Trumpeter 1/350 CVA-64 Connie

My wife's brother was on the Connie when it was on Yankee Station.  He worked on defensive weapons at the time.  They had to do a double tour when their relief carrier caught fire and had to return home.

This photo won’t provide much information to help you complete your model, but I thought you’d like to see it anyway.

 I took the photo in 1963 when I was in Hospital Corps School in San Diego. I joined the Navy in large part because I was interested in ships, and on one of my first liberties after boot camp I took myself down to San Diego Harbor to see what there was to see. I took a water taxi to North Island and grabbed the photo just before getting off the water taxi.

I was wearing civvies when I approached Constellation’s gangway. The Marine guard apparently assumed I was an officer, because he saluted me (!) and indicated that I was free to board the ship. Which I did. I wandered around for the next hour or so, and didn’t see a single person. At one point I sat in the Admiral’s chair on the bridge; I was amazed at the wheel, which was just a brass disk about 10 inches in diameter. I was also intrigued by the deck, which was covered with wood, probably fir, which was used extensively on aircraft carriers in the Second World War. I didn’t see any planes (they may have been taken off the ship while it was in port), nor did I get into the engine room. 

Bob

These would be difficult decals to make yourself, the air wing.

As usual, it's the white. Print on white film and the nat insigs would be tiny and darn hard to trim. Print on clear film and the white areas would be difficult to paint.

You should just do your best with whatever you can find and call it done. It'll be swell.

Just to clarify a bit; Kitty Hawk and Constellation were the Kitty Hawk Class and America and John F. Kennedy were 'modified' Kitty Hawks, but usually considered a separate class. The four Forrestal classers (Forrestal, Saratoga, Ranger, and Independence) were their own class, and Enterprise was Enterprise.

Geez!

     That's a big Boat ( ER-Ship!)

armornut

    Glad I read back a few posts, when I saw 63 on the island I was......., your build looks great. The non photobucket pix are much easier to see.

    I would love to see a CVA-61 Ranger circa 87-91. The class is Forrestal but the differences between CV-59 and CV-63 are noticable. I thought that Connie, America, JFK, were single ships of the class. CVN-65 of course being in a class by itself.

 

    Glad I read back a few posts, when I saw 63 on the island I was......., your build looks great. The non photobucket pix are much easier to see.

    I would love to see a CVA-61 Ranger circa 87-91. The class is Forrestal but the differences between CV-59 and CV-63 are noticable. I thought that Connie, America, JFK, were single ships of the class. CVN-65 of course being in a class by itself.

Added more detail to the island and painted the flight deck.

Almost done with Wasp and get back on Kitty Hawk after Xmas!