Viet Nam era CV10 Yorktown

Gold Medal Models makes a PE set which is designed to fit the 1:540 scale Revell angle-decks Essex kit.

As far as decals, there are none that I am aware of which are designed for the odd-ball scale.   There are several in 1:350 scale, but they will be 35% too large.    1:700 scale markings are 30% too small.  You may need to buy the TLAI USN Flight Deck font and make some masks to paint your own

http://tlai.com/med_des/mdusncdn.html

I'm looking at what I think is the best source of information available on Revell kits:  Dr. Thomas Graham's Remembering Revell Model Kits.  He lists the Revell angled-deck Essex-class carrier as having been issued originally in 1958, and the scale as 1/538.  It was reissued under the names Bonhomme Richard (1961), Lexington (1962), Oriskany (1968), Wasp (1968), Hornet (1970), Bonhomme Richard (1975), Lexington (1976), and Bonhomme Richard (1979).  Dr. Graham's coverage stops with 1979; the kit may have come back one or more times since then.

The reissues saw few changes to the original kit.  In its original form it contained a long piece of stiff wire with notches in it; the modeler was to break the wire at the notches and use the small pieces to form the antennas on the edges of the flight deck.  Good idea, but I think the wire disappeared somewhere along the line.If I remember correctly, the original "air group" consisted of Cougars, Crusaders, Skyraiders, Skyhawks, and helicopters - plus a traveling crane and a couple of tractors.  In later reissues the aircraft complement changed; the Hornet version from 1970 included a miniature Apollo 11 command module.  If I remember right, the 1976 Lexington version (which I gather is the one you have; the copyright date might well be a year earlier) depicted her (sort of) in her last role as the Navy's training carrier off Pensacola.  I believe the airplanes in that one included some trainers - and the decal sheet included a five-sided box surrounding the forward elevator, to represent the fact that the real elevator had been enlarged during one of the ship's many refits.

I can't help with the decal question.  Several "cottage industry" firms are making aftermarket decals for ship models these days; maybe another Forum member knows of one of those products that would be appropriate.

I picked up the USS Lexington model and with some modifying, I will manage to get to represent the Yorktown. The model I found is the Revell kit from 1975. Is this kit 1/350th scale? It doesnt say anywhere on the box or the instructions. The overall finished length is 20".  I was wondering if there is a source for the appropriate decals for the Yorktown. Thanks for your help with my project.

 

Tom

PS: I have a slightly different screenname as the forum wouldnt let me logon with the one I was using above... 

According to sources (Ray Bean) who are working with Dragon, the modernized Essex program in still in the planning stage and Dragon has been pretty silent lately about the proposed release. Also, these kits will be in 1/700.

As far as the old Revell kits, I have prefered the older Renwal kit if you can find one since the molds were much cleaner.  These kits are very generic but would do well for what you want to do since they represented the earlier SCB 125 short hull carriers which the Yorktown was one of them.

This person makes aftermarket details and decals for the old Revell kits.
starfighterdecals at verizon.net
Gold Medal Models makes PE sets for these kits.

I have made conversions of 1/700 scale WW2 kits into the modernized Essex classes, which I did one of the Yorktown, however, this involves a fair amount of scratchbuilding. 

Scott

I didnt know about the Lindburg and Renwall kits. I had a decent display model in mind, but I wasnt planning on superdetailing to much. I can do a bit of modifiying to gain the look I want so that wouldnt be a problem. I have about 8 months to do this project in, so I can bide my time and keep an eye out for a Revell kit or any Dragon ones that may come to being. Thanks for your input.

 

TJ

Back in the fifties and sixties at least two other companies made styrene Essex-class ships in their then-current configurations:  Lindberg and Renwall.  As a matter of fact, each of those companies made two such kits, on different scales.  All the plastic kits, including the oft-reissued Revell one, suffered from pretty serious problems regarding accuracy. 

Several "cottage industry" companies have made Essex-class kits in resin during the past few years.  Those kits vary considerably in quality and difficulty, but in comparison with plastic kits all of them have one thing in common:  they're extremely expensive.

Unless you want to tackle one of those resin kits, I'd suggest one of two routes.  One - if the recipient of the finished model isn't too picky regarding accuracy, track down one of the Revell kits.  Two - be patient.  Dragon has released several outstanding WWII-configuration Essex-class kits recently, and there's a strong rumor that several more, in angled-deck configuration, are on the way.