SUPERIOR 1:1200 MODELS OF IOWA CLASS VARIANTS
(Class members: IOWA (BB-61), NEW JERSEY (BB-62), MISSOURI (BB-63), WISCONSIN (BB-64)
From bottom to top:
- A105 IOWA (BB-61) with 9-16” guns, as built
- A133 BB65I with 9-18” guns which would have fired a 3,850 pound shell compared to IOWA’s 2,700 pound 16” shell.
- A136 BB65C with 12 -16” guns in the same turret arrangement as BB64I
- A132 BB65A with 12-16” guns in four turrets, one more than the IOWA; A107 MONTANA (BB-67) was developed from this version.
- A205 CA2D, Heavy Battlecruiser with 12-12” guns and faster than the IOWA’s
Superior Models 1:1200 USN “Fast” Battleship Classes of World War II
(Top to bottom)
- A105 IOWA (BB-61); Sisters: NEW JERSEY (BB-62), MISSOURI (BB-63), WISCONSIN (BB-55)
- A112 NORTH CAROLINA (BB-55); Sister: WASHINGTON (BB-56)
- A139 SOUTH DAKOTA (BB-57); Sisters: INDIANA (BB-58), MASSACHUSETTS (BB-59), ALABAMA (BB-60)
The CLEVELAND class of U.S. WWII light cruisers was the largest class of CL’s ever built. The original design had a round bridge which was incorporated into hull numbers CL55-63 (Superior model A403). Starting with VINCENNES (CL-64), this class was fitted with a square bridge (Superior model A404). Modeler Henry Snyder has taken a group of A404’s and painted them in various camouflage (Measures) schemes and they are pictured here along with the hull numbers of the ships that were in a specific scheme at a specific time.
A diorama of “Battleship Row”. Pearl Harbor, 0755 hours, 7 December 1941. Note the modeler has scratched built canvas sun covers that the battleships had on that date. Diorama by Randy Swank
The LEXINGTON battlecruisers in 1:1200 scale by Superior; A204 “Project D” 1918, 7 funnel w/SOUTH DAKOTA guns; A203 Design of 1916, 5 funnel; A202 Design of 1921;These ships had a long conceptual stage but were put on “hold” because of WWI and then were cancelled by the Washington Treaty of 1922. The combination of high speed and powerful 16” guns would have served them well as it did the fast battleships of WWII. Models are 8 ¾ ” in length.
A diorama of Operation Cerberus, “The Channel Dash” by the German battlecruisers GNEISENAU & SCHARHORST, accompanied by the cruiser PRINZ EUGEN & destroyers from Brest, France to the North Sea via the English Channel escaping detection by the British for over 12 hours. Diorama by Randy Swank
Three 1:1200 Superior “Never-were” battleships/battlecruisers from the Japanese “8-8” plan of the 1920’s; Front to back: J110 Number 13 class (9”L), construction suspended by the Washington Naval Treaty of 1922; J201 AMAGI (8 ¼”L), damaged beyond repair by an Earthquake in 1923; J108 TOSA (7 ¾”L), also cancelled by the Treaty; Paint jobs by Bob Weymouth
American Genesis: Designs that foreshadowed the creation of the world’s greatest Navy 20 years later.
Bottom to top: A120 SOUTH DAKOTA, last of the Dreadnoughts which began with NEVADA (BB-36); A130 BB Design 1922 and A131 BB design 1923: Conceptual designs for the next BB’s after SOUTH DAKOTA; A126 TILLMAN IV-2 1917, the most powerful BB ever designed by the USN; Named after Senator Benjamin “Pitchfork” Tillman SC who felt “Why not build the biggest ship we can and be done with it!” All the above models are parts of the Superior series “The Fleet That Never Was”. In that series are also three other proposed TILLMAN design models. Models and paint jobs by Wayne Smith
Two very unusual ships; Left: Superior’s 1:1200 G107 BISMARCK variant (a “Never-was”), the mighty German battleship with 9-15” guns; Painter Jeff Clarke used a paint scheme which was generally based on the pattern used on the TIRPITZ while based in Norway. His guide was a pattern from the decals from the firm of Peddinghaus in Germany which also produces many 1:1250 decal sets for use on 1:1250/1:1200 all types of 1:1250/1:1200 waterline ship models. Right: Superior’s 1:1200 R105 Russian BB/CV hybrid Gibbs & Cox Design “B”; This impressive design was designed as a commerce raider but was ultimately rejected by the Soviets as being too larges for their naval infrastructure. Note: Another decal firm is Flight Deck Decals which is located in the USA and produces 1:1250/1:1200 decals for practically all WWII carriers. For historical backgrounds on the two designs shown above, check out Wayne Smith’s E Book on “The Fleet That Never Was” on our site.
