USS Gearing, Dragon 1/350

This is my completed 1/350 USS Gearing (DD-710), from Dragon. The model represents this ship soon during its shakedown cruise in 1945. The only upgrade was a set of 1/350 railing. Otherwise built out of the box and home made items. The rigging was mostly done with human hair, plus surgical silk and Caenis thread in some places. I used tungsten wire and fine hypodermic needles to substitute some of the aerials provided in the kit, which appears too thick, and tended to break easily during construction.

This was a challenging kit from beginning to end. And I mean this in a positive way: it is complex because it strives to be precise, and the price one pays for this precision is to have to deal with many very, very small pieces, many combining polystyrene and photoetch, which need to be fitted in a limited space. This is not a kit for novices, for the impatient, or for the ham-fisted. Don't try to rush it, and the results will be worth it. Just make sure you get yourself a pair of very fine tweezers before you get started. You will be dealing with parts smaller than 1 mm, pretty much from the first day.

Additional photos, a full build report and some observations about incorrect instructions can be found in my web page: marcellorosa.com/ussgearingdd-710


Best regards

Marcello