Reviews

L’Arsenal 1/350 Mk 37 Gun Directors Reviewed by Felix Bustelo
L’Arsenal has been delighting ship modelers with beautifully crafted 1/350 scale resin and photoetch replacements for a variety of fittings found on United States naval ships. Largely, this line has focused on aircraft and armament. Well L’Arsenal now gives you the directors you need to guide your resin guns.

There were many advances in technology during World War II and the Mk 37 fire control director is one such example. This range finding mechanism in this director was called a computer, the first time this term was used in this capacity, and it was capable of tracking just about any threat approaching a ship. The director housing had a flat top that would allow the fitting of radar. Initially Mk 4 dual-purpose radar was fitted but eventually these were replaced with the Mk 12 DP radar and the Mk 22 AA radar. The latter was nicknamed the “Orange Peel” due to its shape. The L’Arsenal set provides parts to construct a total of five Mk 37 directors with the Mk 12 and Mk 22 radar suite. The assembly of these directors is a little trickier due to the photoetch radars and supports involved. The assembly instructions are very clearly laid out and easy to follow. The end result will be a very detailed replacement for the plastic versions found in the Tamiya Missouri and Fletcher and Trumpeter Essex class kits.	Click images to enlarge



Conclusions: With each set, the quality of the resin casting and the photoetch parts are excellent and meet the standard that I expect from L’Arsenal’s product line. The instructions are also very well done and will guide you through building each style of director. If you would like to add that extra bit of detail and realism to your 1/350 scale USN model, these directors will make an excellent addition to your project. I would like to extend my thanks to L’Arsenal for providing me with these review samples. Click the logo on the right to visit their website.