Tamiya 78028 - 1:350 New Jersey BB-62 U.S. Battleship

Plastic model kit of the American battleship USS New Jersey (BB-62) in 1:350 scale

USS New Jersey travelled a long road from a Second World War gun battleship to a carrier of Tomahawk cruise missiles. Tamiya 78028 recreates her in 1:350 scale in exactly that later guise – in her 1980s configuration after a comprehensive modernisation, when the classic 406 mm turrets shared the deck with armoured box launchers and Phalanx close-in weapon systems.

The kit is based on a 1984 mould, and its 2012 release was enriched with new parts and photo-etched parts. The model is full hull and is displayed on the included stand. The finished ship measures 774 x 94.5 mm.

An interesting feature is the way the radars are rendered: the SPS-67 and SPS-49 antennae and the SRA-57/SRA-58 antennae are provided both in plastic and as photo-etched parts – the modeller chooses which version to fit. The kit is rounded out with stainless steel propeller shafts, two SH-60B Seahawk helicopters and 1:350 display accessories: two 406 mm shells and two Tomahawk missiles.

What's in the box:

• Plastic sprues with hull, superstructure, gun and missile armament
• Photo-etched parts: including the SPS-67 and SPS-49 radar antennae and the SRA-57/SRA-58 antennae (the radars are provided both in plastic and in photo-etch, your choice)
• Stainless steel propeller shafts
• 2 SH-60B Seahawk helicopters
• Tomahawk armoured box launchers and Harpoon launchers, plus Phalanx close-in weapon systems
• Display accessories: 2 x 406 mm shells and 2 Tomahawk missiles in 1:350 scale
• Waterslide decal sheet for markings (including helicopter landing deck markings)
• Display stand
• History booklet and painting guide
• Illustrated assembly instructions

Model specifications:

• Scale: 1:350
• Catalogue number: 78028
• Manufacturer: Tamiya
• Model dimensions: 774 x 94.5 mm
• Skill level: beginner/intermediate (large kit with photo-etched parts)

Please note: glue, paints and modelling tools are not included. This model is intended for self-assembly.

Building the model:

Building a large 1:350 battleship is a project for several evenings, but the parts fit typical of Tamiya means the assembly holds no unpleasant surprises. It is worth deciding early on whether the radar antennae will be built from plastic or from photo-etch – the latter gives lattice structures a truly scale thinness, but calls for precision tweezers and cyanoacrylate glue. Delicate deck fittings, launchers and Phalanx mounts are best painted before they are fitted.

For painting we suggest the greys typical of the 1980s US Navy: a lighter grey for the sides and superstructure, a darker shade for the decks, and red for the underwater section of the hull, clearly visible on a full hull build. Paint codes are given in the manufacturer's instructions together with the included painting guide. Decals – including the helicopter landing deck markings – are best applied over a gloss coat, which limits decal silvering, with a matt varnish as the final finish and a wash to bring out the detail.

Tools you will need:

• Modelling side cutters for removing parts from the sprues
• Hobby knife or scalpel
• Files and sanding paper to clean up sprue gate marks
• Plastic cement (e.g. Tamiya Extra Thin Cement)
• Cyanoacrylate glue for the photo-etched and metal parts
• Precision modelling tweezers
• Brushes in various sizes
• Modelling paints (acrylic or enamel)
• Modelling wash to bring out the detail

About the ship – USS New Jersey (BB-62):

USS New Jersey is an Iowa-class battleship that entered service in 1944 and fought in the Pacific, later taking part in the Korean and Vietnam wars. Her most unusual chapter, however, began in the 1980s, when the ship was recommissioned and modernised: retaining her 406 mm main battery, she received armoured box launchers for Tomahawk cruise missiles, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Phalanx close-in weapon systems and modern radar equipment.

In this configuration New Jersey had a standard displacement of approx. 45,000 tons and a full load displacement of approx. 57,500 tons, with a length of 270.4 m and a beam of 33 m. Eight boilers and turbines producing around 212,000 hp drove four propellers, giving a speed of approx. 33 knots. Her crew numbered around 1,500.

In 1983-1984 the ship took part in operations off the coast of Lebanon, using her main battery against land targets. New Jersey was decommissioned in 1991 and today serves as a museum ship.

Original specifications (USS New Jersey, 1980s configuration):

• Type: Iowa-class battleship
• Standard displacement: approx. 45,000 t; full load: approx. 57,500 t
• Dimensions: 270.4 x 33 m
• Main armament: 9 x 406 mm guns in three triple turrets
• Secondary armament: 12 x 127 mm guns
• Missile armament: 32 Tomahawk missiles in armoured box launchers, 16 Harpoon missiles
• Close-in defence: 4 Phalanx systems
• Propulsion: 8 boilers, turbines producing approx. 212,000 hp, 4 propellers
• Maximum speed: approx. 33 knots
• Crew: approx. 1,500
• Service: from 1944 (Pacific), Korea, Vietnam, Lebanon 1983-1984; decommissioned in 1991, today a museum ship

About the manufacturer – Tamiya:

Tamiya Corporation is a Japanese model company founded in 1946 by Yoshio Tamiya in Shizuoka, a city regarded as the heart of the Japanese model industry. The business started out in the timber trade and released its first plastic model kit in 1960. The brand is known for extremely precise injection moulds, well thought-out kit engineering and excellent parts fit, which is why its models are chosen by beginners and experienced modellers alike. In the field of ship modelling Tamiya earned its reputation with the 1:700 Water Line series, and since the turn of the 1970s and 1980s it has also developed large 1:350 warship kits – richly equipped and often supplemented with photo-etched parts and metal components. Tamiya instructions are clear and illustrated step by step, which makes even complex kits much easier to build. Beyond the models themselves the company supplies a complete modelling range: paints, glues, tools and brushes. Today Tamiya is present in dozens of countries and remains one of the most recognisable brands in the hobby.