed panel lines.  The helicopters (with the exception of the Cobras) have the option of folded rotors (which would look great on one of the lifts or in the hangar), as does the Osprey.  The Harrier even has a separate canopy, and as you can see from the pictures these will build into very good representations of the aircraft.  All of the clear aircraft sprues come bagged according to type, whilst some of the larger aircraft come on two separate sprues; these are all contained in their own box, a nice touch I think.

Photo Etch

One really nice inclusion in this latest release from Revell is the three photo etch (P.E.) frets that cover the railings and nets associated with the ship (2 identical sprues).  Also included is parts for the antenna arrays, with these frets included in the kit it removes most modellers need for aftermarket accessories; as the major downfall in most ship kits are the railing, so Revell came up with a really good idea of including them in P.E. in the kit.  A very nice addition to the USS Wasp.

Decals

There is a very comprehensive decal set (spread out over four sheets), one covering the USS Wasp itself, one for the landing crafts, a smaller sheet for the Harriers (sorry, AV-8B’s) and the final sheet for the rest of the aircraft.  These decals look good, are easily readable and look like they will settle down well your personal choice of decal solution.

Conclusion

With a RRP of £175 (from Hannants) this kit is outstanding value for money (I know it sounds stupid, but here me out).  With The inclusion of the P.E. frets, aircraft and vehicles; and just the overall standard throughout there is enough to keep almost any modeller happy.  This is an excellent kit, of an interesting subject, and bodes well for any future maritime projects from Revell.  If there is one thing I can’t stress enough, don’t be put off by the price, if you purchase this kit you will be a happy modeller.

Extremely Recommended