Ah , The Good Old days

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WpO8v2bv6M

Some, like Tunny here, had the set up on the stern. That'd at least point the boat in the right direction.

The USS Growler is part of the USS Intrepid Museum in New York City. She is shown with a Regulus in launching position, run out from its hangar in the bows and swung to port.  I'd hate to be on that boat when the missile was fired! And, the bulge in the bow for the hangar sure was ugly!

Bill

Hmm;

 Ven I kotch youse , youse is gonna valk da plank , Sailor ! 

 No it's alright  , Bill . I do this sometimes and don't even realise it till it is to late to apologise . Besides it's interesting info . And Besides , I wouldn't  havewanted to be that Pilot if the balloon had gone up !

Thread Hijack, sorry TB.

So it's been interesting reading.

Regulus operated by control of a chase aircraft. The intended eventual aircraft was a single seat jet, like a Banshee, Fury or Panther. However for testing, the Navy used the TV-2, Naval version of the T-33 two seat trainer.

It was primarily intended to be launched from a submarine as you know, Bill. Cruiser or carrier launch was considered also, by JATO from the first two or steam catapult on that little trailer from the carrier.

Mission from Hell. The sub launches it's missile. The chase aircraft has launched from it's carrier. The carrier meanwhile has turned around and is high tailing it away from the nuclear exposion. Sub submerges.

The chase plane flies the Regulus at 35,000 feet until it gets radar contact with the target and they take the whole parade down low. 

The chase aircraft is right with the missile, so when they see the target he goes up again to 35,000 after aiming the missile in, passes over the target as it detonates, and then tries to get away asap.

Bill

Bill,

They weren't, at least from carriers.  And John was right about the flat bottom on the Renwal kit, but it was infinitely better that the bottom of the Revell kit, which included a centerboard keel that was flared into the bow, making it difficult to carve off.  I once cut the lower hull off of the Revell kit and grafted on a Lindberg USS Yorktown lower hull. Granted, it took major surgery, but it was a great deal more accurate!

Also, I think that John's comment about the Essex kit being a box scale at 1/540 was a little overstated.  Ibelieve that all of Revell's carriers are in that scale except for the Yorktown class ships.

The Renwal kits did have a feature that I really liked; the stands were much nicer than those found with kits from every other manufacturer.

Bill

John Tilley on this kit in January, 2014:

"In re-releasing two old Essex-class kits at the same time, Revell is undoubtedly confusing a lot of people.  Revell and Renwal used to be two competing companies.  They both issued Essex-class kits in the early 1960s.  Revell, if I remember right, was first.  Its kit came out in a box labeled Essex, and represented the ship more-or-less as she looked at the time the kit was released - with the angled deck and much-modified island.  It was on one of Revell's notorious "box scales" - about 1/540.  The Gold Medal aircraft carrier set is designed for this kit.

Renwal's came out a little later, under the name Shangri La.  (I think the box of the reissue is a reproduction of the original.)  Like almost all Renwal's other ship kits, it was on 1/500 scale.  (Renwal was an early pioneer in the idea of constant-scale kits.)  It also showed the ship in her 1960s configuration.  I have the impression that it was a little more accurate in some key respects - but less accurate in others.  (As I recall, it had a flat bottom.)

Both kits got reissued several times over the years.  Renwal went belly-up in, I think, the 1970s.  (I spent a few minutes googling Renwal, but couldn't find a real company history.)  Eventually the Renwal molds ended up in the hands of Revell, which has reissued some of the kits over the past couple of years. 

Just this past month or so, Revell reissued two very different Essex-carrier kits.  The one labeled Hornet is the old, 1/540 Revell version, with a few extra parts (including an Apollo space capsule) that were added for a reissue shortly after the 1969 moon landing.  The one labeled Shangri La is the old 1/500 Renwal one.  As GMorrison noted earlier, the scale of the Shangri La is about 10% larger.  In terms of aftermarket parts, that may or may not make much of a difference - depending on the part and the individual modeler's judgment.

