Convert Tamiya USS New Jersey to WWII 1945 Form

Brian,

Before you do anything, I'd gather as much research material as possible, preferably deck plans for the 1945 fit. I normally don't recomend Wikipedia, but if you go to the Wikipedia entry and scroll down to the External Links at the bottom there are several good starting points. The NAVSOURCE photogallery and the WW2DB are good starting places. Since I'm at work, I didn't open the 1984 Book of General Plans because I don't download onto their computers. Off the top of my head, your going to have to source the crane and catapults for the aft deck (where the helo pad is now). The correct radar suite, you may have to add some dual 5in gun mounts, then add a boatload of 20mm and 40mm AA guns. If you don't have the kit yet, you might look at the Very Fire 1/350 kit. It is a WW2 fit so you wouldn't need need to do any modifications to start with. I don't know anything about the kit other than it's 1/350 and the digital renderings look pretty good (I build 1/700 so my first response was get the Tamiya 1/700 Iowa and slap a 63 on her, no one would know.)  You might try posting this over in the Ship Forum as well.  Hope this helps.

Thank you very much for the guidance!

Well, looks like I need to work on my reading comprehension as I totally missed the part where you said you had the kit. So ignore my ramblings about the Very Fire kit (unless you have the space to do both, kind of a now and then thing). I still think you would be well served to post this over in the Ship Forum.

Lew pretty much hit it.  Would need to replace the missles and cwis and helo stuff.  Source 4- 5" twin mounts and all the 20's and 40's along with the period radars.  Probably can get most everything except the radars from Shapeways.

Might be cheaper to aquire another kit in her 1945 fit.  Or maybe an Iowa or Missouri, but some minor details might be different.

goldhammer

Lew pretty much hit it.  Would need to replace the missles and cwis and helo stuff.  Source 4- 5" twin mounts and all the 20's and 40's along with the period radars.  Probably can get most everything except the radars from Shapeways.

 

Might be cheaper to aquire another kit in her 1945 fit.  Or maybe an Iowa or Missouri, but some minor details might be different.

 

Thanks for the tip.

Hi Brian:

      I was going to do the same thing. Thought better of it though. Have to replace the decking I cut off and then I can build her OOB. Now I do know there are other Iowas out there. I do believe I will save the money and buy Tamiya's 1/350 Missouri, which is what I was after.

     I had gotten the New Jersey as a gift and figured, Well, I can convert her. Worst thought though I ever had. Oh, sure I have the 5"-38 Units and the 20s and 40s But there would be a major effort getting the Cats, Planes and Crane for the stern.

 I would advise you to save your funds and get the Missouri in 1/350 or the Iowa in 1/200 ( I think the " Mo " is in that scale too)  T.B.     P.S.  Being as how you are a "Bird Farmer" maybe you can help me. Which kit comes closest to the Post Korean War version of the Midway? Gotta have that ship!

Tanker - Builder

...P.S.  Being as how you are a "Bird Farmer" maybe you can help me. Which kit comes closest to the Post Korean War version of the Midway? Gotta have that ship!

I hate to hammer the point home, but being a kitbasher myself, I can most assuredly tell you; That project would be longterm, difficult, and potentially expensive. Agreeing with others, you would be far better off starting with a kit of the era you are intending. If you look at how many times that ship has been altered; even small changed affect the other ones that came after. That means an incredible amount of work and an even more incredible amount of research.

Good Luck

I second TB's advice, too-I would forego converting this kit, just buy a kit of the Jersey in her WW II configuration.

Unless you want to undertake the task.  It'll be a lot of work, but there's nothing wrong with that, either.

the Baron

I second TB's advice, too-I would forego converting this kit, just buy a kit of the Jersey in her WW II configuration.

 

the Baron

I second TB's advice, too-I would forego converting this kit, just buy a kit of the Jersey in her WW II configuration.

Unless you want to undertake the task.  It'll be a lot of work, but there's nothing wrong with that, either.

 

I've come to that conclusion as well; I'll just have two USS New Jersey's...the WWII version and the 1991 version. It's win-win.

Hi Baron!

 I remember her refueling us in 1961 and she had the Angled deck then ! But that's about the era I was looking for. Do you know which model even comes close?

None I know of.

Pre-angle deck, which was part of SCB-110 and was operational in 1957; CVB-41 is represented by the Revell kit of the franklin D. Roosevelt CVB-42.

From 1957 to 1966, I don't know of any models available.

In 1966, she became operational after SCB-101.66, which grossly increased the size of the deck to be what it it now, added an elevator, etc. The only kit I know of in Arii, originally Otaki. It's 1/800.

But I'll keep looking- she's a great ship.

There's a member of the FB "Revell-Authentic Kits" group-devoted to the old Revell kits, pre-merger-who is using the Revell Roosevelt/Coral Sea/Midway as the basis for a conversion to the Midway in her late-60s configuration.  It's interesting to follow and see his work.

I'm curious to find that forum, no luck so far. It would be quite a job!

i kitbashed a Revell Midway into angled deck version back in the late 70's. had to scratch build all the aircraft for it. still have that model but intending to put it in for another rebuild with last flight deck arrangement & do it as full hull.

GMorrison

I'm curious to find that forum, no luck so far. It would be quite a job!

Thanks, I'll check it out.