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WWII US Carrier Deck Planks???

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  • Member since
    May 2014
WWII US Carrier Deck Planks???
Posted by SubarooMike on Thursday, February 12, 2015 10:35 AM

Quick question for you gents.   I'm gong to make a quick carrier deck for my Tam F4F, so I was wondering:  

1. How wide were the planks

2. How many planks in a group?  For a fictional example:  10 planks, then some sort of wider strip made out of metal? For drainage?   I don't know.   

Here is an example: 

I would not be surprised if every carrier was different, but if you could just pass on to me what you know, I would be grateful! 

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Posted by Theuns on Thursday, February 12, 2015 11:59 AM

I estimate the planks to be between 3-4" wide....

Theuns

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  • From: Central Ohio
Posted by Ashley on Thursday, February 12, 2015 1:12 PM

There is a nice color shot of Lexington's deck in this collection. About 25 pics down. http://m.imgur.com/a/bLyB6

Have you flown a Ford lately?

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Posted by Jay Jay on Thursday, February 12, 2015 1:49 PM

I'm surprised the bombs are so weathered. You wouldn't think they would get so . I thought the paint would be in better condition since they where protected during shipping and all.

 

 

 

 

 

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  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: North Pole, Alaska
Posted by richs26 on Thursday, February 12, 2015 2:44 PM

Those are 2X6" teak planks.  Look at the shoe of the Deck Boss (white hat in the center) in the Enterprise 1940 photo.  Using forensic comparatology, I believe that the average shoe size was an 11, so that would mean a shoe is approximately 12" long.  His shoe covers half the plank so it is 6" wide.  Start with a known value and compare it to an unknown.

WIP:  Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 73rd BS B-26, 40-1408, torpedo bomber attempt on Ryujo

Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 22nd BG B-26, 7-Mile Drome, New Guinea

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Posted by GMorrison on Thursday, February 12, 2015 2:51 PM

Bear in mind those pictures are pre-war. The deck got painted blue.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
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  • From: North Pole, Alaska
Posted by richs26 on Thursday, February 12, 2015 3:03 PM

Jay Jay

I'm surprised the bombs are so weathered. You wouldn't think they would get so . I thought the paint would be in better condition since they where protected during shipping and all.

What protection?  They got rubbed together, scratched, etc during movement from the factory to the various ammunition storage facilities to the final using organizations' bomb dump to getting loaded onto the plane.  They were stored outside in all kinds of weather.  They were not pristine in their paint jobs so if somebody heavily weathers a plane but the bombs are pristine, that is wrong.

WIP:  Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 73rd BS B-26, 40-1408, torpedo bomber attempt on Ryujo

Monogram 1/72 B-26 (Snaptite) as 22nd BG B-26, 7-Mile Drome, New Guinea

Minicraft 1/72 B-24D as LB-30, AL-613, "Tough Boy", 28th Composite Group

  • Member since
    December 2013
  • From: Greenville, TX.
Posted by Raymond G on Thursday, February 12, 2015 5:08 PM

Yeah, figure 6" planking... at 1:48 scale figure 1.2 inches (1/8") or .304 cm (3mm).  Here's a helpful link: webpages.charter.net/.../sd_scalecalc2.htm  Or, for if you have a calculator, or a pencil and paper for us old folks, just divide the original size by the model's scale.  In this case I used 5.75" (for 6" planking) and divided by 48: 5.75/48=1.19 or 1.2"... I hope this helps, Raymond

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  • Member since
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  • From: Willamette Valley, Oregon
Posted by goldhammer on Thursday, February 12, 2015 6:00 PM

Decimal point in wrong place----5.75 divide by 48 = .11979

1.2 would equal 57.6 inches.

  • Member since
    June 2013
Posted by RobGroot4 on Friday, February 13, 2015 2:24 PM

Are you dead set on building one?  Plenty of pretty good resin ones out there.

Groot

"Firing flares while dumping fuel may ruin your day" SH-60B NATOPS

  • Member since
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  • From: Virginia
Posted by Mike F6F on Saturday, February 14, 2015 9:20 AM

The planks weren't teak on carrier flight decks, they were Douglas Fir.  The flight deck wood was a lighter wood so that aircraft engines wouldn't be damaged if an A/C nosed over and the prop struck the deck.  

Teak was used for the wooden decks on surface ships.

The metal spacers between the planks contained tie down fittings for securing the A/C to the decks.

Mike

 

"Grumman on a Navy Airplane is like Sterling on Silver."

  • Member since
    February 2020
Posted by miccaptain on Friday, February 7, 2020 4:03 PM

From ship specification for Essex class planks were 3 inches thick and 6 inch wide douglas fir with teak margin planks.  Also, the planks under the arresting gear were to be 12 inches wide.  Planks ran athwartship.

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