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Grafting a Revell USS Forrestal lower hull to the 1/547 USS Midway

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  • Member since
    April 2005
Posted by ddp59 on Friday, September 11, 2020 9:23 AM

Bill, that is somewhat what i do but i use more plastic to buildup that area so i can carve, grind & sand to shape without having to use putty. i use this method from from the New Mexico's to the Colorado's in my OBB Arizona kitbash thread.

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=165105

i don't think you added enough plastic to the back of the bow area.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Thursday, September 10, 2020 11:29 PM

rr

GMorrison

Thank you, Bill. I was hoping you would see this, as the instigator of the project. 

I think I've come up with a pretty straight forward approach to adding the prow bulge.

It's sort of an odd one as it Widens the bottom of the ship a little but does not protrude forward. So the model will remain the same in side profile.

ourtesy navsource and this was the FDR, but it will do.

 

It went well. The bulge is really a widening of the keel and needed careful planning to add.

I did a 3 view sketch over enlarged plans from the www and built up a minimum set of layers onto which I would putty the curves.

 

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    March 2015
  • From: Close to Chicago
Posted by JohnnyK on Thursday, August 27, 2020 5:06 PM

Great looking model. Would it be possible for you to take a few photos with a quarter or dime in the picture? It's difficult to judge the size of your model.

Your comments and questions are always welcome.

  • Member since
    February 2020
  • From: South Carolina, USA
Posted by ChrisSC on Thursday, August 27, 2020 2:11 PM

Wow, that came out great.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Friday, August 7, 2020 6:23 PM

 

 I'll show how I fixed the bulb when I'm done

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    March 2003
  • From: Western North Carolina
Posted by Tojo72 on Friday, August 7, 2020 5:40 AM

Impressive work,all of that surgery,something I wouldn't even think of doing.

  • Member since
    October 2016
  • From: Louisiana Gulf South
Posted by Mrchntmarine on Thursday, August 6, 2020 10:12 PM

Very nice Bill. Tks for sharing and for the tips! 

Keep on modeling!

All the best,

William

  • Member since
    April 2005
Posted by ddp59 on Thursday, August 6, 2020 10:04 PM

except for the missing bulb bow & bilge keels.

  • Member since
    February 2004
Posted by dhenning on Thursday, August 6, 2020 8:35 PM

Fantastic work!  I have the Ranger to build from the old Revell kit.  Good to know that below the waterline at least is acceptable!

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 7:53 PM

Thank you.

The cougars were decent, I could have spent more time on the leading edges. I used BMF, which has a way of showing all the flaws.

The gear were little pegs. I have a big set of 1/700 Trumpeter F4F's, of which I used six on the Bogue. Their gear were totally incorrct- wing mounted like an F6F. If I ever build up more, I'd make fuselage mounted ones.

So the extras worked well for the Cougars front gear.

As for the wing mounted ones, I glued little square doors to the outsides of the (trimmed down) pegs, and half round discs below. Sounds harder that it actually was.

I build a bunch of Mk 51 (I think) radar gun directors- Revell had little square pegs. Again, the punch set makes a great tool.

3" guns, new main mast.

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    July 2010
  • From: Tempe AZ
Posted by docidle on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 4:33 PM

You're a madman Bill but I have to say, very beautiful work there sir!

Steve

       

 

 

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: 37deg 40.13' N 95deg 29.10'W
Posted by scottrc on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 8:45 AM

Shipwreck
 
GMorrison

Note for a future build. The F9F-5s are a little out of date with the model. Earlier straight wing Panthers would be right, but I didn't think the AM ones I could find looked good, and no desire to spend $ 50 on them either. I think the Cougars "look" good. I replaced all of ther landing gear.

  

 

 

 

Actually, they are nice little F9F-6 or 7 Cougars. The F9F-5 Panthers are the early straight wing aircraft. The biggest difference between the -6 and 7 variants is that in the -8 variant, the trailing wing fillet extended to the end of the exhaust.

The F9F-6 went into production in 1952. Wether they should be -5 or -6/7 variants, you did a great job on your build. Thanks for sharing.

For your info the difference between a -6 and a -7; the P&W engine was temporally replaced with an Allison engine!

 

They turned out really good. I really had to do a lot of carving and filling on the old Renwall ones I used on my CV16 and they still looked funky.  I wish I went further like you did with the landing gear. 

  • Member since
    May 2006
  • From: Chapin, South Carolina
Posted by Shipwreck on Monday, August 3, 2020 7:49 AM

GMorrison

Note for a future build. The F9F-5s are a little out of date with the model. Earlier straight wing Panthers would be right, but I didn't think the AM ones I could find looked good, and no desire to spend $ 50 on them either. I think the Cougars "look" good. I replaced all of ther landing gear.

  

 

Actually, they are nice little F9F-6 or 7 Cougars. The F9F-5 Panthers are the early straight wing aircraft. The biggest difference between the -6 and 7 variants and the -8 variant is that in the  the trailing wing fillet extended to the end of the exhaust.

The F9F-6 went into production in 1952. Wether they should be -5 or -6/7 variants, you did a great job on your build. Thanks for sharing.

For your info the difference between a -6 and a -7; the P&W engine was temporally replaced with an Allison engine!

On the Bench:

Revell 1/96 USS Constitution - rigging

Revell 1/48 B-1B Lancer Prep and research

Trumpeter 1/350 USS Hornet CV-8 Prep and research

 

 

 

  • Member since
    June 2008
Posted by lewbud on Sunday, August 2, 2020 9:15 PM

Very nice G!

