Scale: 1/530

Set includes 4 directors.

Recommended for:
Revell 1/530 USS Essex CVA-9 and CVS-9 Angle-deck carrier  
Revell 1/530 USS Hornet (CV-12) "Hornet +3" Apollo 11 Moon Mission Recovery Vessel   
Revell 1/530 USS Hornet (CVS-12) Apollo 11 Recovery Vessel   
Revell 1/530 USS Lexington (CVA-16) Sea Power Issue 
Revell 1/530 USS Lexington (CVT-16) Sea Power Issue  
Revell 1/530 USS Wasp CVA-18 and CVS-18 Gemini Recovery Vessel 
Revell 1/530 USS Wasp CVA-18 and CVS-18  
Revell 1/530 USS Wasp  CVA-18 and CVS-18  
Revell 1/530 USS Bon Homme Richard CVA-31 Picture Fleet Issue  
Revell 1/530 USS Bon Homme Richard CVA-31  
Revell 1/530 USS Oriskany CVA-34  
Revell 1/530 USS Shangri-La CVA-38  (not the 1/500 Renwal kit)

The US Navy Mark 37 Director was used to control the fire of the 5”/38 caliber dual purpose batteries against both aircraft and surface targets, to direct the fire of starshells for the illumination of surface targets and to position the searchlights.  This set represents the enlarged, post-war type seen on late-serving Iowa class battleships such as USS Missouri BB-63, and USS Wisconsin BB-64, Essex class and Midway class carriers as well as some cruisers during the Cold War-era.
 
Most, but not all, Essex class aircraft carriers were fit with this enlarged, boxy-shaped director.  Please check your references to know which type of director is accurate for the ship you are modeling. 

© Model Monkey LLC. This 3D-printed product may not be copied or recast.
 
Mk.37 directors were commonly installed on many classes of US Navy and US Coast Guard ships during World War II through the Cold War. Here is a short summary of Mk.37 directors from noted naval historian and researcher Rick E. Davis:
 
Mk.37 "Angle-Back" directors: the early Mod versions, called "taper-back" or "angle-back", were installed on the NORTH CAROLINA class battleships, SOUTH DAKOTA class battleships, USS Iowa BB-61, USS New Jersey BB-62, USS Saratoga CV-3 (from 1943), USS Hornet CV-8, SIMS-BENSON-GLEAVES class destroyers, and early completed cruisers and battleships like the first four ATLANTA class light cruisers. It appears in about 1941 the US Navy switched to the “square-back” Mk 37 directors for all ships being built (and modified), and continued to be made throughout WWII.
 
Mk.37 "Square-Back" director for Mk.4 radar: the first version seen had a plain backside with only hand grip rails (this is the director top that comes with the Tamiya and Trumpeter FLETCHER class kits). Some FLETCHER’s ended the war still equipped with the Mk 4 radar. Units with Mk 4 radar that were recommissioned for the Korean War never had the Mk 12/22 radars installed, having the newer Mk 25 radar installed.
 
Mk.37 "Square-Back" director for Mk 12/22 radar (available separately): these are the same directors as above with two extension boxes added to the back to house the electronics of the new radars. As an aside, the Mk 12 radar was available and installed without the Mk 22 radar on a few destroyers in mid-1944. Most of those destroyers had the Mk 22 installed before going to the war zone however during post-shakedown availabilities.
 
Mk.37 "Square-Back" director for Mk 12/22 radar, with commander's cockpit (available separately): the commander's cockpit was added as a mod to existing and new directors starting in early 1945. Several of the Anti-Kamikaze Mod FLETCHER’s got the cockpit. But, oddly, not all destroyers got the cockpits. Reports indicate that many gun director captains didn’t like it (too hot in the South Pacific). It is believed that the cockpit-equipped directors are more common on the GEARING class.
 
Mk.37 director, Cold War-configuration (this set of models): during the Cold War, the directors were enlarged to the front, receiving a very boxy-shaped housing. These were commonly fit to the IOWA class battleships and ESSEX and MIDWAY class aircraft carriers from the 1950s onward.