This is an Essex class Ship Construction Bureau (SCB) 125 rebuild. Box art is excellent and I appreciate the thickness of the hangar bulkheads and the holes to support them on the hull. It went together really well. Some parts are molded right onto the bulkhead that would've been more realistic if they were separate. The deck has a lot of molded in detail that makes decal placement easier. I compared the island to one I had kicking around from the Revell USS Wasp-- pretty close! The Wasp elevators I have are more detailed and I retrofitted my Tico with them for a better look. Now, for the problem areas. All of the SCB-125 ships had bridle horns in front of the catapults. Early aircraft were held to the shuttle by a cable that stayed with the ship once the plane was launched. The bridle catcher in the forepart of the flight deck are missing. I had to scratch build mine as it's a pretty glaring loss. They didn't really disappear from US carriers until the 80's when all of the aircraft had purpose built catapult connections on the front strut. Heck, even the F-4 Phantom used bridles for launch. Some great videos on Youtube showing them in action. I was excited for the airgroup-- early to mid 50's planes would've been great, but the detail was really lacking. Sure, they were planes, but the molding lacked any real way to be realistic. I had the airgroup from the previously mentioned Wasp of S-2 Trackers, A-4 Skyhawks and F-8 Crusaders so my deck is populated with them. Overall, this was a fun build. Goes together easy, a lot of quality in the construction and some good design elements. Does lack the detail and some basic errors. It would be a great kit for a beginning ship builder to practice on and work their way up. I am looking forward to what else Atlantis brings out.

NICE KIT 1/500 SCALE,WITH DECK VEHICLES, HELICOPTER,F9F PANTHERS WITH FOLDED WINGS,SOME F9F FULLY EXTENDED WINGS,A3D SKYWARRIORS,DECK CAN BE PAINTED AS EARLY ESSEX OR LATER WHEN UPGRADED TO A ANGLED DECK

Easy build but lacking some details. If you are not looking for a super Duper detailed kit, this is the one for you. A much easier build than the new kits that have 800+ parts! I did like the fact that it gives you a few options on deck and plane selection. This is a great kit for the average modeler!!