Dragon U.S.S. Arizona BB-39 w/Type 97 Kate Carrier Bomber Pearl Harbor Attack 7 December 1941

The USA was taken completely off-guard by the sudden Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on 7 December 1941. Among the ships sunk on that tragic day was USS Arizona (BB-39), a powerful Pennsylvania-class battleship displacing 30,000 tons. The battleship had been transferred to Hawaii in April 1940 as a deterrent to Japanese territorial expansion. Ironically, Japanese aircraft sank her at anchor with the loss of 1,177 lives. The wreck of USS Arizona still lies at the bottom of Pearl Harbor, straddled by a memorial to all those who died in the surprise attack. One of the aircraft types that the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) used to carry out the raid was the Nakajima B5N2 torpedo bomber. Known to the Allies as “Kate”, this Type 97 aircraft achieved some notable successes in the early part of the Pacific War.

As the 70th anniversary of the Pearl Harbor attack approaches, Dragon is launching a very practical set consisting of a 1/700 scale USS Arizona model as well as two “Kate” torpedo bombers protagonists. These two elements – battleship and aircraft - can once again meet in a head-on confrontation.

The ship kit is the previously released Premium Edition item, which means it’s well-endowed with photo-etched parts and metal barrels for the large naval guns. Clever engineering removes much of the hard work from assembly too. On the other hand, the two B5N2 aircraft are completely new items from new toolings. They are moulded in transparent plastic so that modellers can paint them more easily and retain clear glazing for the cockpit canopies. For those modellers wishing to reproduce a scene from that historically dramatic day, you can’t get much better than this set!

• 1:700 scale modern sea power series
• Delicate Type 97 carrier bomber realistically produced
• Torpedo rendered w/details
• One-piece lower hull with accurate dimensions
• True-to-scale ultra-thin propellers
• Rudder can be easily assembled
• Realistic bridge w/steam turbine installed
• Slide-moulded 14-inch gun turret
• Slide-moulded barrels for the dozen 14-inch guns in either injection-plastic or photo-etched
• Onboard lifeboats rendered with fine detail
• Crane parts give greater detail