Arma Hobby has released a new 1/72^nd scale diorama base representing a WWII US Navy or Royal Navy escort carrier deck. The molded plastic has great recessed detail; all you need to do is apply the paint.

In the Box

The base is made from injected light gray styrene and the molded detail quality is very fine for 1/72^nd scale. The size is 6 X 6 inches (152 X 152 cm). It is encased in a one-piece fold-out cardboard envelope-style packaging.

The front side of the box has some color photos of what a finished carrier deck might look like. The back and side of the box have a QR code and website that will take you to Arma Hobby’s webpage for free 3D files for wheel chocks, bomb carts, and arrestor cable mounts. This is a nice benefit for those who have access to 3D printers.

Review Process

To begin this review process, I covered the top surface with Tamiya XF-59 Desert Yellow using Tamiya lacquer thinner to give it a solvent-based primer coat. After that, I covered the surface with Mr. Color 181 Semi-Gloss Super Clear thinned by Mr. Leveling Thinner. Next, I masked off the metal anchor strips and painted them with Alclad Stainless Steel. Note: the bottom surfaces are solvent-based.

Once dry, I took an aerosol can of hair spray and applied a light coating to prepare paint chipping. The next day, I sprayed Vallejo Russian AF Grey N.7 (71.343) and let dry overnight. To create weathering effects, I used an old stiff brush and proceeded to saturate the surface with water and started chipping off the Vallejo paint until I was satisfied with the look. I kept the paint chipping restrained since I wanted a more subtle look versus seeing large patches of bare wood.

Once the water had evaporated, I added a light coat of very thinned black acrylic wash to darken the panel edges and give the anchor strips some depth. The next day, I airbrushed a coat of Vallejo Satin Clear and then a coat of AK Ultra Matt Clear Varnish.

To finish the base, the edges were painted with Tamiya XF-1 Flat Black, and I considered it good.

Conclusions

The Arma Hobby USN/RN Escort Carrier Deck is a great diorama base for your US Navy or Royal Navy aircraft in 1/72^nd scale. Just provide the paint and elbow grease to get the look you want, and your naval aircraft can sit proudly on the carrier deck at the contest table or your display case.

I want to thank Arma Hobby for providing this Carrier base and IPMS/USA for allowing me the opportunity to review.

Highly Recommend it to all experience levels.