1:350 Nimitz

I tried Tamiya white putty, which everyone raves about, but found that it gets everywhere I DONT want it to go... quite goopy and just didn't work for me at the scale I'm working in. 

 I am going to model this ship as it was In 1987 when I was aboard for the Med cruise, so I will not be using the F-4's, A-3's and RA-5C's. This gives me plenty of unusable A/C to play with and experiment on before moving forward with the real airwing.

 Each aircraft will be mounted on a wire after assembly, (so I dont have to touch it again), and gently washed in warm, soapy water before any painting is done. After paint and decals, they will be stored, on their pin, in a compartmentalized box, in a cool, dry, secure place until the ship is done and she is ready for the fly-on.

Tamiya gray putty mixed with Tamiya thin cement makes a very nice Mr. Surfacer substitute.

 Thanks for the insight on that board idea... Right now, other than the aircraft, the kit is still in the original box in the attic, (I'll take it out soon because it gets hot up there), for assembly at a later date. I have built many, many models in my younger days, so hopefully it's like riding a bike, and I just need to hone my skill set.

 My biggest issue right now is no airbrush, yet, and filling the tiny joint gaps in these little jet kits... I need a self-leveling, liquid filler that hopefully, won't require sanding. I mean, these gaps are SO small, but visible... cant have a Tomcat with holes in it now, can we?... I've been out of the modeling "loop" for a while so I dont know what products are available. I tried the white glue trick... worked okay, I guess, but was gummy and un-sandable. 

Brimauster

Building ninety, teeny-tiny jets will be an exercise in patience, I'm sure, but I got time...

If memory serves, to hit 90 you'll have to buy some additional a/c sets.

And, be very careful, there is a huge amount of aftermarket parts for this ship:
https://www.scalemates.com/search.php?fkSECTION%5B%5D=Kits&q=1%3A350+USS+Enterpr*

Off the top of my head, I'm not remembering which era Tamiya's Enterprise is set in--other than it's after the "Bee Hive" island era--this affects what the airwing looks like.

For instance, a "current day" Big E would have an air wing that was nearly all F-18s, in a mix of single and dual seat versions, and almost all of them square-inlet "super" Hornets.

This is a pretty huge kit, and even in subassemblies is a big thing.  What might not be a horrible idea would be to go get a submarine or a destroyer kit, and ramp your skills up on one of those, first.

A 1/350 Los Angeles sub might have a deceptively small number of parts, but it will help you build up skills.  Would fit in well with Big E, too.  Pretty much, the only afterarket for  LA-class subs in the propellor, so that makes that pretty easy.

Also, you could look at frigates, the USS Reuben James would be appropriate for Big E (with some era restrictions), the Academy kit is not horrible (if better with PE).  Finding one could be an issue, though.

All that being said, there is no reason to not go get some 1/350 carrier a/c and the PE for them, and decals for Big E, and build up a few.

Welcome aboard!  I have learned hundreds of ideas and methods here.  A fantastic source.   I just started using GM's end board method on my current build.  Before that I would use a base board but no end board and try to prop the side of the ship up with paint bottles, foam, etc.    His method is much better but I made mine attach with screws through predrilled holes.  That way I can swap which end of the base it is on so that I can work on the bow or stern without it being in my way.

Awsome, another ship builder.

Listen to GM! He knows his stuff and can be of immense help, especially when it comes to ship nomenclature, history, tools and construction technique. Also yes, check out the other threads regarding ship WIPs or group builds. You might even want to join in one for fun.

Welcome aboard!

I usually go back and forth with the wingy thingies because they do get tedious. You should get a compartmented box with a lid to keep track of all of the bits and pieces as you go. Aircraft, missile launchers etc. etc.

I suggest you put the ship on a temporary base right away. I have a bunch of them that are made up of a pine shelf board longer and wider than the ship, including elevators. I put a length of the same that's 6" or so long upright on one end. That allows you to lay the model on it's side without breaking off things.

Mount your ship to it in a way the is similar to your permanent method but is removable, and sets her level.

Check out the ships of the American flag GB thread in the "Group build" section. Lots of great pics and info there on building an airwing. If you have any questions just ask, there are  of knowledgable ship builders that will be willing to answer your questions.