White Ensign Models 1/144
USN 50 Caliber Air-Cooled Machine Gun

If you've purchased one of Trumpeter's great 1/144 USS Gato early or late versions, you've got a nice start on a very well-done kit. The only problem with styrene is that you just can't replicate some of the finer details in stryrene. White Ensign Models to the rescue.

This detail set tackles that problem by replacing the simplistic styrene machine guns with these two air-cooled guns, each mounted on a nicely detailed pintle. The set provides the pintle, gun cradle, and machine gun, times two.

As usual, White Ensign Models also provides a nice step-by-step guide to assembling your detail set and a key to identifying the various parts included in the set.

If you are modifying your kit to reproduce any of the other members of the Gato/Balao class, check your references on armament. If this isn't the right machine gun for your boat, White Ensign Models has produced quite a few different sets to help you properly arm your next project.

As you can see in the photo, the detail set consists of quite a few detail parts that will take care and experience to manipulate and install on your Trumpeter kit. If you're comfortable working in this medium or are ready to give photo-etch in 1/144 scale a try, this is the set for you!

My sincere thanks to White Ensign Models for this review sample!