Info. on Tamiya USS Enterprise

No, the Tam E kit itself is unchanged from what was issued decades ago. For upgrades/updates you need to go the aftermarket PE route. There is no backdate kit to transform the kit to the as-launched configuration (beehive island)

If you are interested in a modern carrier as an alternate to the Tam Enterprise have you considered the Trump Nimitz?

To build a modern day Nimitz w/ current refit and the right airwing, what do you recommend. What modifications to the carrier? Which planes? Which decals for the planes? I would like to build it w/ F-14s and F-18s w/ all of the other various aircraft. I didnt know which decal markings would be accurate for the different aircraft. For example, would the VF84 decals for F-14s and VFA14 for F-18s be accurate. I didnt want to mix it up incorrectly. Thank You

Redmike,

To do a current Nimitz, will require several changes to the 1975 version of the kit. Sponson's have changed, in shape and location, the main mast is very different and the after radar mast has changed too.

There are photos of the "new" Nimitz available at www.news.navy.mil, the Navy's Newstand site, that would help give you an idea of what would be involved. The after mast could be done by using the GMM PE parts for the later Nimitz class ships, Washington, Stennis, Truman. With just a little detail tweaking that would work.

After the refueling and complex overhaul the Nimitz began to operate Super Hornets. VFA-41 the Black Aces, for one. The Nimitz hasn't operated Tomcats at all. I build 700/720 scale, so I don't know off hand if anyone is making 1/350 E and F super bugs yet. Nor do I know about the correct decals. Again the Navy site can help.

The new island configuration is much closer to the original, from a modeling standpoint, than a later period, pre RCOH, Nimitz would be. There are significant changes, in details, but the basic shape is better. That's a help.

There's plenty of Enterprise photos avilable too, if you want to check that out.

Have fun.

Thank you for the information.

Hi

I am about to paint my 1/350 Big E. Just wondering what color should I use? instruction says some Tamiya color mixes but I was curious whether ModelMaster can do the job. I have a complete set of Model Master FS greys (gunship grey, ghost grey, gull grey, etc). I thought maybe those colors would work?

I need info on deck color, hull color and hull red color.

any suggetions? Monty

Monty,

Haze Gray is the "correct" hull color although Standard Navy Gray can work too. Sorry I don't have FS numbers handy. There is an anti-fouling red color in MM Acryl, I've used, but again I'm not sure on the enamels.

For the flight deck, please study lots of photos of the Big E in operation. There's plenty from the link, in my above post. CVN flight decks rarely appear as one solid color of gray. The non-skid surface is not applied all at once, even on new or refit ships. The stuff fades quickly to a lighter color gray even when there's been little in the way of flight ops going on. In fact you will find probably 2-3 different gray shades even under freshly painted deck stripes. And most often, the tone changes will occur in a nice sharp, straight line where the non-skid application stopped for a time.

On my 1/720 scales I start with gunship gray, which is a good dark gray and begin to lighten it for scale and then experiment with different blends of a lighter color gray using photos as a guide. Don't be afraid to mask off sections, as I said, the edges are sharp. You can blend the edges with washes and drybrushing when you weather the deck.

There is a MM Acryl color Flight Deck gray which appears a little too blue to me when matched against Navy photos, but you may want to try it instead.

Again just follow some photo guides and have fun.

Mike

Modern Haze Gray FS#36270
Modern Deck Gray FS#36008

I don't recall the FS# for flight deck gray though, sorry.

Just a side note: The Teddy Roosevelt (CVN 71) just departed Norfolk last week with the last deployment of F14 Tomcats. I'm sad to see them go.

I think the Nimitz has operated Tomcats. Seen that movie set on the Nimitz, The Final Countdown? There were Tomcats in that.

I guess I didn't make it clear that the Nimitz hasn't operated Tomcats since completing the RCOH.

Yes, there was the Final Countdown movie and of course, the VF-41 Black Aces shooting down the Su-22 Fitters in 1981.

RCOH, is that the first refit? I was wondering what year that was.
I assume this means the Nimitz never operated Tomcats and Hornets at the same time. I was planning to do a nineties Nimitz or possibly Eisenhower with these aircraft. I may have to rethink my airwing, perhaps you could suggest one for that decade?

there is a picture of her in this link of march 96 with both f-18 & f-14 aircraft on her deck. picture # is NS026810. http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/68.htm

QUOTE: Originally posted by dave1022 RCOH, is that the first refit? I was wondering what year that was.

Refuelling and Complex Overhaul on USS Nimitz was completed in 2001

USS Eisenhower RCOH completed March 2005 http://www.nn.northropgrumman.com/news/internal/currents/2005/050328.pdf

Just out of interest, can you get 1/350 decal sets for the nineties aircraft?

Dave,
Both the Nimitz and Ike operated Tomcats in the 90's. As they went through their refueling and complex overhauls, the ships were refitted to operate super bugs. When the Nimitz did its first deployment after the RCOH, the ship's airwing operated the bugs.

While there are differences between the post RCOH ships and their "before" look, the easiest to see is the radar tower aft of the island. Before the RCOH the ships' towers are open. Afterwards the towers are enclosed.

Mike

Thanks, this thread will be a useful reference . I'd love to put a couple of late version A-7 Corsairs in there, as far as I know they were operating as late as 1991 during desert storm. The Eisenhower in '91 might be the way to go, I just hope I can get some decals for that particular airwing.
Thanks

...the JFK might be more realistic for that era, with A-7s.

Im curious to whether there are modern decals for an airwing on the USS Enterprise. I found decals for early eighties Nimitz. I also found GMM decals for West Coast USS Enterprise and I am not sure what date these decals are for. Are these decals nice? Are they accurate? What is the date range? Thanks

Ive seen some 1/350 decals on ebay which look like upgrades to the decals that come with the trumpeter Nimitz. Mostly 70's era markings I think. I doubt there are specific carrier markings out there at that scale.

I dont fancy handpainting an entire Eisenhower airwing

I read some where that the navy was going to sink the USS America. Does anyone know the results?

Tony,

I don't know, off the top of my head, the date the America was sunk, but it was late spring or early summer of this year.

It was done to get data on carrier sinking, so I imagine there won't be lots of details battered about.

Navy Newsstand Photo

The test was a success. The ocean won.

http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=25857

That's a sad picture...

death of a carrier..... never nice why didnt my 1/400 big E look so good when she capsized!!!!!

Tony,

The America was used for demolitions practice and sunk in the Atlantic earlier this year. The navy did not give a specific location, but it was off the continental shelf. Sorry to see her go.