"Launch Aircraft"_WWII Carrier Deck

ALL HAIL, René Hieronymus !

Such great work, it gives me goosebumps!

That is definitely in the top-ten coolest things I've ever seen.

Great post!

The backgrounds just added an entirely new "WOW-Factor" to the build...

I just can't find the words, man...

Rene! I recall seeing those photochopped pics her but don't recall if I commented.

I am floored that this is 1/72 (as others must be!) The level of detail is astounding! It would take many of us 5 years to build the A/C alone!

Not trying to steal any thunder from your fabulous build.....but many years ago Scale Modeler magazine (Not FSM) featured a scratchbuilt USS Enterprise.....hull carved from wood etc. I believe in 1/72. I think it was a pre-war rendition with many A/C on deck.

The model was photographed floating in a pond apparently tethered to the bank and was very impressive. This would have been around 1970(?)

Poor Scale Modeler magazine wrote a two-line caption under the one photo and didn't do a feature that I ever saw.

However, your endeavor is.......well, beyond accurate description!

Hi there

First of all, thanks alot for all the kind words (and to "the Baron" das klingt verdächtigt bayrisch oder täuscht des? aber zuerst einmal danke)

The building of this model took me 5 years and 6 month or 4300hrs total. Within the next few days  I will finally be able to publish a book which I have made about the "real ship" and of course about the model As soon as this book will be availbale I will let you all know.

Here are some pictures a goodfriend of mine took andaddedsome more bqackground, Hope you like them:

Thanks again and "servus auch aus Österreich"

and keep on modeling

René

www.usns.biz

Congratulations, Hieronymus, ich gratuliere, Du hast das Aug getäuscht, ich meinte, der Träger war in 1/48, so detaillgetreu isser!  (you fooled my eye, I thought the carrier was in 1/48th).

Congratulations for making the magazine, wahnsinnig!

Es grüßt aus Bethlehem, servus!

Brad

Hi there, well first of all, thanks a lot for all the kind words concerning my model.

Here are a few informations you might be interested. The carrier is an Escort carrier, CVE-26 USS Sangamo, Sangamon Class 555 feet long but almost 27.oootons max: displacement, that is because these carriers were converted tankers..

Scale of my model is 1:72!, I worked on this model for 5 years and 6 month, totaling over 4300 hrs. Total lenght of the model is about 9 ft. weight about 98 lbs, total number of pieces for the ships is around 18.000pcs.

The entire model is scratch build,  the figures are from various sources like Hecker & Goros, Preise, Revell, Airfix, Mark Brown and some else. About 2/3 of them were modified, there are over 430 figures on the entire ship. The aircraft are all modified, new cockpits and various details, the wings are all self made because of the folding mechanismAll Photo etched parts are selfmade, the flight deck is made of real wooden stripsabout 7500 pcs of them. The entire hangar deck iS fully detailed.

There are 28 aircraft on the ship, 23 Hellcats and 5 Avengers; all the Jeeps and tractors , Tilly (the crash crane) bomb carts and so on are selfmade too! Both elevators are (theoretical) operable. Those pictures were taken during a modelshow in Oberschleißheim Munich/Germany in the famous "Deutsches Museum" Currently the model is here in Salzburg at my home where I live.

I have just finished a book about this model which will be available shortly, 80 pages most in full color, over 90 picturesof the model and the "real"ship, 3 line drawings and a lot of informations about the model and the history of the real Sangamon and her crew. The former crewmember of this ship gave me an outstanding help and without their help this model would never been possible.

There is  an article about this model in the brand new "Freat Scale Modeling 2009" issue which is published by Fine Scale Modeler, you can actually orderyour copy right here on this website.

Ok thats all for the moement, I will enclose a few more even more specatcular photos which a good friend of mine, Albert Moser took but please if you have any more questuions about my mode, feel free to ask or if you like it you can also take a look at my own website, I have posted all pictures which I took during the entire building process of the model, (nearly 700)

Here is the link;

 http://usns.biz/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=96&Itemid=124

just klick on the large photo and enjoy!

