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Trumpeter 1/350 USS Independence LCS-2

By Chris Banyai-Riepl

Overview

In the search for a new class of littoral surface combatant vessels, the US Navy contracted with Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics to come up with a new ship. While the Lockheed Martin design utilized a classic hull design, the General Dynamics design was built on the trimaran concept, inspired by the Benchijigua Express high-speed ferry. Designated the LCS-2 and named USS Independence, the ship was commissioned in January 2010.

The Kit

The unique shape of the LCS-2 makes it a popular subject for models, and there have been several releases in recent months. Trumpeter's version is in the popular 1/350 scale and comes molded in their typical medium gray plastic. In addition to the plastic parts there are three photoetch frets, a large decal sheet, and two SH-60 helicopters molded in clear. Overall the detailing is crisp, with minimal cleanup required.

Construction is fairly straightforward, which is surprising given the complex hull shape. The main hull is split into two main pieces, which is really the only way to handle the multi-faceted trimaran hull. Before assembling these two pieces, though, there's the rudimentary hangar bay to build up. With that in place, plus a couple side bays, the main hull can be put together and set aside while the details are assembled.

For details, there's quite a bit to assemble, including plenty of fiddly bits. The bow gun has a nicely faceted turret, with a separate gun and a three piece turret. The anchor is made up from three pieces, while the jet propulsion system is realistically reproduced in nine parts. The mast is suitably busy, with all sorts of masts and antennae provided. It's somewhat complex in assembly, but the instructions are clear and following them closely will make short work of that.

A significant portion of assembly in this kit comes from the included photoetch, which makes up most of the finer details. For the aft deck, there are individual tiedown discs that fit into circular recesses on the hull piece. There are side vents spread all over the place, all fitting into delicate raised lines, which will aid greatly in application. All the railings are also included, as well as a handful of ladders. The little UAV helicopter also gets some photoetch treatment in the form of rotors, skids, and tail. The full-size helicopters are the standard Trumpeter SH-60 helos, molded in clear and with optional regular or folded rotors.

The decals are typical Trumpeter, with good alignment and solid color. There is not much in the way of markings for the LCS-2, with most constrained to the main deck. There are the expected hull numbers, and the kit also provides dark decking for the fore deck. This is a nice touch, as it would be difficult to mask all of this off effectively. The only downside to the decals, and the kit in general, are the decal windows. Printed black, they are rather stark and really would have been better represented in clear plastic. Given the angular shape and location, these would be challenging to cut out and replace, so there really isn't an easy way around this issue.

Conclusion

This is a decent kit of the LCS-2, which should build up easily yet still be well detailed. The combination of plastic and photoetch should satisfy most ship modelers, and the unique shape will tempt many to pick this kit up. My thanks to Stevens International for the review sample.