Buddy- Those who say there are no stupid questions have never worked in customer service.

  • Member since
    May 2013
  • From: Indiana, USA
Posted by Greg on Sunday, August 2, 2020 6:38 PM

Nice carrier.

All the custom work you did is way above my pay grade and I don't even understand most of it, but the end result sure looks good. Yes

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, August 2, 2020 5:06 PM

The bow is a separate piece. I don't remember if I reinforced the joint, but I did take photos.

The Panther has straight across horizontal stabs as well..

The only real difference in the Cougar deployment is that Midway had her bow enclosed  then years before the angle deck conversion. That might almost be the easiest thing to do.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    April 2005
Posted by ddp59 on Sunday, August 2, 2020 2:45 PM

go back from the tip of the bow til you hit the "B" section as per the drawing, whatever that distance is. i usually print the drawing out on "legal size" paper on my printer, measure the length of the drawing & the model then divide the drawing length into the model length to get the scale number used to multiply that number against the distance from bow to to the "b" mark. transfer the resulting measurement onto the hull & that is how far back you have to go to build up with plastic. i use .040" to buildup that area as less glue to cure therefore more solid. i would cut the bottom of the hull off from the bow tip to the "b" mark then layer it horizontally from the bow tip to the "b" mark with each layer the width at the "b" mark. once all built up, leave alone for a day or so for the glue to fully cure. square it up, mark the center line of the bow vertically & the widest point horizontally then start carving, grinding(dremel tool if you have) & sanding to shape. you probably find you'll not need any putty at all as i don't using this method.

why not cut the wings off your Panthers & make & glue new straight wings?

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, August 2, 2020 12:48 PM

I don't want to take the model off the base, so it will be tricky.

I've measured the area involved. From the bottom of the bootstripe to the bottom of the hull is 1.60 inches. The overall width of the bulb, from the drawing we both have, is 0.25 inches. Currently the width of the very front of the kit hull below the waterline is 0.08 inches. I don't know how far back it needs to go, but I would guess about an inch at the most.

Step 1 I need to make sure I still have that color of paint! 

Step 2 will be to mask off and sand clean the area, both sides.

Step 3 I will make a whole series of lifts, layers, what have you; cut from thin styrene and layer them on. Try to draw them up ahead of time to get as close to the final shape as I can. Subtract 0.08 from 0.25; 0,17 or 0.085 each side. Four layers of 0.02 inch styrene each side should do it. 

Step 4 minimal putty and sand. I don't see any way around that.

Step 5 paint.

Note for a future build. The F9F-5s are a little out of date with the model. Earlier straight wing Panthers would be right, but I didn't think the AM ones I could find looked good, and no desire to spend $ 50 on them either. I think the Cougars "look" good. I replaced all of ther landing gear.

 

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    April 2005
Posted by ddp59 on Sunday, August 2, 2020 12:12 PM

how are you going to do the bow & with what? on my Arizona kitbash thread, i widened the bottom of the bows upto the waterline on both the Tennessee & Colorado classes using only plastic not putty nor bondo. marked where the widest point was both vertically & horizontal then proceeded to carve & sand to shaped. doing the samething on a Lindberg 1/500 scale tanker i'm slowly working on.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Sunday, August 2, 2020 11:41 AM

Thank you, Bill. I was hoping you would see this, as the instigator of the project. 

I think I've come up with a pretty straight forward approach to adding the prow bulge.

It's sort of an odd one as it Widens the bottom of the ship a little but does not protrude forward. So the model will remain the same in side profile.

ourtesy navsource and this was the FDR, but it will do.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    September 2005
  • From: Groton, CT
Posted by warshipguy on Sunday, August 2, 2020 11:35 AM

Bill,

I'm really glad that you had resurrected this and finished her. You did an outstanding job as usual!  She looks great!

Bill

  • Member since
    June 2017
Posted by Chemteacher on Saturday, August 1, 2020 10:26 PM
Outstanding job. I appreciate the tip on setting the boot line. Great work.

On the bench: Revell-USS Arizona; Airfix P-51D in 1/72

  • Member since
    April 2005
Posted by ddp59 on Saturday, August 1, 2020 10:02 PM

the 2nd link above i posted shows that in the drawing.

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Saturday, August 1, 2020 8:34 PM

It wasn't that important to me. 

But it could be done. I have the drawing I need and a good photo of the bow of FDR is on navsource.

Maybe I'll make two and save one for Forrestal.

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    April 2005
Posted by ddp59 on Saturday, August 1, 2020 8:21 PM

you didn't correct Sara's bow error as is missing the bulb bow that the Midway class has.

http://www.modelerjoe.net/shipmodellist.html#RevellForrestal

https://www.midwaysailor.com/midwaymemorabilia/memory85b.jpg

  • Member since
    September 2012
Posted by GMorrison on Saturday, August 1, 2020 6:20 PM

Finished!

 Modeling is an excuse to buy books.

 

  • Member since
    December 2003
  • From: 37deg 40.13' N 95deg 29.10'W
Posted by scottrc on Tuesday, January 7, 2020 8:17 AM

I am very impressed with your work GM and how this is coming together.

Scott

  • Member since
    October 2019
  • From: Cape Cod, Mass
Posted by Rick Sr on Monday, December 30, 2019 2:48 PM

been following this...you used Bondo? As in auto body Bondo?

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Bethlehem PA
Posted by the Baron on Wednesday, December 18, 2019 3:42 PM

Outstanding work, GM!  Paying close attention to make sure I learn some things.

The bigger the government, the smaller the citizen.

 

 

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