I have to clear some space on my shelves, so I need to part with some of my collection. THIS IS MY LAST ONE! Trumpeter made a name for themselves producing big scale tanks and aircraft carriers. Their USS Hornet release in 2002 took everyone by surprise and marked the beginning of a naval arms race with Tamiya, Hasegawa, Academy, Fujimi and others. This is the superb kit of the US Navy carrier USS Franklin CV-13 as she appeared in 1944. The Franklin is famous for being the most heavily damaged US aircraft carrier to survive the war. The large scale of this model allows for considerable detail. Here is some of the information that I have found online about this classic aircraft carrier kit. I provide only the first few lines below, simply for WTF comic value. CV-13 “Franklin” USS Essex-class aircraft carrier for the fifth search, “Franklin” in the Pacific War in World War II, fought, survived, leaving the immortal fame. October 14, 1943 “Franklin” in the Newport News shipyard construction started when “Franklin” aircraft carrier in service, the Pacific War has come to late, the Americans controlled the Pacific air, sea control, after several aircraft carrier battle, the Japanese fleet has lost offensive capacity, is under the moribund Japanese carrier-based aircraft had lost the advantage, they organized a “kamikaze team” to resist increasingly closer to the Japanese mainland US aircraft carrier battle group, which at the start of the US aircraft carrier not to eat less bitterness. There is a link to download the complete 20-page instruction set and full color painting guide for the very similar Essex kit. There are also links to aftermarket parts, galleries and references for the Essex Class carriers. Mike Ashey put together a 72-page tutorial entitled Building and Detailing the Trumpeter 1/350 Scale USS Franklin, CV-13. It is available as a PDF download from his site (mikeashey. Com) and goes step-by-step through his build with over 400 sequenced photos to show you exactly how to get it right. He used several aftermarket parts, but I think he was pretty pleased with the kit overall. He shows off his hard work with 16 photos covering all angles. He enjoyed his build and there are plenty of lessons and tips in the entries after the pictures. This kit is in a large well-decorated 32.5″ x 10″ x 3 box. As you can see from the pictures, the box is in fantastic shape and still sealed with tape strips, so I consider it. Factory sealed and absolutely gift-ready. This item contains a complete injection molded model with over 700 grey plastic parts and decals to make a detailed full-hull or waterline-hull replica of the USS Franklin (CV-13) as she appeared in 1944, complete with a 20 aircraft airwing. It requires cement and paint to complete as shown. Those familiar with my listings can tell that I really enjoy these products and the modeling hobby. I like to provide more than just the bare facts about the items, trying to lead you into discovering more about the subjects and optimizing your builds (if that is your goal). I started out picking up models that I was interested in, with the eye toward building them when I had time. Always a bargain-hunter, I accumulated many more than I can build, so I found myself in a Collector status (sounds nicer than a hoarder). Now I enjoy making these products available to my fellow modelers; both Builders and Collectors. For Collectors, my goal is to save you a few bucks over the competition for the same item in factory sealed and collectible (or resellable) condition.