 Oh and just to make sure, I'm still married  to the same woman as before I started to built this monster..........how about that?

 Have fun and most of all

 keep on modeling

René Hieronymus

www.usns.biz

So she IS the Sangamon, not the Monterey...  I didn't realize there was duplication between the CV, CVL, and CVE numbers -- but of course there would have to be, really.  But it sure creates confusion, especially when the Navy changes prefixes! 

 http://www.navsource.org/archives/03/cve-26/sangamon01.htm

http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/ships/cv/cve-26/72-rh-p1/cve-26-p1.html

... but the articles say she's in 1/72, not 1/48th, so I'm still confused... 

I think I've seen this before, right here in the forums. Quite a few months ago. It was in the aircraft and the ship forums. I believe it was built by a fellow from Austria that goes by hieronymus. If you go to his website you can see pictures of the build. It's got to be the same ship, there just couldn't be two like this. For some reason my computer is blocking me from hyperlinking this, just paste this link and you will see the build    http://usns.biz/index.php?option=com_ponygallery&itemid=3&func=viewcategory&catid=3   He did say that it was being shipped to the united states for display. I'm not sure but I kind of think he said it was going to Pensacola.

                                                                    Ken

Brumbles wrote:

I thought of that too, Manny, but Enterprise was CV-6, not 26.  CV-26 was USS Monterey -- now CVL-26.   http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/26.htm

looking at the crew pics, I see some of Monogram's classic figures there.

Yupper, spotted them guys as well.

I think you guys are right, I think that is 1/48th.

I've seen the same subject in 1/72 scale, and I thought this was another set of pics of that model.  But looking at the crew pics, I see some of Monogram's classic figures there.  The crew chief from the P-61, for example, and the crouching mechanic from the SBD and TBF kits.  I think I even saw the standing USAAF pilot, the one with the side cap, converted to a USN officer figure.

To do this in 1/72 is amazing enough, but to see this in 1/48, that is incredible work!

Regards,

Brad

It's undescribable! No word like amazing or awesome would fit this. I especially like the small little details like the care of making each plane weathered and marked differently.

I thought of that too, Manny, but Enterprise was CV-6, not 26.  CV-26 was USS Monterey -- now CVL-26.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/26.htm

Wow...

As far as transporting it, I recall the Navy Recruiter near my home back in the 70's had arranged for a 1/72 scale carrier (It was the  Enterprise, CVN 65) to make an appearance at a local airshow, and it was transported on it's own trailer...

Byrne0ut wrote:

thats not a diorama, thats a gosh darn masterpiece.  I wonder what scale that is, all the places look 1/48 it just looks incredible. Where was this on display?

Yahh...I do belive they are 1/48th scale aircraft. That should give some idea of the scale of the entire diorama. Were would you store it. How would you transport it.  The only thought I have is this must be on part of a permanet display in some musume.

Hello, if my memory is still working, those are Hellcats and the ones with the folded wings are Avengers.

This diorama is so far beyond FANTSTIC that if you turn around and look back you won't even see regular fantastic. It's just amazing.

I`m not sure where it was on dispay. As I stated earlier a co-worker who knows I`m into replicas sent it to me. And, he got it from a e-mail pal of his. My god it`s a diorama of the complete carrier. When you look at the mere size of the deck it must be at least eight to ten feet long and the highly detailed hull is possibly three to four feet high. In addition, he has the appearance of waves from the ship moving in the water. That unto itself is impressive. I counted approximately eighteen to twenty-four F4F Wildcats on the deck.  And when you enlarge the pixs and see the level of detail...weathering on all the aircraft, folded wings, deck elevator, arresting lines, tow vechiles, jeeps with strechers,aircraft handlers, anti-aircraft guns with crew manning them, crew on the bridge and flags on the mast flapping in the wind. It is incredible!!! I wonder how much time and money he invested into this diorama. The title of the orginal e-mail was "How you can tell a guy isn`t married" :-)