1/350 USS Wasp LHD-1 Amphibious Assault Ship Gallery Models #64001 MISB

Description

I need to clear some space on my shelves, so I need to part with some of my collection.
THIS IS MY LAST ONE!
The USS Wasp is the lead ship of the newest class of Amphibious Assault Ships in the US Navy. She has the punch of a WWII carrier with her air wing and the ability to disgorge fast-moving landing craft brining Marines to almost any beach in the world. Gallery Models is a brand of the Model Rectifier Corporation (MRC), but it is not likely that they created this kit. It is believed that Trumpeter produced this kit in conjunction with MRC and Revell. Every reviewer that I have found has come to the same conclusion, having seen the packaging and instruction sets of Trumpeter kits over the years.
This kit is not particularly hard-to-find on eBay (almost all from overseas), but as a Top Rated Plus US Seller, I have it in stock and can reliably ship this kit very quickly.
Here is some of the info I found about this kit from around the web:
MRC is the parent company that owns the Gallery Models brand. The MRC website no longer shows this kit, so I assume it is Out of Production or Discontinued. Since Trumpeter actually made this kit, I found the following description and list of features from their site:
USS Wasp (LHD 1) is a U.S. Navy multipurpose amphibious assault ship, the tenth to bear the name, the flagship of the Second Fleet and the lead ship of her class. She was built by the Ingalls Shipbuilding division of Litton in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The Navy-Marine Corps team's newest amphibious warship has as its primary mission the support of a Marine Landing Force. USS Wasp and her sister ships are the first specifically designed to accommodate new Landing Craft, Air Cushion (LCAC) for fast troop movement over the beach and Harrier II (AV-8B) Vertical/Short Take-Off and Landing (V/STOL) jets which provide close air support for the assault force.
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The Hull is a one piece part with exception of the bulbous nose
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Detailed Flight Deck, Hanger Deck and Well Deck
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The Flight Deck is a single piece casting
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The Well Deck consists of multiple pieces
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The Hanger Deck is a complete bay with deck, bulkheads and overhead
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US Marine Assault Vehicles (2 each):
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M1A1 Abrams Tanks, M60A3 Tanks, AAV-7 Amphibs, M1097 Humvee Shelter Carriers, MTVR Trucks, LAV-25, M198 Towed Artillery, M1114 Humvees, LCAC Hovercraft and LCU Landing Craft
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Aircraft and Helicopters:
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AV-8B Harrier (2), CH-46E (4), CH-53E (4), MV-22 Osprey (4), AH-1W Cobra (2), SH-60K (2)
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2 sets of Photo-Etched detailing parts (total 3 pieces) for handrails,
radar parts, etc.
Scalemates.com has a listing that shows this is a new tooling from 2009 that has been subsequently released over a half-dozen times under the Revell, Monochrome and Trumpeter brands. There are also links to reviews, aftermarket parts and references to fill in any gaps you might have.
Michael Benolkin wrote up a very detailed First Look Review on the cybermodeler.com site that starts with a description of the Wasp class and her mission. He shows most of the parts in 18 photos, including the grey and clear plastic parts, the extensive PE frets and the four decal sheets. He lists the highlights and abundant features of the kit and summarizes the review with: “
AMS modelers will have some fun with this project as there are still open spaces under the flight deck where you can stash all sorts of support gear for fiber optics and other lighting options to really bring this beauty to life. In any case, this kit is one of the nicest ships that Trumpeter has ever done and it should prove popular in its releases under the Gallery Models, Revell/Germany, and Trumpeter brands.
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Sean Hert did a photo-heavy In-Box Review on the modelwarships.com site that has over 100 photos of the parts (sprue by sprue, fret by fret, including decals and the entire 36 -page instruction set) to eliminate any guesswork about what is in the big box. He was in agreement with almost everyone else in surmising that this kit was designed and executed by Trumpeter, saying: “
From the look of the kit; the plastic, the sprue layout and the instructions, there can be no real doubt that Gallery is a Trumpeter imprint. That said, this USS Wasp is an impressive kit, loaded with great detail and packed with accessories.
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Rick Bellanger did a superlative Build Review on the ipmsusa.org site that gives an interesting history of this incarnation of the USS Wasp. He shows us the parts and provides praise for the one-piece hull and large deck parts, as well as the bountiful vehicles and aircraft. He goes through his build with photos and emphasizes the value of proper planning. There are tons of tips that will help you with your project and he ends up with a fantastic model in the end. About half of his time was spent on the aircraft, boats, vehicles and other gear. He leads off his lengthy summary with: “
After all is done, this has got to be one of the NICEST and most enjoyable model ships I have ever built. I am very impressed with the detail and accessories that Gallery Models has provided in this kit.
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Charlie Scardon did a much shorter Build Review on the finescale.com site (from the July 2010 issue). He outlines his construction process and provides a lot of great advice along the way. There are about a dozen photos covering his amazing ship from stem to stern. He starts the review on a very positive note, saying: “
Gallery Models’ USS Wasp is a stunning kit. It is big and detailed! At 1,382 pieces, plan on devoting many hours to building it.
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This kit is in a long, huge box about 30” x 10” x 5.5”. As you can see from the pictures, the package is pristine and is still sealed with two large tape strips, so it is
factory sealed and absolutely gift-ready.
This incredible kit contains over a thousand plastic and photo-etched metal parts, including a large armada of landing craft, armored vehicles and aircraft.
I use eBay Managed Payments, but I no longer ship internationally. Auction winner pays winning bid and for a limited time, this large and heavy item is offered with
Flat Rate Shipping in the US!
No reserve and a low starting bid. Check out my other great auctions for combined shipping. Good luck!
Those familiar with my listings can tell that I really enjoy these products and the modeling hobby. I like to provide more than just the bare facts about the items, trying to lead you into discovering more about the subjects and optimizing your builds (if that is your goal). I started out picking up models that I was interested in, with the eye toward building them when I had time. Always a bargain-hunter, I accumulated many more than I can build, so I found myself in a Collector status (sounds nicer than a hoarder).
As I am sure you have noticed, my items are almost always sealed and in mint condition (I call them Gift-Ready), since I only open them when I am ready to build them. Now I enjoy making these products available to my fellow modelers; both Builders and Collectors. For the Builders, there are probably better (at least cheaper) ways to add to your project lists than buying from me, but you know you are getting top quality. For Collectors, my goal is to save you a few bucks over the competition for the same item in factory sealed and collectible (or resellable) condition.