USS Essex

The Essex was a "short hull". The following ships were also short hulls: Yorktown, Intrepid, Hornet, Franklin, Lexington, Bunker Hill, and Wasp. You could basicly build anyone of these. However, check this site out: www.shipcamouflage.com , they give the camo patteren for each year. If you did her in 1944 she had MS32/6-10d. A "dazzle" scheme. You'd still have your cake and eat it to.

I think you could, although I am not an expert there were several Essex class carriers. Try the Yorktown or Intrepid or Hornet they were the next three respectively they would more than likely have the closest layout similarities ( I would guess anyway). Keep in mind that some of these ships served for long after WWII. So their configurations were changed heavily over time. Many if not all of them received angled flight decks years later the Intrepid case in point. Good luck there might be some research sites out there somewere that can help you out in your search.