Flyhawk 1/350 USS Cowpens CG-63 1998 Deluxe Edition

Introduction

Flyhawk have been around for almost twenty years, mostly providing ship modelers with aftermarket parts and 1/700 scale kits. In recent years they have started releasing some 1/72 scale armor and even a beautiful SBD Dauntless in the same scale. What they have not done is complete kits in 1/350. Until now.

Post-WWII US Navy cruisers and destroyers in 1/350 are not well served, especially not in plastic. It almost feels like nothing new happened between the Gearing-class and the modern Arleigh Burkes and LCS funnies. The only mainstream kits of that period are Dragon’s Spruance and Ticonderoga, released in 1989 and re-boxed in various configurations since then. So when Flyhawk announced a new Ticonderoga-class cruiser in 2023, I was excited.

Review

The kit depicts USS Cowpens in her 1998 outfit, and as such features the later Mk 41 VLS instead of the earlier Mk 26 twin-arm missile launchers.

Flyhawk released two versions of this kit - a standard boxing and the“Deluxe Edition”. The former contains plastic parts, one PE fret, metal barrels for the 5in guns, and a piece of anchor chain. The later adds to that:

another five PE frets
brass rods in various sizes
a bunch of 3D-printed parts
a huge masking sheet for the decks
laser-cut wooden letters for the ship’s name
a key chain (yes, really)

All the additional parts are either additions to the base kit or simple replacements - there is no surgery required to remove detail from the plastic parts. Still, care needs to be taken not to miss anything in the instructions, as they are a bit cluttered.

The Plastic

The hull comes in one big bathtub-style piece, to which the sonar bulge and the three parts for the main deck are added. The hull shows a prominent molding line which will have to be removed. Apart from that, I would recommend drilling out the hawsepipes for a better look. The chocks all around the hull are molded solid, but the Deluxe kit offers replacement PE parts.

A fair bit of slide-molding went into the superstructure parts, and they look simply amazing. Most of the superstructure is actually one single piece, to which additional parts are added. Same goes for the helo deck, which consists of just three parts. Details like the watertight doors, firefighting equipment, and life rings are crisply - and as far as I can tell, accurately - reproduced.

The main mast comes in three pieces, each requiring a fair bit of care during cleanup. In their “Basic Kit” state they are missing some of their support struts, and that is where most of the Deluxe’s brass rods come into play. The sprues contain a lot of highly detailed parts, some very delicate, but always beautifully molded and with almost no mold lines. Ejection pin marks can be found mainly where they will not be visible in the end.

The plastic parts Flyhawk provides for the weaponry and electronic equipment might be the weakest point of the basic kit. Especially the Phalanx CIWS systems and the Harpoon launchers look a bit bland, and the AN/SPS-49 air search radar just cannot be reproduced adequately in plastic. The same goes for the AN/SPG-62 fire control radar and the OE-82C Satcom dishes. The Seahawk helicopters on the other hand look good, and their looks are further improved by PE rotor blades. Apart from these the standard boxing’s PE fret includes railings for the hull, a couple of ladders and three radar platforms, but not much else. The whole superstructure is left without any railings, and there is no safety netting for the helo landing deck.

Additional “Deluxe Edition” Parts

With all this being said, it is almost mandatory to get aftermarket accessories to make this kit shine - or just go with the “Deluxe Edition”. The principal players in this set are definitely the PE frets containing all the missing railings, safety nets, new holders for the life raft canisters, folded main rotor for one of the Seahawks, hand rails, and a bunch of other small parts.

The other major improvement comes from the 3D-printed parts, which replace all the weapons and the whole electronics suite. On top of that there are finely printed ammo lockers, a folded tail section for the Seahawk, new life raft canisters, and smoke stacks with an impressive amount of detail. Same goes for the ship’s propellers, which look much more refined than the original plastic parts.

The masking sheet contained in the “Deluxe Edition” allows you to first paint all the major horizontal surfaces Deck Gray, mask them off, and then paint the vertical surfaces Haze Gray. This should save a lot of time and effort, but care needs to be taken when building the kit, as some deck fittings will need to be left off in order for the masks to fit properly.

Instructions and Decals

As mentioned, the instructions will require some care and attention, especially when building the Deluxe version. The main instruction’s drawings are a bit cluttered in places, and going back and forth between them and the additional instructions will be a task in itself. So, take your time and double check everything! It is also a good practice to mark all the plastic parts which will be replaced by PE or 3D parts - marking them in the instructions and on the actual sprues will provide additional safety.

Finally, the decals include the hull numbers and ship’s name, deck markings, flags in various sizes, and hi-viz national insignia for the Seahawks. What is missing are the draft marks, so these will need to be scrounged from somewhere else.

Conclusion

With their first foray into 1/350 full kits, Flyhawk seem to have produced a winner. The basic kit is already impressive with its quality of molding and the amount of plastic detail, but with the addition of the “Deluxe Edition” parts, it can become a real show stopper. I can only hope Flyhawk will expand their range of 1/350 kits - I for one would be excited about a new tool Spruance (*cough cough* or how about a Forrest Sherman?)