Converting USS Ticonderoga to USS Gettysburg

JIM77 wrote:

Bought the Dragon 1/350 Ticonderoga (CG-47), and am looking at converting it to USS Gettysburg (CG-64).  Comparing photographs, the conversion looks fairly straight forward.  Two masts are included in the kit, one for CG-47 and one for CG-49.  The CG-49 looks the same as the Gettysburg.  Are there any other major external differences I'm missing?

The Ticonderoga was equipped with a twin missile launcher fore & aft.  These were replaced by banks of VLS cells fore & aft in the later variants, including the Gettysburg.   Don't know for sure if the Tico kit comes with the VLS cells - but it is a must have for the conversion.

JIM77 wrote:

The kit markings are for CG-47 through -51.  Gold Medal Models has a decal sheet (350-1D) with basic markings for all, but no name stencils.  Anyone know a fix for this?

CRUDIV & CRURON sheilds are included in the ISW Decal sheet

Miscellaneous lines & markings are available on another ISW decal sheet

Names can be done with a bit of creative Xerography - by running a piece of decal film taped to a sheet of paper through a Xerox machine.

JIM77 wrote:

From previous posts I've read, are the following correct?      FS 36440 (MM Flat Gull Gray) for the upper hull and vertical structures.      FS 36118 (MM Gunship Gray) for the decks.      Floquil F110601 (Zinc Chromate Primer) for the lower hull.

The spec for modern Haze Gray is 26270 - MM Neutral Gray is 36270.   Gunship is good for the decks.   I use Engine Gray for fresh flight deck non-skid.

If your Zinc Chromate is the red-version (don't have a conversion handy) that will do nicely.  My favorite is American Tradition's Red Primer from Lowes

Not that it helps now, but you probably wold have been better of buying the dragon 1/350 version of the Bunker Hill.  It's hull number is CG-52 and is equipped with the VLS launchers for the swap to the Gettysburg it would be basically decals. 

After reading this posting, I came across an Italeri USS Gettysburg 1/350 kit in a shop. Is this kit so far off the mark that one would convert a Ticonderoga kit to get a Gettysburg? Just asking.

That was the original question. 

The problem is the twin missile launchers fore and aft.   The Ticonderoga,and the other first 5 ships of the class had MK26  twin launchers in these positions

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The remaining ships in the class have Vertical Launch System (VLS)cells fore and aft.    There are also some antenna and mast differnces.  

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The early ships in the class are being retired early due to maintenance issues with the MK26 and commonality with other VLS platforms (i.e. the Burkes).

To convert a Ticonderoga kit to a model of Gettysburg will require that a suitable donor for the VLS cells be obtained (i.e. a later flight Ticonderoga).   You can finesse the mast & antennas. 

The better solution to make a later flight Ticonderoga-class is to start with one which has the VLS cells to start.   An example would be the USS Mobile Bay

I also ran across the Gettysburg kit and picked it up.  It's bag with the sprues in it has a sticker saying "manufactured in China by Dragon models, imported by Italeri."

I will let you know more in a bit......

Tim

The superstructures are slightly different, too.  Look amidships.

-Mike