I'm doing the 1/700 Nimitz for my father-in-law as a Christmas present. His favorite tour was his '85 cruise on the Nimitz, so I figured that would be a good way to go.
I have the Trumpeter kit, but it's the 2005 version. I also have a PE set to backdate the rear mast and add details.
I'd like to find out how she was configured then as opposed to the latest version. After spending a lot of time searching online (Nimitz website, Navy sites, Google images, etc.), all I can find are either modern shots or mid-80's shots where the ship is so small that details are impossible to see.
So what do I need to do for this conversion? I'm pretty sure there weren't all the satellite domes back then, and I believe the fore mast was different, too. Also, were there any changes to the smaller sponsons and weapons fits on those?
I have all the aircraft for the Air Wing, so the main focus of my question is on the ship itself.
I know about the cruise "yearbooks", but at $200 plus on evilbay, that's out of line for a $85 kit!
Any and all help appreciated
Kev