Guess I'm just parroting what everyone else has said but it's the truth- museum quality here, just a damn fine job all around... 

Thanks for your post Kris. This point in history is getting farther and farther away from us each year.  It's important that we not forget what was won and what was lost and the people that sacraficed so much to guarantee a world free of tyranny.  These old guys that were there can't hang around forever and before you know it, all of what we know will be second hand information.  Hell, I didn't even have the correct ordinance for this build =]. I'm very glad to see all the posts and stories here on this forum.  It helps to bring this moment in time a little closer to us all.

I just looked up Cairns on the map.  Looks like a nice place to visit. ;)  and welcome aboard Kris. =]

we spent 10 days in Cairns(far north Queensland) with relatives over christmas, and there are so many little memorials to the Pacific war. my brother-in-law lives at Trinity Beach and there is a display of the amphib training that went on there...

the Battle of the Coral Sea is something that is very close to my heart(dip your toes in the water, its the coral sea!). it isnt forgotten...kind of 'we owe you a big one'. so great to see such a truely impressive build.

cheers

kris

Thanks all around guys. =]  Very much appreciated.

I wanted to share this for whoever finds it useful.  After some better digging, I uncovered this excerpt from an Action Report from Captain E. Buckmaster of the Yorktown to Admiral Chester A. Nimitz after the Battle.  Here it stated:

Ammunition Expended:

Proof positive that carriers didn't possess M65s yet at this point in the war.  Somehow it seems every kit maker needs to put it in their early war molds. Go figure. =]  Thanks again to richs26 for pointing me in the right direction.

Dude !! You totally crushed it !! That is just pure awesome. 

BK

That is a true masterpiece!   Great presentation too.  Wish I could make a model half as realistic.

Mike

Oh my.... If I could only make it half that good

I can honestly say that is one of the most beautiful builds I've ever seen! Everything is just perfect...WOW!!!!!

 I must say, that is a work of art.

That's absolutely wildly real looking!! I'm astonished at the paint and weathering - it looks so good! A really Boffo work of art.

Mike

As always, many thanks Allan.  I'm happy I finally got around to doing one. =]

Absolutely beautiful and absolutely realistic! Again, like you took a whole chunk from the real ship!

Alright, here she is.  Medal of Honor recipient Lt. John James Powers with the VB-5 onboard the Yorktown at the Battle of Coral Sea.

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

These will get updated:

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

Untitled by Britt Vallot, on Flickr

I'll get a couple of detail pics up.  Some of my photos didn't upload to Flickr yet...not sure where they went. =\  But after I improve my lighting and fix up those seatbelts, I'll be putting this one on the shelf finally. =]

Questions, comments, and whatnots are always welcomed.  Thanks for looking. =]

Perfect! I look forward to updating this, and now maybe I can make some headway on this finally.  I can make it it's "own build" and it won't take near as long as this did. =]  For the moment...everyone will have to mind the time warp. =]

Thanks, Britt.  The info is from the copy of the Bureau of Ordnance OP 1664 that I posted over a month ago.  What you have is a 1000lb'er USN Mark 13 Mod 2.  The color would be gray with an 11 inch circle centered between the top 2 lugs.  Cut the bottom lug off, and the shape seems close.  Don't forget the trunnion pins on the band. The 250's I think are actually 300 lb USN Mark 12 ? from the shape.  They would be yellow, but could be brush painted gray for camo purposes as mentioned in a post in the Battle of Midway Roundtable about a comment supposedly Halsey said he wanted no yellow bombs on board the Enterprise.

Take a look at this photo for the color:

http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2010/01/us-navy-bombs-up-through-wwii.html

Really awesome. I just can't find adequate words for this nice of work. Super !!!

BK

richs26, I am so damn happy to hear that!  I was pulling my hair out trying to find exactly that.  I swam through a sea of photos and websites trying to determine color, dates, stenciling, etc.  I just couldn't get a precise answer.  I had heard that yellow was an original color which was likely why many bombs repainted with OD faded to a light kahki color.  I couldn't find one single bomb like this.  You noted that the M-65 was not around by the time of Coral Sea occurred, could you point me in the direction of what was in use. I used the kit bomb supplied by Academy/AccuMin, but I'd like to keep historically accurate.

Any help is appreciated.  =]

For the meanwhile, I'm about to post what I finished last night.  Although, in my haste, I realized I forgot to make the seatbelts and I also need to improve my lighting to see certain details within the cockpit and misc darker areas.  So I'll toss a couple extra on afterwards.  This weekend flew by for me.

Excellent detail work, Britt.  Your work is amazing.  But I have some quibbles about your bombs.  The 1000lb'er is actually an M-65 which was not quite in existance at the time of the Coral Sea.  You can tell it by the addition of the third lug on the bottom which was used by British bombers.  Your stencils denote an M-65A1 manufactured 11-17-43.  Another is the OD color which would have been hard to ship from the arsenal with a date of June 11, 1942 at least.  This is the date that the arsenals went from yellow/gray bombs to OD.  Yorktown put into the anchorage in the Tonga Islands on April 20 for replenishment.  She departed April 27 for the Coral Sea.  Her bomb lockers would have been filled with yellow and gray bombs.  

You have not disapointed at all with this build, Britt! WOW!!

Daaammmmnnnnnn!!! That's a piece of engineering art with the scratch building and finishing you've achieved...delicious!

Brilliant work. Weathering look great. Love the job on the bomb. Gives me some inspiration for my 1/32 trumpeter version I'm staring. 

Thanks 5. =] It would be neat to have one of these in the DDay Museum one day.

Allan, that's about what I was looking to end up with. I wanted a clean-cut cross section as best as I could make it. The paint and weathering really helps it along, but as far as constructions goes I really think anybody can put something like this together.  Just takes a bit of imagination.  And thanks for such high praise. =]

Its like you took some laser weapon, fired it at the ship, sliced off a portion of it and pulled it out, plane included.  The work is just brilliant.

Bvallot ...that's very impressive ,museum quality I'd say . Love the weathering you've done . Very nice work 

5-high 

Thanks Rooster.  Very much appreciated.

Shipwreck, I certainly understand your hestitation.  It sounds like an undertaking.  I tell you what though, the engine wasn't too bad fixing up.  The planning took longer than the execution.  Doing the flaps from scratch, that was a bit nerve-wrecking.  Keeping all the holes lined up proper was a bit daunting.  But it's like anything else, you do one and then you do another.  Before you know it you're on a roll.  I say you should go for it.  By the time you get to the second engine you ought to be a pro! =D  I'd love to see it personally. You could even have one the engines being serviced! *nudge

Jay Jay, I'm glad to know it's helped you out. I absolutely think you should get a post started.  I'd like to see how that's turning out.  I did Hobby Boss's kit a few years back and was happy with it, but I think I'd try another one next go around. 4 days of painting out the details...hot damn. =]  Don't keep us waiting too long. 

I re-read evrything you posted here for the umpteenth time trying to absorb at least some of this amazing information. 

I'm doing an Acurate Miniatures TBF 1C Avenger in 1/48 scale and it is an incredable kit worth my best and then some.  The "and them some" is where your generous sharing of techniques comes in and I thank you so much again for the priceless info. 

I'm nearly done with the very detailed interior. It took 4 days just to do the detail painting on all the bits and bobs included in the kit. To my surprise, a resin Verlinden engine and exterior PE was in the box and I hafta figure out how to make the engine fit.  i guess I should do a WIP .