M o d e l W a r s h i p s . c o m 1/700 USS New York LPD-21

1/700 USS New York LPD-21

CyberHobby Plastic kit
VS
L'Arsenal Resin kit

by Carl-Musselman

Hull and Superstructure

(Actual Ship’s Dimensions: Length = 684 ft. Beam = 105 ft.)

Cyber Hobby

Overall Length 674 ft.

Waterline Length = 658 ft.

Beam (widest point) = 94 ft.

The instructions identify the propeller shafts and struts pieces as both B1(B2) and A4(A5). They should just be B1 and B2. The A4(A5) is probably intended to identify the propellers B4 and B5, which are not illustrated for assembly in the instructions alongside the propeller shafts.

The propellers are pitched in opposite directions, which is an appropriate feature.

The port side bridge wing window is less prominent than the starboard side one. They are not identical.

L’Arsenal

Overall Length = 678 ft.

Waterline Length = 649 ft.

Beam (widest point) = 100 ft.

(Actual Ship’s Dimensions: Length = 684 ft. Beam = 105 ft.)

On both kits’ superstructures, the locations of the vents, or louvered openings, appear to be correct when compared with photos of the real ship. Their shapes, however, aren’t always identical from one kit to the other; i.e. square vs. rectangular. The Cyber-Hobby kit’s starboard side’s louvered openings are square where they should be, for the most part, but the port side on the Cyber-Hobby kit has rectangular openings where they should be square, according to photos. The L’Arsenal’s kit’s louvered openings, port and starboard, are square and rectangular where they should be, according to photos. Because the Cyber-Hobby kit’s proportions are larger than the L’Arsenal kit, these louvered openings are larger on the Cyber-Hobby kit when compared to the L’Arsenal kit. On both kits, the louvered openings have “crosses” in them, or features like window mullions. This feature isn’t always apparent in photos of the real ship(s). These “mullions” seem to come and go, in the photos, or are only visible from certain angles, or only exist on certain openings and not on others.

A major hull feature in photos of the real ship is the door on the port side of ships of this class. This door is nicely depicted on the Cyber-Hobby kit, but has been omitted on the L’Arsenal kit. On the real ships, there is a similar door on the starboard side, near the stern. This door has been omitted on both kits.

Forecastle

Cyber Hobby

There are no bitts on the forecastle and these are significant features on this area of the ship resulting in less, or inaccurate, detail. In place of the bitts, are several capstan-looking items that don’t belong. The anchor chains are molded-in and are very, nice.

L’Arsenal

When comparing the L’Arsenal kit’s forecastle to photos of the real ship, this is a beautifully, detailed depiction of the forecastle’s features. However, there are no anchor chains; either molded-in, photo-etched, or 3-D chain link.

Amidships

A large portion of the amidships area of this ship is comprised of the storage area for the small boats or RHIBs.

Cyber-Hobby

The Cyber-Hobby kit lacks detail in this area with questionable curved structures on the forward and aft bulkheads of the boat storage area. There are no boats provided in the kit.

This kit has optional parts for a stowed crane or a deployed crane.

L’Arsenal

The bulkheads have a few more details to them than on the Cyber-Hobby kit and RHIBs and cradles for them are provided in the kit.

The option for an extended crane or a stowed crane exists with this kit, as well.

In addition to storage amidships, storage for an additional RHIB is provided on the starboard side behind the large sliding door. A little detail for the option to have this area opened, instead of closed, is provided with a small crane and a small RHIB. There appears to be only one large RHIB (#17) and one small RHIB (#16) where two small ones would be needed to have one in the large boat storage area and one in the starboard sliding door storage area.

Flight Deck

The flight decks on both kits are adequate and neither has the raised markings for where the decals go, which is a nice feature to leave off, in my opinion.

Cyber-Hobby

The flight deck on this kit is molded into the upper superstructure piece.

Photo-etched pieces are supplied for the safety nets surrounding the aft edges of the flight deck.

The catwalks outboard of the flight deck, port and starboard, are bulky and lack accurate details.

L’Arsenal

The resin flight deck was bowed and it straightened out nicely in hot water and a small weight to hold it down flat. When doing this, caution must be taken so as not do bend or break off the small triangular support brackets on the top, front edge of the piece. The L’Arsneal piece also requires some light sanding on the top surface to eliminate some fine raised lines that exist due to the detail on the underside (overhead of the well deck) of the piece.

The photo-etched safety nets for the flight deck have very, very faint surface details on them and will probably disappear with the thinnest coat of applied finish paint. The netting detail doesn’t perforate through the thickness of the brass.

The catwalks outboard of the flight deck are very detailed with photo-etched brass parts and very, closely resemble those of the real ship.

Well Deck

Cyber-Hobby

Although the option exists to have the stern ramp open or closed, this kit does not provide for any interior details for the well deck.

