carrier conversion

The book in question isn't bad, and does incude plans. It's much like an "in action" title in appearance. However, if you want something that may be simpler, Revell has issued many times it's box scale 1/542 Essex-class. It's a mix of many different ships but doesn't look half bad all built up. Gold medal Models makes a PE set for it that really dresses it up, and IIRC the Lexington Detail and Scale book covers some corrections. While OOP, it's always on EBay, and was released as probably every angled deck Essex, only the air group and decals different. If you want pics, I'll shoot some of my unbuilt Wasp. Gary

   This is the only pic I have of my conversion-in-progress of USS Randolph CVS-15. Aside from a lack of "detailed" photos, there is also the complication of "long" verses "short" hull, and the effect on details between the two.

I have made several conversions by taking the basic hull from a Hasagawa, or now, the nice DML kit and scratchbuilding the outer hull, flightdeck, bow, and island.   I used the "Detail in Scale" series, plus cruisebooks and photos that I have taken or collected of the actual ship that I have converted, in my case, I have built the Lexington, Yorktown, and Oriskany.  

As mentioned, Ray Bean, who hangs out at Steelnavy.com, has done this conversion from the old Hasagawa kit  and sells a CD pack of many photos of Essex class ships.  Another person who has helped me in my latest Korean war conversion with photos is Tracy White and you can find him at Modelwarships.com.   Tracy has been collecting a lot of information on mainly the WW2 Essex class, but has a pretty extensive knowledge of the modernization periods as well.

 The Dromadory does have some plans of the Intrepid in SCB 125.   But these are pretty incomplete.

 I was starting a 1/350 conversion, but am thinking about waiting for the movie to come out, meaning that I am pretty sure that DML or Trumpeter will be poppining out a modern Essex within the next few years. 

Scott 

This book might be a good source of reference:

http://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Carrier-Intrepid-Anatomy-Ship/dp/0851779662/sr=8-3/qid=1163355666/ref=pd_bbs_3/102-3821182-0333726?ie=UTF8&s=books

Have never seen a copy of it myself, but I have the books in the series for the Yamato, HMS's Hood, Dreadnought, Warspite, Victorious & the Type VII U Boat & they are very useful. Like the Intrepid, the HMS Victorious was modified to an angled deck carrier & the book on her gives good coverage/ drawings of the changes made.

Thanks guys. I served on the Intrepid in '66' and so have more than a passing interest.I imagine the Intrepid museum has some good info,and I have some cruise books to look at too. Guess I should just quit dreaming and get to work.

This is question I have asked in the past. Ray bean did a conversion of 1/700 scale essex back in 1993/94 in scale ship modler. I recently ask him about doing the same thing in 1/350.  He said it could be done, but it would be very time consuming.  There are rumors of future aftermarker releases.   The only aftermarket conversion is for the early 1950 from commanders models.

I hope this helps you  can e-mail at bruce.wheeler1@us.army.mil, I have some additional people who also share this intrest.

 

Hi

Years ago I had a model of the "Intrepid"{a Revell kit I believe}as an angle deck kit. I did it after an "Essex class" Yorktown. See if Squadron Books has Essex class angle deck carriers in their listing. Or look at other books for what they look like. Then do the modelers thing of "cut & paste", after all, a lot of us have been doing that in models LONG before it became a computer thing{I did in some custom model cars in the 60's!}. Just don't forget the "plastic putty"!

Steve