1/48 Skunk Models USN Nimitz Carrier Deck

I picked this kit up at a swap meet about one year ago.  The guy was selling it because he had no place to put it.  I find myself with the same situation.  I can't wait to build it, but currently don't have an appropriate place for it.  Glad to hear the seams are not that bad.  I intend to drill out all the tiedown/scupper things and replace them with an aftermarket set that I have.  The biggest problem I think I will have is deciding what to put on it.  So many choices!

For the doors in the deck, the one closer to the actual catapult would be open and someone would be sitting on the deck with their legs dangling in the hole.  It is the launch location on the older Nimitz carriers.  Check out this photo.

The newer ones (and it may have been backfitted, not sure) have this little bubble that pops up into the deck that controls the launch.  The entire bubble actually drops into the deck and looks like this picture when it isn't there.

The other door by the JBD is generally closed when launching aircraft.  Something to keep in mind is that the carriers are all a little different too.  Can't wait to see your Tomcat waiting to launch!

Groot

Thanks Groot! I followed your advice and closed the smaller door by the JBD and will be using the larger, launch control pod. I found a great picture in a book of the door itself so I will be using that as a guideline for painting it and setting up a figure in there.

Where can a civilian get one of those colored fight deck jackets? Authentic, retro or knock-off.   They are TOO cool.

Just a small correction

The Greenshirt is sitting in the pit where the aircraft type is input into the steam system, and gets a read out of the steam pressure, that is not a launch station,,,,and is open the entire time there are flights ops going on

The Yellowshirt is the man that controls the launch and orders it, when the steam pressure is right, the Greenshirt signals him, then the pilot salutes the Yellowshirt when the aircraft is at full power, immediately pushing his head back into his headrest , and the Yellowshirt touches the deck in a pointing motion

at that point, the Shooter pushes a button in that "optional" bubble, releasing the cat shuttle, breaking the hold back rod, pushing the aircraft off the deck,,,,,,,,the Shooter was and is located in the deck edge catwalk for all the early ships that didn't get the retractable "bubble", which would be early Nimitz class and older ships

to get a successful launch with the new system, the holdback has to be in the correct notch in the deck, the cat shuttle has to be "tensioned" correctly on the nose gear, the steam has to be input and wound up, the aircraft has to be at full power, the pilot salutes the Yellow shirt, and the shooter pushes the shoot button

The system can still use a Bridle if it really has to, the hold back cable notches are still in some of the Cat Tracks on the older Nimitzes

Rex, Bridle and Van Velm era Blueshirt Jarhead

ps, just a touch of logic for any that doubt this,,,,,,,how would the Greenie know that the Yellow behind him is touching the deck in the kiss-off signal?,,,,,he sure wouldn't have seen it !!

Oh okay I thought that's where the shooter sits. So on my diorama you wouldn't see the actual shooter then.

The wing of the F-14 would be going right over that station on launch - this would be correct even with a green shirt sitting there?

Who else would be nearby at launch? I see white shirts near the back...  Could you help me out just a bit more so I can have a reasonably accurate diorama?

yes, the aircraft could and did go right over the steam pit Greenie's head, and the Yellowshirt's heads also, see the third pic that Rob has in his post, you can see that it was up to the deck apes to avoid the aircraft during a launch (Deck Apes is said with all due respect, from a Ramp Ape, lol)

you could put a White shirt even with/ slightly behind and to one side of the JBD, those were around as Safety Monitors, to make sure that no one was skipping steps or taking unnecessary risks.

The Blues would all be sitting on their butts, in the seat of a tractor ("tough duty"), so you wouldn't have any of us around the launch,,the Grapes don't operate that near to an active Cat (for obvious reasons, we don't want any fuel handlers around the active blow torches)

if you have a fire bottle, you could possibly put the fireman sort of Red Shirt nearby, but, not the Ordnance Red Shirt

you could have a Brown shirt watching a launch of his own aircraft, they would do that if they were trying to observe something on a gripe sheet,,,,,,,but, he would know to stay out of the way of the guys that had launch jobs to do while he watched

that is all I can think of right now,,,,,hope it helps

the bottom line is that there would be as few people around as it would take to get the job done,,,,,,in the old days, a bridle or a hold back cable could snap, so people stayed out of that path if they didn't have to be there

Rex

Perfect! Couldn't have asked for a better explanation of what I needed to know. Thanks a ton, Rex!

You might try ebay or a surplus store, but I've never seen one off a ship.  If you do find one, don't get it wet, they auto-inflate!

Aviator-Please post pics, I can't wait to see what you put together!

Groot

Alright here's pics of the completed deck - just need to install the steam pit door and frame it with some wood. The catapault is also waiting for isntallation of the F-14 so I can make sure that and the nose gear go together. I will also be scratch-building a hold-back bar as well. I am thinking about getting some plywood for the bottom since it flexes a little more than I'd like. I am pretty disappointed with the Micro-Sol showing up after doing the flat coat... not sure what can be done about that though so I just left it alone.

Anyways here it is:

I put together the Hasegawa figures set and was wondering if you guys could tell me if the placement of the shirts is reasonably correct? My main concern is if I should have one of the white shirts be brown just for variety's sake... namely the one on the left side of the JBD yelling at the running dude lol. Either that or making him yellow... what do you think?

To Deafaviator:  I haven't seen any newer posts on the completed project.  I am not trying to copy you, but I started my project and then found this post.  I am doing mine with an F/A-18E and the same deck crew kit you used.  Can you show me the completed build?  And can you please tell me how you made the hold back bar?  Up to this point, the build looks great.  Any help you can give me would be greatly appreciated.  Thanks Lenny

Ya Know ;

When I crossed from a Navy person to the Corps My first duty at sea was the Midway . Couldn't get enough of watching this . Darned good job !

I did one last year for a hornet project. Used the supplied figures but made some arrangements after pictures. I eventually positioned the shooter to look like he was actually handing off the jet to another handler by pointing at him. The yellow shirt shown at the back of the deck in these pictures was eventually placed on the opposing side of the jet to make it look like he was taking over. You can check it out here:

http://www.foxthre3customs.com/vfa--25-carrier-launch.html