Kraken Hobbies

1/350 USS Oklahoma (BB-37) 1941 Bridge Set

 

Reviewed by Martin J Quinn
November 2020
More 3D products have arrived from Kraken Hobbies.  While their website says that their "initial offering will be USN, focused in the Guadalcanal era, however no subject is necessarily out of the question", they've also released some Pearl Harbor related items.  Among them is the subject of this review:  1/350 USS Oklahoma BB-37 1941 Bridge Set, which is a multi-part, 3D printed upgrade set for the battleship USS Oklahoma, sunk at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.

Oklahoma is best known for her tragic demise during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December, 1941, where, moored outboard of the battleship Maryland, she was stuck by as many at eight aerial torpedoes in the first minutes of the attack.   As a result, she quickly rolled over, taking 429 of her crew to their deaths, the second highest death toll that day, only the famous USS Arizona suffered more casualties.

For more on the battleship Oklahoma, visit her Wikipedia page, where this snippet of information came from:  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Oklahoma_(BB-37).


Click to enlarge images
OKLAHOMA 1941 BRIDGE SET
The packaging is in a small cardboard box,  with two good sized 3D printed runner holding the superstructure parts secured to the TOP of the packaging, with thick double sided tape.   This makes it easier to remove from the box. 

As mentioned, there are two resin wafer in the box, each containing two 3D printed pieces.   The largest part is the entire base of the superstructure (which is actually two separate structures) and includes the signal bridge.   Next, on the same wafer, is the navigating bridge.  On a second wafer is deck that covers the pilot house and includes the AA fire control station.   Finally, there is the center leg of the forward tripod, with the associated platforms molded to it.  Modelers will have to fabricate the rear tripod legs, and scratch build or use the ISW kit parts for the rear tripod and platforms. 

There is a lot of 3D printed resin here, and also lots of great, crisply printed details.   There are a pair of 3 inch saluting guns and a compass printed on the signal deck, along with a pair of platforms for the 24" searchlights that have delicately printed support posts.   There is also really nice piping coming up the front and sides of the armored conning tower and lots of well defined watertight doors.   The navigating bridge's pilot house has equipment printed inside, plus raised printed details on the walls and well defined, open windows.  Right behind pilot house is the chart house, which has a 3D printed table and wall cabinet inside.   There are four very delicate support posts printed on the underside of the navigation bridge - be careful not to remove these when removing the supports, as they are supposed to be there, supporting the chart room deck. 

The pilot house top has a nice AA fire control station and foundations for the 5inch gun directors and for the secondary battery rangefinder.   Finally, there is the center leg of the forward tripod mast, which has the forward machine gun platform printed as part of it.   This platform has nice details underneath, plus ready stowage ammo lockers printed on the deck.   There is also the ships bell, the brace for the concentration dial, a small platform with notches for the rear tripod legs and, finally, a flat plate on top where you can mount the forward spotting top.

Everything matches up nicely to the plans of Oklahoma over on the Researcher at Large website. 

Parts detail 


INSTRUCTIONS
There are no instructions, but it's pretty simple to figure out how all goes together.
CONCLUSIONS
Unless you are scratch-building one, the only available kit, to date, of USS Oklahoma in 1/350 is the the IronShipwright/Commanders Models kit.   Even thought the cast resin parts in the original ISW/Commanders BB-37 are pretty good, this 3D printed superstructure is a definite upgrade over those parts.   In short, this is an excellent upgrade set, with lots of great details:  piping and steering gear inside the pilot house, saluting guns, compass, ships bell, piping on the conning tower, supports under the platforms, etc.   Kraken Hobbies also has other accessories available to upgrade 1/350 Oklahoma, whether you are scratch building your own Okie, or using the ISW/Commanders kit. 

 This is Kraken Hobbies 1/350 USS Oklahoma BB-37 1941 Bridge Set.  It retails for $36.99  USD, and is available directly from Kraken Hobbies, who I'd like to thank for this review sample.   Highly recommended! 


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