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I need WWII Yorktown carrier kit mfr's...

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  • Member since
    October 2011
Posted by mav.89 on Monday, October 17, 2011 12:07 PM

I am interested to here more about the 1/480 scale uss yorktown class conversion kit.  I have a 1/485  scale uss york town cv-5 and i want to make it into the cv-6 but i need more guns 20 mm and anything that is from battle of midway and i cant find parts this kit i have is pre war and only has 8-5inch guns and two set of quads need help

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: NJ
Posted by JMart on Saturday, August 30, 2008 4:13 PM
Amazon also carries all of his books, 20-25$ range

 

 

  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Saturday, August 30, 2008 3:53 PM

I have no idea how Dr. Graham's publisher markets his books, but they're not hard to find.  When I met him he was just enjoying the vendors' room and the exhibit tables like everybody else; I didn't get the impression that he'd come to the convention primarily to sell his books.  I don't know how widely he travels.

I bought my copies of the Revell and Monogram histories through Barnes and Noble (www.bn.com).  My B&N membership gets me a 10% discount - and free shipping on any order over $25.00.  There are good bargains to be had on the "Used and Out Of Print" section of that site, too.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    November 2005
Posted by Anonymous on Saturday, August 30, 2008 9:09 AM
 jtilley wrote:

Well, mine is the one with the blue cover and the pictures of the B-25 and the Corvette (the Chevy variety).  I bought it several years ago; I believe the one with the P-40 has been published since then.  (Mine is labeled "Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition.")  I don't know how much difference there is between the two; I suspect the biggest changes are in the dollar valuations of the old kits.  (Quite a few of them have been reissued during the past few years.  I imagine that tends to bring the prices down.)  I wonder, though, if the third edition covers the period after 1979 - where mine stops.

In any case, it's a terrific book and a fun exercise in nostalgia.  I read it cover-to-cover the day I got it.  Dr. Graham's book on Monogram is just as good.  I haven't bought the one on Aurora yet.

I was lucky enough to bump into Dr. Graham at the IPMS Nationals a few weeks ago.  Seems like a heckuva nice guy.  He mentioned that he has a new book on plastic model kit box art on the way.

Do you know if he sells his books at IPMS meets?
  • Member since
    May 2003
  • From: Greenville, NC
Posted by jtilley on Thursday, August 28, 2008 4:34 PM

Well, mine is the one with the blue cover and the pictures of the B-25 and the Corvette (the Chevy variety).  I bought it several years ago; I believe the one with the P-40 has been published since then.  (Mine is labeled "Revised and Expanded 2nd Edition.")  I don't know how much difference there is between the two; I suspect the biggest changes are in the dollar valuations of the old kits.  (Quite a few of them have been reissued during the past few years.  I imagine that tends to bring the prices down.)  I wonder, though, if the third edition covers the period after 1979 - where mine stops.

In any case, it's a terrific book and a fun exercise in nostalgia.  I read it cover-to-cover the day I got it.  Dr. Graham's book on Monogram is just as good.  I haven't bought the one on Aurora yet.

I was lucky enough to bump into Dr. Graham at the IPMS Nationals a few weeks ago.  Seems like a heckuva nice guy.  He mentioned that he has a new book on plastic model kit box art on the way.

Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

  • Member since
    March 2007
  • From: NJ
Posted by JMart on Thursday, August 28, 2008 3:38 PM

I just did a search for the Graham book, i see two version, green cover with a P-40 (and a car) in the cover, and a blue cover w/ twin engine bomber (and car).. both say REVISED edition ??

The GREEN cover version seems to be the latest (3rd revision),

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Schiffer Publishing Ltd; 3 Rev Exp edition (July 28, 2008)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0764329928
  • ISBN-13: 978-0764329920
  • Anyways, off topic but I have been looking to get this book for awhile... maybe this info will be useful to someone else. Prices are 20-25 $USD in amazon.

