USS Harper's Ferry, LSD-49, in 1/350 Scale

The Harper's Ferry Class Landing Ship Dock are a class of LSD's that followed the Whidbey Island Class of eight vessels. They used the same hull, but some significant differences were made in the Harper's Ferry to better suite the US Navy needs and to give the US Navy more flexibility in the formation and use of its Amphibious Ready Groups, which are the essential Amphibious assault portion of a Marine Expiditionary Unit (MEU).

Normally, an ARG consists of:

1 x LHD or LHA Large flatdeck Amphibious Assault vessel capable of carrying up to 2,000 Marines and all of their equipment, as well as the aircraft to jelp land and support them

1 x LPD, a large Amphibious vessel with a smaller ddeck, but still capable of carryoing up tpo 800-900 marines and their equipment and the aircraft to help land them.

1 x LSD, a large ladning ship dock capable of carryoing 500 or more Marines and all of their equipment and landing spots for the aircraft to help land them.

Note, outside of ceertain LHA vessels, all of these vessels also contain large well d3ecks to accomodate LAnding Craft Air Cushions (LCAC), MAnding Craft utility (LCU), and Amphibious YTank and personnel carriers to get the troops to shore in addition to having them flown there in air assault aboard various types of helicopters and/or MV-22 Osprey vertical landing aircraft.

The LHD/LHA and LPDs aslo have spacious hangers for their aircraft.

The LSDs do not have hangars for the aircraft used to transport their troops.

The eight Whidbey Island LSDs which preceded the Harper's Ferry class could each carry up to four LCAC, which meant their well decks were extrremely long. This is good for moving a lot of troops at once, but also decreased the amouint of storage room within the ship itself for verhicles, equipment, and armor.it was felt that a class of LSDs should be built tht could carry more of the equiment for the MArines, and so the HArper's Ferry Class was built to give this fllexibility to the overall ARG.

Haprers Ferry Class LSDs can only accomodate twp LCACs, but have a lot more storage decks and space for equipment. This increased the displacement of the Harper's Ferry class. Where as the Whidbey ISland class looks very much like the Harper's Ferry class, each of those vessels displace 16,100 tons, while the Harper's Ferry displaces 19,600 tons full load. 3,500 tons of structure and additional equipment for the Marines.

This makes these vessels very valuable to the US Navy and US MArines, and gives the US military forces much more flexibility in their planning of amphibious operations.


The four vessels that were built that comprise the Haprer's Ferry Class include:

USS Harpers Ferry, LSD-49, built by Avondale Shipyard, Commissioned on January 7, 1995, and based at Naval Base San Diego (CA)

USS Carter Hall, LSD-50, built by Avondale Shipyard, commissioned September 30, 1995, and based at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek (VA)

USS Oak Hill, LSD-51, built by Avondale Shipyard , commissioned June 8, 1996, Nnd based at Naval Amphibious Base Little Creek (VA)

USS Pearl, Harbor LSD-52, built by Avondale Shipyard, commissioned May 30, 1998, and based at Naval Base San Diego (CA)

These vessels are expected to serve for 40 years, and will begin decommissioning in the mid-2030s.

The replacement class for the twelve LSDs (Both the Whidbey Island Class and the Harper's Ferry class) is already in final design since the vessels in the Whidbey ISland Classs will begin decommissioning in

the mid-2020s. The new LSD will be built on the same hull as the San Antonio Class LPD, but with the features of the LSD.

The official specification for the ships of the Harper's Ferry Class include: official specifaltions include:

Displacement: 19,600 tons
Length: 609 ft 7 in (185.80 m)
Beam: 84 ft (26 m)
Draft: 19 ft 6 in (5.94 m)
Propulsion: Four Colt Pielstick, 16-cylinder diesels twin turbo, two shafts, 33,000 shp (25,000 kW)
Speed: 24.5 kn (45.4 km/h; 28.2 mph)
Boats & landing:
- Craft carried: 2 LCACs, LCUs. Amphibious vehicles
Complement:
- Naval: 22 officers, 391 enlisted
- Marines 402 _ 102 Surge
Armament: 2 × 25 mm Mk 38 cannons
- 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS mounts
- 2 × RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launchers
- 2 x 25 mm Mk 38 rapid-fire cannon
- 6 × .50 caliber M2HB machine guns

The Harper's Ferry LSD vessels are an essential part of the US Navy and US Marine policy and methodology for being able to project US military power when necessary and to assault shorelines according to the direction of the US Command Authority, meaning the president of the United States.

I was very excited when Orange Hobby announced the release of the 1/350 scale version of this ship. I already had the Gallery Models 1/350 scale injected molded plastic model of the Wasp Class USS Iow Jima, LHD-7, and the Bronco Model 1/350 scale injected molded plastic model of the USS New York, LPD-21, San Antonio class LPD. I was unaware of any 1/350 scale LSDs and felt I might not be able to round out my ARG appropriately.

But then this model was announced and I began saving for it. It is a resin kit, with a lot of resin and metal parts...and very detailed. But resin kits are also very expensive. Free Time Hobbies out of

Georgia and online, had the best price at $239.95, and their standard $8.95 shipping rate (). So when I saved the money I got it from them i

It arrived yesterday and I took it out and looked through it. Unfortunately, in transit, the armored wall right above the bridge brole off (and into pieces) that sits right above the bridge. I will be able to either rebuild or fashion something suitable for it.

Otherwise, it is in GREAT shape.

It comes with the entire hull and major weather decks and bridge and other structure all modled. You can either build it water line, or full huiull becuase it also has a single modeled piece for the lower hull.