Neptun’s 1:1250 HMS DREADNOUGHT; The design of this ship so revolutionized naval technology that it gave its name to the design itself as well as to a class of Battleships. This is just one of a huge selection of WWI ships by Neptun covering most of the ships that fought in the great Battle of Jutland. Check out the Superior 1:1200 WWI range as well.
Argos 1:1250 A34/67 USS COLE (DDG-67), BURKE class DDG; This class is the largest class of ships in the modern USN. 72 have been built and 18 more are planned. Named after Arleigh “31 knot” Burke (a nickname earned in the Solomon Islands campaign in WWII). Argos is considered the best 1:1250 modern warships available. More photos of the line can be seen in the 1:1250 Catalog section on our site.
A Task Force of Neptun 1:1250 ships from the collection of Paul Jacobs
Neptun’s 1:1250 1333A USS CIMARRON (AO-22), U.S. WWII Fleet Oiler; You can have a powerful fleet of warships but they are thirsty ladies and unless you can keep them supplied with black oil they will stay moored at their piers. The same goes for ammunition, food. etc. Neptun produces a series of auxiliaries which are extraordinarily detailed as the CIMARRON will attest.
Neptun’s 1394 LIBERTY SHIP 1943. Liberty ships were a class of cargo ships built in the U.S. during WWII. A total of 2710 were built, an average two ships every three days, truly an industrial miracle! They allowed the USN to carry badly needed supplies across the vast distances of the Atlantic and especially the Pacific to our forces on the front lines. They were built mostly in she shipyards of Henry Kaiser and it can be said that he had he was one of the architects of victory.
Neptun’s 1:1250 1394A SPERRY (AS-12) , U.S. WWII Submarine Tender; A Tender provided such services such as fuel, food, potable water, spare parts and some repairs of equipment and minor hull components to Submarines, Destroyers and Seaplanes. This allowed the aforementioned to stay on station longer in remote areas since they would not have to travel long distances for such services. Neptun offers a group of Tenders as well as other service vessels such as Fleet Tugs, Cutters, Rescue ships, Yard Craft, etc. For a complete list of these ships, go to the Navis/Neptun 1:1250 Catalog on our website.
Three Superior 1:1200 models from “The Fleet That Never Was.” Bottom to top: B112 British BB design N3; Companion to B204 CB INVINCIBLE N3; Cancelled under the 1922 Washington Treaty; B113 British BB Design 15A/B; An excellent vessel but cancelled in favor of the KING GEORGE V’s (B101) because of time constraints and the Washington Treaty; J110 Japanese Design No, 13; Never named and never laid down; The four ships that would have comprised this class represented the most powerful ships in the Japanese 8-8 plan.
Note: For historical backgrounds on the above, click “The Fleet That Never Was”, Free E Book” on our site. Paint jobs and E Book by Wayne Smith; Numbers above are Superior model numbers.
The Superior 1:1200 SPEDS Destroyer program.