     

     

     

    • Member since
      May 2003
    • From: Greenville, NC
    Posted by jtilley on Thursday, August 28, 2008 1:23 AM
    For what it's worth, Dr. Thomas Graham's fine book, Remembering Revell Model Kits, lists the kit as being on 1/485 scale.  It was originally issued in 1967 and reissued in 1968 (as two "new" kits labeled Yorktown and Hornet - the latter with B-25s replacing the original SBDs), 1976 (labeled "Battle of Midway Carrier" with decals for all three ships), and 1979 (as the Enterprise again).  I think it may have reappeared at least once since then; the book's coverage stops in 1979.

    Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

    • Member since
      March 2007
    • From: NJ
    Posted by JMart on Wednesday, August 27, 2008 5:27 PM

    I think the Revell one maybe closer to 1:480 scale? 

    Yorktown CV-5 was about 825 feet in lenght, about 14+ inches in 700 scale and 20.6 in 480

    http://smmlonline.com/articles/yorktown/yorktown.html

     

     

     

     

     

    • Member since
      April 2007
    • From: Schroon Lake, NY
    Posted by SMJmodeler on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 11:05 AM
     JMart wrote:

    SMJ - Hey! what you doing here? ;) 

    Thought I'd float my boat in ships for a while! I recalled this kit as a kid and knew this would be the place for info. 

    Again thanks guys, I'll get to those links soon.  By the way how big wuld this kit be (app'x inches) at 1/700?  The kit I recall building was about 16" long.  Would that be this scale?

    • Member since
      May 2003
    • From: Greenville, NC
    Posted by jtilley on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 11:01 AM

    No - that is, not the prewar Yorktown (CV-5 - the one that was sunk at the Battle of Midway). 

    Tamiya makes 1/700 models of both of the Yorktown's sister-ships, the Enterprise (CV-6) and the Hornet (CV-8).  They aren't bad kits; when they were originally issued, in the seventies, they represented the state of the art.  (Both of them suffer from one error of accuracy that I personally think is pretty conspicuous:  their islands are too skinny.  Other Forum participants have pointed out other, lesser goofs in them.  But lots of people find them nice, well-produced representations of the real ships.)  Trumpeter also makes a 1/700 Hornet.  I haven't seen it outside the box, but I understand it's more accurate than the Tamiya version.

    Hasegawa does make a 1/700 version of the "new" Yorktown (CV-10 - the Essex-class ship that's preserved at Charleston).  It, frankly, is showing its age pretty conspicuously.  Anybody wanting to build an Essex-class ship in WWII (or early postwar) configuration would be well advised to consider the kits from Trumpeter and DML.  Trumpeter has a 1/700 Yorktown (CV-10).  There's some argument as to whether the Trumpeter or DML kits are better; everybody seems to be that both are excellent.

    It seems odd that the old Yorktown (CV-5) has attracted so little attention from the kit manufacturers.  There are quite a few kits representing the other two members of the class in various scales, but the only one sold as the Yorktown, so far as I can remember, is the old Revell one.

    Youth, talent, hard work, and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery.

    • Member since
      November 2005
    Posted by Anonymous on Tuesday, August 26, 2008 8:18 AM
    Don't Hasegawa and/or Tamiya make a Yorktown in 1/700 in waterline???
    • Member since
      March 2007
    • From: NJ
    Posted by JMart on Sunday, August 24, 2008 11:03 AM

    Oops, forgot the old Revell Yorktown was CV-5 and not the CV-10, my bad!

    Great news that the old classic was re-released, thanks for the links...

     

     

     

     

    • Member since
      September 2005
    • From: Groton, CT
    Posted by warshipguy on Saturday, August 23, 2008 9:53 PM

    Thanks for those links!  The Revell kit has a lot of potential; I once read an article that referred to it as a "diamond in the rough".  I had found the early release of the kit as Yorktown and bought the Nautilus conversion set.  Of the three ships, Yorktown was always my favorite.  I will probably buy the Nautilus 1/350 conversion set and build Hornet as Yorktown.

    Bill Morrison

    • Member since
      August 2007
    • From: North Carolina
    Posted by Steve Larsen on Saturday, August 23, 2008 9:19 PM

    As suggested above, the kit you probably built with your dad is the classic and well-regarded Revell USS Yorktown CV-5, re-released by Revell-Germany recently as a "Battle of Midway Carrier".  The kit is intended to built as any of the three ships of the Yorktown class: USS Yorktown, USS Enterprise or USS Hornet, although not entirely accurate for Hornet.  The kit should be pretty easy to find.

