Revell CV-60 Saratoga update

Hi folks. After languishing in storage for 2 years. I have gotten back to work on This one. It's Revell's CV-60 Saratoga in 1:542 scale. The kit has a few issues out of the box, but can be taken care of really nicely, and easily.

If you're into scatch building........ And a lot of finish sanding and putty work.

 As some may know, Revell originally popped the Forrestal class carriers decades ago in their original configuration as commisioned during the 1950s. Actually, they targeted Forrestal as the pattern for the mold. The age of the mold shows too. She's a little rough around the edges out of the box.

The Forrestals were a 4 ship class including Forrestall CV-59, Saratoga CV-60, Ranger CV-61, and Independence CV-62. Amongst ships of the same class, there are always minor differences in appearance and equipment as it is sometimes years between the lead ship and the final one's launching.

The trained spotter can detect these diffrences, and can name the ship even if the hull number is not visible. Most of the time, the differences are so minor that for a good shelf model, there's no need to worry, but with this one, I'm getting really picky. My wife says TOO picky.

Anyways, over the course of thier 40+ years of service, the appearance differences grew a little more noticable as dock yard periods for overhaul and modernisation often added equipment that varied between ship to ship, as well as locations for mounting this equipment. Now I'm probly boring you, so to the model.

Revell updated the kit in the '80s to reflect changes in the 1:1 after Forrestal underwent her Service Life Extension Program (SLEP). The rest of the class followed suit, again the minor differences in equipment and location comeing into play as they decided to release the kit as the Saratoga too. The kit has most of the latest '80s equipment including new aircraft, radars, and defense weapons.

I'm building the Saratoga to represent her final appearance just before her retirement in 1994. Now, to the changes. To start with, I've removed all molded-in flight deck detail except for the arrestor wires and cat tracks. I probly would have left most of it, except for the fact that there was a very large, nasty mold mark dead center of the flight deck, along with sink marks-a-plenty. The Forrestals recieved an extension on the flight deck just aft of the port elevator that Revell didn't add when they updated the kit. Funny too, they didn't add the landing light "meatball" platform either. On the hull, the side panels that are seperate pieces with the hangar deck main doors just dont fit too well, nor does the fantail parts so a lot of putty work is needed in this area. In the pictures, you can see it as I used red putty. I have done no painting yet. Kit part #14, starboard forward boarding/refueling deck, is a Forrestall-only feature, and should be left off for the Saratoga. All the scratch-built additions are fairly simple, and so far, 99% has been done with white sheet styrene which shows up well in the pictures. Here's a mock up with the flight deck and island just sitting on the hull, not glued yet.

The island structure is fun to update. Studying photos of the 1:1 really gets you pumped up to begin the work. Again, 99% is done with white sheet styrene. You also can learn just how valuable and versatile stretched sprue is too. the island-mounted MK 91 Sea Sparrow directors aren't included in the kit, but the aft port ones on the hull are. You will need 4 in all for the latest appearance. They are a little out of scale on the large side, but not enough to scream about. The original mast aft of the funnel on Sara was cut off level with the top of the Pri-Fly house, and a new one, smaller in diameter, installed further to port, inline with the inside edge of the funnel. The appearance here you can see on the 1:1 too.

As you can see, right now, I'm in the roughing in stages. I'll post more progress soon!! Hope you enjoy.