USS Montana BB-67

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For some time I have been considering doing a Montana by scratchbuilding a new hull, and duplicating extra gun turrets via RTV and resin.  It looks to me like the deckhouses and such would not be that difficult to alter.  Was thinking of using a Tamiya Missouri or Iowa or similar to get the turrets, deck structures and all, if I ever see a real good price on a kit.  In particular, if I do a waterline version scratching that hull should not be that bad.  Aren't the turrets the same as the Iowa class?

Don

From what little information I have the Montana hull was to be considerably wider than the Iowa class and would have incorporated an external armor belt. This might have changed its appearance even as a waterline hull. The Montana was to have 4 16" turrets. Had the information become available that the Yamato class battleships had 18" guns it is probable that the Montana would have reverted to an earlier proposed design with 3 18" gun turrets. A trial 18" gun already existed at Dahlgren. It is also possible that with the wider hull the 16" turrets might have also been wider. The Iowa turrets were considerably cramped due to the need to fit them in a hull narrow enough to go through the Panama Canal.

Amphib

amphib

Don

From what little information I have the Montana hull was to be considerably wider than the Iowa class and would have incorporated an external armor belt. This might have changed its appearance even as a waterline hull. The Montana was to have 4 16" turrets. Had the information become available that the Yamato class battleships had 18" guns it is probable that the Montana would have reverted to an earlier proposed design with 3 18" gun turrets. A trial 18" gun already existed at Dahlgren. It is also possible that with the wider hull the 16" turrets might have also been wider. The Iowa turrets were considerably cramped due to the need to fit them in a hull narrow enough to go through the Panama Canal.

Amphib

I realize the hull would have to be scratched.  What I meant by not too difficult was that an Iowa class battleship is not a difficult shape with a lot of tumblehome, nor has it too many compound curves above the waterline.  So once the hull is jigsawed to planform and profile, there is not a lot of carving to do.  Just a little around the stern.

Don:

Several years ago I built a Montanta from the Tamiya Missouri like you're thinking of doing. I widened and lengthened the hull and copied one of the kits main turrents in resin for the 4th one. It came out fine. I left the width of the turrets the same as the kit's.

Michael Lacey

Don,  You may want to check out the Montana threads over on Modelwarships.com.  There are several, including a large one in their What If? section of Calling All Ships!.  The consensus about the hull is that it was to be more like the South Dakota in looks, but a whole lot bigger.  It was not going to copy the Iowa's smoother sides.  The discussions agreed that the turrets were to be the same as the Iowa's, but that is an interesting idea that they might have widened them if they wanted.  I think they would have stayed with the proven turrets of the 16"/50 cal though.