Also, there is a nicely modledd part for the well deck and the entire equipment deck that fits very nicely into the upper part of the ship.

There are numererous sprues of many resin parts for detail, and there are nine sheets of metal etched parts for all of the railing, sensors, and many of the structural mounts for radars, and the cranes, etc.

The decalslook great and the instructions come in about 20 full pages that are very detailed..
As with amy resin kit, you have to deal wth the tooling attachments and modlings and get them removed nicely so that the poarts all fit toigether...an you have to use the apprpriate glue for the resin.

But that's pkay because this ship looks like it is going to be very well worth it.

Orange Hobbies puts out excellent kits, both injected modled and resin kits. They are Well known for their finr workmanship and attentiaon to detail. This kit certainly looks to maintain that level of confidance.

Here is how the vessel looks out of the box.

...and here are some pictures of the resin formed vessel as it came in the box:



This looks to be a very good build, and will take some time because of all of the detail and working with etal and resin.

- By November30, 2016 Buy and complete the Orange Hobby USS Harper's Ferry, LSD-49

I started by removing the tooling attachments to the lower hull from the molding process. These usually snap off pretty good if you use a sharp pair of cutters, but you have to be careful or you can easily break part of the part itself.

These came apart nicely, after which time with an xacto knife, my cutters, and sand paper, I was able to sand the edges at those point down very smooth so that they will fit nicely into the upper hull.

I then began gathering the parts for the rudders, the stabilization veins, the struts, and the shafts.

I also had to put the bulbous nose on the front of the lower hull and then started painting in hull red which is a mixture of two parts red and one part brown from model masters.

I got the bulbous nose on and then the stabilizers and began painting.


At this point I added the rudders, the struts and the shafts, and then painted the rest of the lower hull:

This is looking very good.

In the next session, I will next paint the vertical surfaces on the main hull in the neutral gray I use for the US Navy, add the water mark line, and then do a test fit for the upper and lower hull before adding the well deck which will be the session after next.

But I have a long Labor day weekend coming up and will have plenty of time to make some progress here.

Jeff Head said:

My Review and Build of Orange Hobby's 1/350 scale KIT #N03-130-1400,
USS Harpers Ferry LSD-49 Landing Ship Dock (LSD)





Harper's Ferry Class Landing Ship dock (LSD)
​

The Harper's Ferry Class Landing Ship Dock are a class of LSD's that followed the Whidbey Island Class of eight vessels. They used the same hull, but some significant differences were made in the Harper's Ferry to better suite the US Navy needs and to give the US Navy more flexibility in the formation and use of its Amphibious Ready Groups, which are the essential Amphibious assault portion of a Marine Expiditionary Unit (MEU).

Normally, an ARG consists of:

1 x LHD or LHA Large flatdeck Amphibious Assault vessel capable of carrying up to 2,000 Marines and all of their equipment, as well as the aircraft to jelp land and support them

1 x LPD, a large Amphibious vessel with a smaller ddeck, but still capable of carryoing up tpo 800-900 marines and their equipment and the aircraft to help land them.

1 x LSD, a large ladning ship dock capable of carryoing 500 or more Marines and all of their equipment and landing spots for the aircraft to help land them.

Note, outside of ceertain LHA vessels, all of these vessels also contain large well d3ecks to accomodate LAnding Craft Air Cushions (LCAC), MAnding Craft utility (LCU), and Amphibious YTank and personnel carriers to get the troops to shore in addition to having them flown there in air assault aboard various types of helicopters and/or MV-22 Osprey vertical landing aircraft.

The LHD/LHA and LPDs aslo have spacious hangers for their aircraft.

The LSDs do not have hangars for the aircraft used to transport their troops.

The eight Whidbey Island LSDs which preceded the Harper's Ferry class could each carry up to four LCAC, which meant their well decks were extrremely long. This is good for moving a lot of troops at once, but also decreased the amouint of storage room within the ship itself for verhicles, equipment, and armor.it was felt that a class of LSDs should be built tht could carry more of the equiment for the MArines, and so the HArper's Ferry Class was built to give this fllexibility to the overall ARG.

Haprers Ferry Class LSDs can only accomodate twp LCACs, but have a lot more storage decks and space for equipment. This increased the displacement of the Harper's Ferry class. Where as the Whidbey ISland class looks very much like the Harper's Ferry class, each of those vessels displace 16,100 tons, while the Harper's Ferry displaces 19,600 tons full load. 3,500 tons of structure and additional equipment for the Marines.

This makes these vessels very valuable to the US Navy and US MArines, and gives the US military forces much more flexibility in their planning of amphibious operations.

.​

Click to expand...

Excellent well explained and i add

FORBIN said:

Excellent well explained and i add

View attachment 31605

Click to expand...

Yes, and the US currently has:

12 LSDs and will maintain that number
11 x LPDs (10 San Antonio and 1 Austin) but will build to and maintain 12
09 x LHD/LHA (8 Wasp and 1 America) with the 10th about to launch, and will build to 12,

So, right now the US Navy has 32 of the big amphibs, but will ultimately build back to 36.

Wow wow you spoil us i am as a dog in front of a bone
Model of 1st quality what details !

Thinking pieces in golden color are in metal and 5 parts !

Many small pieces you get busy with it

FORBIN said:

Wow wow you spoil us i am as a dog in front of a bone
Model of 1st quality what details !

Thinking pieces in golden color are in metal and 5 parts !

Many small pieces you get busy with it

Click to expand...

Yes. it will be a GREAT addition to my ARG, to go along with these two already completed in 1/350 scale:

USS New York, LPD-21





USS Iwo Jima, LHD-7