L’Arsenal

The well deck on this kit has ledges, or mezzanines, on the port and starboard sides and a ramp in the forward end providing a nice base from which to add more details to the bulkheads of this area of the ship. The instructions even indicate the option to place railings along the mezzanine’s edges.

Stern Ramp

Cyber-Hobby

The stern ramp on this kit comes with a one-piece option for a closed ramp or a six piece option for a lowered ramp. Refer to the Instruction sheet image for this detail.

L’Arsenal

The stern ramp on this kit uses the same two pieces for both a closed ramp and a lowered ramp. It lacks the detail provided in the Cyber-Hobby kit in the form of support braces and lowering arms.

Photo Etch

Cyber Hobby

The small photo-etched brass fret has nice features on them including the sliding doors for the starboard side of the ship, nice flight deck safety nets, and foremast yardarm pieces.

The instructions do not reflect the option for photo-etched yardarms (MA2 & MA3) to replace plastic pieces A39 & A40.

L’Arsenal

The L’Arsenal photo-etched brass fret is more extensive than the Cyber Hobby one. This one includes sections of railing, flight deck catwalks, inclined ladders, brackets for all of the life raft canisters, starboard side sliding doors, and boat cradles.

Decals

Cyber-Hobby

Having actually built the Cyber-Hobby model, I found the decal sheet to be very, nice.

I was worried about attempting to apply the one-piece flight deck lines decal, but it held together and slid nicely into place with no tearing. This sure beats having to apply separate lines and circles, etc.

In some cases there is an extra decal such as if you need to use two of the same decal, there is a third one available if you mess one of them up; i.e. ship’s name, stern hull number, slight deck bulkhead white stripe, etc.

I don’t assemble many 1/700 aircraft, but the decals for the fuselage details were a very, welcome sight. These decals replicate the windows and doors for the CH-53s, V-22s, CH-46s, and AH-1Ws.

There are only decals for the USS New York LPD-21. No decals are provided for the other ships of the class.

L’Arsenal

This decal sheet also has a one-piece flight deck lines and circles decal. There are decals for LPD 17 through 26 including the ship’s name decal for the stern.

As mentioned, in the Photo-Etch section, above, the sliding doors on the starboard side lack etched detail, well this is made up for by separate decals to be placed atop of the doors.

Black decals are also provided for the bridge windows.

No decals are provided for the aircraft, however the LCACs have their own decal sheet.

Accessories

Cyber-Hobby

This kit comes with the following accessories cast in clear plastic:

2 x V-22 Ospreys

2 x CH-53 Seakings

4 x CH-46 Seaknights

2 x AH-1W Super Cobras

2 x M1A1 Abrams

2 x AAV7A1s (Not referred to in the instructions.)

2 x LCM-6s. (Not referred to in the instructions.)

4 x AV-8 Harriers (Not referred to in the instructions.)

Decals for the aircraft are provided on the main decal sheet.

L’Arsenal

This kit comes with:

2 resin LCACs with separate decals and photo-etched brass.

4 resin CH-46 Seaknights with photo-etched landing gear and rotors, both folded and deployed.

2 resin V-22 Ospreys with photo-etched landing gear and rotors.

1 fret of photo-etched 1/700 scale figures.

There are no decals provided for the CH-46s or the V-22s.

The LCACs are also sold separately as a set of 2 and have been reviewed, separately, on Modelwarships.com.

Instructions

Cyber-Hobby

L’Arsenal

General Observations

Summary

Both of these kits will result in very, nice models of the USS New York LPD-21. The modeler’s choice between these two kits of the same ship will depend on the modeler’s skill level, desire for detail, desire for anatomical accuracy, a full-hull or waterline model and finally budget concerns.

The Cyber-Hobby kit is easily assembled and can be a fast build. When I was fitting together the kit’s superstructure pieces in order to make it look similar to the L’Arsenal kit with it’s already, molded-in superstructure features, I found that I was over fifty percent finished with the Cyber-Hobby kit. All that remained was the smaller pieces such as radar domes, weapons, deck equipment, painting and decals. The Cyber-Hobby kit has sufficient details to call this model a nice rendition of the real ship. Although, the dimensions and proportions of the Cyber-Hobby kit are slightly larger than they should be, the layout of the ship’s features are portrayed, well. The Cyber-Hobby kit provides for both a waterline and a full-hull model. The Cyber-Hobby kit is very, affordable.

The L’Arsenal kit requires a higher skill level to complete. The more extensive use of photo-etched brass pieces provides the addition of more smaller and more accurate details to the model. The L’Arsenal kit must have been designed using rather accurate references of the real ship’s design. Its scale dimensions being closer to the dimensions of the real ship lends to a more accurate portrayal of the real ship. The L’Arsenal kit provides for only a waterline model. There is no option for a full hull model. The price of this kit isn’t unreasonable for a 1/700 scale resin model kit.