    Be advised that the Trumpeter and Hasegawa kits cited above are of USS Yorktown CV-10, an entirely different ship of an entirely different class of carriers, the Essex class. Yorktown CV-10 was named for Yorktown CV-5 after CV-5 was lost at Midway.  The Revell kit is CV-5.

    The Revell kit, while simplified in detail, has a very accurately shaped hull, something that has not been captured in later kits designed and produced decades later.

    Gold Medal Models makes a very good photo-etch set for the Revell kit that adds a lot of detail. 

    Here is a link to the Revell kit made by Mark Deakin using the GMM set on ModelWarships.com: http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/cv/cv-05/480-md/md-index.html

    Here is the same kit built as USS Enterprise CV-6:

    http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/cv/cv-06/480-rs/cv6-index.html

     

     

    • Member since
      March 2007
    • From: NJ
    Posted by JMart on Saturday, August 23, 2008 8:25 PM

    SMJ - Hey! what you doing here? ;) 

    Couple "newer" releases are the Trumpeter 1:700,which received very good reviews and will set you back 25-35$

    http://www.cybermodeler.com//hobby/kits/tru/kit_tru_5729.shtml

    http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/ships/cv/cv-10/700-trump/trumpeter-review.html

    and a slighty older and less detailed Hasegawa Yorktown, will set you back circa 20$.

    Both readily available in the usual cast of web stores suspects, and easier to build than the old Revell.

     

     

    • Member since
      September 2005
    • From: Groton, CT
    Posted by warshipguy on Friday, August 22, 2008 2:39 PM

    That is probably the same kit.  I am not sure if it is currently released by Revell, but it should be readily available on sites like ebay.  Good luck!

    Bill Morrison

    • Member since
      April 2007
    • From: Schroon Lake, NY
    Posted by SMJmodeler on Friday, August 22, 2008 12:11 PM
    warshipguy/fuhrman:  Thanks for the help.  My guess is that old Revell kit is the same one I built with my dad, circa 1975.  Is that about how old that kit is?  I don't need any fancy conversions, and I don't want to drop $75 bucks, but if the kit is re-released at a reasonable cost, detail isn't an issue...just the fun of building the same kit with my kids!

    • Member since
      October 2003
    • From: Superior, WI
    Posted by fuhrman on Friday, August 22, 2008 12:05 PM

    I believe that Revell re-released their old Yorktown/Enterprise kit not too long ago.  The one with about 20 Dauntlesses for the air group.  Not great detail but fun to build and maybe what you are looking for in terms of build-a-bility with your kids.  Otherwise there is 1 1/700 kit byone of the Japanese manufacturers-not sure if it was ever updated.

     

    Have fun... 

    Bob Fuhrman
    • Member since
      September 2005
    • From: Groton, CT
    Posted by warshipguy on Friday, August 22, 2008 11:16 AM

    Welcome to the Ship Modeler's forum!

    Nautilus models produces an excellent resin USS Yorktown conversion kit for the Trumpeter USS Hornet in 1/350 scale for $75.00.

    Nautilus models used to produce a USS Yorktown conversion set for the Revell 1/480 USS Yorktown/Enterprise/Hornet/Battle of Midway kits.   That set is very difficult to find because it is no longer manufactured.  I have a set if you are interested.

    Unfortunately, I know of no other conversion sets for the 1/700 scale kits of USS Enterprise and Hornet by Trumpeter and Tamiya.

    Bill Morrison

    • Member since
      April 2007
    • From: Schroon Lake, NY
    I need WWII Yorktown carrier kit mfr's...
    Posted by SMJmodeler on Friday, August 22, 2008 10:50 AM

    Guys:  I'm an armor guy, but as a kid my dad and I built the Yorktown and I thought I might re-live a fond memory and build one with my boys...can someone please let me know if there are any kits available...Thanks.

    SMJmodeler

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