First photo: (Top to bottom) DA13 BENSON (DD-421) Bottom: Mahan: USS DD 1944
Second photo: (Top to bottom) DG01 MAASS, German DD 1943 Bottom: DB01 TRIBAL, British DD 1943
Third photo: DA03 PRINGLE (DD-477), U.S. DD 1944; PRINGLE was a FLETCHER class DD and one of only three in the class to be fitted with a catapult and a float plane. Jeff Clarke has painted the decks a shade of blue as many of the USN ships in the South Pacific 1942-1945 were painted different shades of blue. There were 175 FLETCHER’s built, the most of any class of DD’s. Two other FLETCHER’s are in the program, DA01 THE SULLIVANS (DD-537), DA02 KIDD (DD-661). In addition, SUMMNER class ((DA04) and GEARING class (DA14) are derivatives of the FLETCHER class. Note also that most major class of Japanese DD’s are also available.
Most of the Superior Destroyers have always had gun barrels that were supported by webs attached to the decks and pins for masts. The SPEDS (Special Editions Destroyers) program now eliminates this. Gun barrels are now “clean’’ and masts are separate. In addition, our model maker Wayne Smith has made other improvements. At this writing, there are over 20 ships in the program with more planned. Above are photos of a selection of them. Average length of models; 3 1/2 “; All paint jobs by Jeff Clarke
Saratoga Model Shipyard is a line of 1:1250 miscellaneous waterline ship models which come to you fully assembled and painted. The model maker is Paul Jacobs a collector of many years and a an author of a monumental book on the hobby. They are manufactured for him by Navis/Neptun. For a list of Saratoga and N/N models, click 1:1250 Catalog on our website. Pictured above are two Saratoga models, Top is SMY12 USS Vestal ( AR-4) ), a repair ship which was seriously damaged at Pearl Harbor but went on to do many repairs on USN ships throughout the Pacific. Bottom is SMY-15 OGLALA (CM-4, ARG-1), a Cruiser/Minelayer later concerted to a repair ship). She also was damaged at Pearl Harbor but survived to serve in the Pacific.
The Figurehead Collection of 1:1200 Amphibious Ships and Craft, vessels that were used for the amphibious assaults at Normandy, Okinawa, Iwo Jima and many other WWII campaigns.
Left: CU40 LCT6, CU40 LCT5; Middle: CU49 LSMR, CU52 LST two davit, CU51 LSD, CU53 LST six davit, CU48 LSM; Right: CU41 LCIS, CU41 LCI, CU41 LCS; Come in kit form. CU numbers are Figurehead order numbers. Paint jobs above are by Jeff Clarke; Need a command ship for your amphib operations? Check out Superior’s A821 ELDORADO (AGC-11)
THE GREAT WHITE FLEET
In 1907, President Teddy Roosevelt sent a fleet of 16 battleships on a year and a half cruise around the world on a goodwill tour. The fleet stopped at many ports. The cruise demonstrated that the U.S. was now a major sea and world power with a navy that was capable of operating any place on the globe. The hull of each ship was painted white hence the name, “The Great White Fleet.” Superior presents 1:1200 models of the five classes of battleships that comprised the GWF. Pictured above starting at the bottom ship, counter clockwise: GWF03 KEARSARGE (BB-5), GWF02 ILLINOIS (BB-2), GWF01 CONNECTICUT (BB-05), GWF05 VIRGINIA (BB-5), GWF04 MAINE (BB-10); (Paint jobs by Jeff Clarke)
A picture of a true collector in his “shipyard”; Pictured here is Dick Nieland, a long-time customer of Alnavco in his workshop where he has been assembling and painting Superior 1:1200 model kits for many years
Neptun’s 1:1250 1234 AOBA, Japanese WWII heavy cruiser (5 ½”L); The modeler has repainted the basic model, & added radio antennae.
Neptun’s 1:1250 1030 PRINZ EUGEN (6 ¼ ”L), German heavy cruiser & BISMARCK (8”L), German battleship as they appeared in “Operation Rheinsburg” in 1941; Modeler Katseas Kostas has done a remarkable job custom painting them & adding radio antennae.
The ultimate; Neptun’s 1:1250 1001 German WWII battleship TIRPITZ (8”L); Super detailed by an obviously talented & experienced modeler using additional scratch-built parts.