Personally, I'm glad those old Renwal kits are back.  The military kits were great.  (One exception:  the included figures, which were some of the awfullest, zombie-like humanoids ever put in plastic kit boxes.)  I'd also like to see the nice little 1/48 classic cars (each with its own clear plastic case) again.  And who can forget the Visible Man - and the Visible Woman (with optional parts to make her pregnant)? ."

I've got that too. Yes, mine has the missiles. Mine is kit #85-7819. It's Renwal popped by Revell. 1/500 scale. Dated 2013. Still sealed

Also, the Trumpy 1/500 nimitz class kit. Will build up to CVN 68, 69, 70, 73, or 74. Still sealed.

And the Revell ESSEX 1/540 from 1957 #H-353-249. This is a vintage kit my son's bought for me. I served on her 1961-64 in ASW configuration. I've collected a bunch of aftermarket stuff to build her as she was when I was aboard. This one I want to do right. I don't know what the kids paid for it, but the box price is $3.98. I'll never get all these built unless I live to be 120, but the ESSEX will get done.

Got a bunch of 1/700 carriers too, as well as other ships, well nearly anything that floats I guess.

EJ

It has three Regulus missiles on little trailers. I don't know how they were actually launched.

"Engineered from Official US Navy Blueprints!".

Bill,

Is that the one with the Regulus cruise missile launcher opening on the flight deck?  I remember Renwal fondly.

Bill

I've got the rebox by Revell of the old Renwal 1/500 Shangri- La.

I have similar memories of the old Renwal USS Ethan Allen (SSBN 608) in the early 1960s.  I remember dry-fitting pieces of the interior, snapping together the hull halves, and essentially covering her with cement fingerprints. Little did I know then that she would be my first submarine in 1980.  Good times!

Bill

E.J. 

 Now I have to find a " Midway " to build . I spent five and a half years on her . One and a half years as a training Chief Petty Officer ( Damage Control ) By order of the battle group commander , after she failed two fleetwide excercises in that field . Then two years later back on board as a Fleet Marine " Gunny " , Long Story , but I'll never forget that " Bird Farm "

 I still love her and the Hornet ( the one I was a docent on ) Good ships all .

Tanker - Builder

Scene :

   An old man , silver of hair  , Faltering hands . Gently opening a box . The smell of fresh plastic massages his nostrils .The teensy decal sheet elicits a sigh .

 Yes a long , long walk down Memory Lane . Just finished basic at GLNTC . headed to Groton for Sub school . Revell releases it's first " Atomic Ship " . They didn't call them Nuclear yet .

   The kit ? The U.S.S. Long Beach . Yes , that one , the Nuclear cruiser . The old man thinks back to those days and the fact that till now he never had a brand new kit of this one . 

 Always Glue Bombs missing parts and such . Now he has a Virgin ship in his model yard . One long awaited . He hopes he can remember how to post pics so he can share it with you .     T.B

 

AMEN TB. Same story - revised.

An old man , silver of hair  , Faltering hands . Gently opening a box . The smell of old plastic massages his nostrils .The ancient decal sheet elicits a sigh .

 Yes a long , long walk down Memory Lane . Not yet enlisted in the U S Navy, but will in a couple years, taking basic at GLNTC . Revell releases the kit of the newly re-modeled USS ESSEX with the angled flight deck. Had to build one. Cost about $4.00. Never realizing he would soon serve aboard this grand old lady.

   The kit ? The U.S.S. CVS-9, The Oldest and the Boldest . Yes , that one , the first of her class. The old man thinks back to those days and the fact that he built this kit as a high-schooler, but the model got lost in the shuffle of life when he went into the US NAVY.

He now has a "vintage" Revell kit of her, given as a gift by his sons.

Now have searched and collected carefully lots of aftermarket stuff to correct kit shortcomings, aircraft and such, as well as the (hopefully) skills to execute this build.

 Now to start the build. This one has to be "done right" after having made her my home for 4 years.

EJ