new to this type of build and need help

What you need is a copy of the book Anatomy of the Ship:  The Aircraft Carrier Intrepid, by John Roberts.  It contains a series of outstanding drawings of her in her WWII configuration - along with lots of photos and an informative text.  If I remember right, this was the second volume in the Anatomy of the Ship series, from the Conway Maritime Press (UK) and the Naval Institute Press (US).  Fortunately, though, it's been reprinted.  Here's a link to an ad for it:  http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/results.asp?WRD=John+Roberts+Aircraft+Carrier+Intrepid&z=y

Note that Barnes and Noble's used book dealer network has some two used copies available, one of them for a pretty good price.  (Just click on the link on that page.)  I've bought lots of used books that way, and I've always been completely satisfied.  In this particular case, though, if you're a Barnes and Noble member you can get free shipping on a new copy; the shipping expense for a used one probably would more than offset the price difference.

Later edit:  Here's a link to some more used copies, via Bookfinder.com:  http://www.bookfinder.com/search/?ac=sl&st=sl&qi=y16sdymkVVrk.UV3Ni9qeHpH1fU_5788689723_1:5:213

Those prices include shipping, so there are some bargains to be had here.  I haven't done business with this company myself, but my colleagues tell me it has a good reputation.

Good luck.

Dragon may have changed the parts between kits; maybe the Essex kit's flight deck is different from that of the Hancock, which I have.  But mine has no "surface detail" on it.  The area that's "planked" on the real thing is represented by a smooth, clear surface.  (The grey flight deck part does have the "surface detail.") 

Dragon is a pretty progressive company.  Maybe the designers figured out that the "surface detail" made the transparent part redundant, and changed it.

raser13 wrote:

hey guys, do you know of anywher that has pics of the hanger deck? this kit comes with a clear runway deck so you can see the hanger deck. i thought it would be cool if i can get enough reference. any ideas?

I'm not convinced as to how effective the clear deck is.   I've not seen one done well.   It is more like looking through a frosty window pane.   The clear deck is molded the same as the opaque one.   It has all the texture, planking, & other details.   In addition you really need to paint the gun tubs and catwalks on the  flight deck piece to match the camouflage on the hull.

There are very few plans & photos of Essex-class hangar decks.   You can purchase some for the Franklin from the Floating Drydock

http://floatingdrydock.com/GQ.htm

There are some diagrams in some of the wartime damage reports.

Photos - review the contents of NAVSOURCE

Basically, the color scheme is white on the bulkheads and overhead.   Standard Navy Deck Gray #20 (the pre-war color) on the decks inboard of the rolling doors.  For the sponson decks outboard of the doors go with Deck Blue 20-B.

If I remember correctly, that kit comes with a pretty nice photo-etched fret containing quite a few parts to dress up the plastic ones (the framework under the deck-edge elevator, for instance).  If you want to go beyond that, though, Gold Medal Models makes a beautiful, reasonably-priced sheet that contains just about everything you could conceivably want to add to the ship.  The sheet you want is the one for U.S. WWII aircraft carriers. GMM also offers a set of parts to detail the aircraft (props, landing gear, etc.)  Go to the Steel Navy website, www.steelnavy.com, and click on the Gold Medal Models logo on the home page. 

For photos, a good place to start is www.navsource.org.  On the home page, click on "Aircraft Carriers" on the left side, then on "Intrepid CV11."  There are some good shots there, and lot of pictures of other Essex-class ships as well.  The Steel Navy site also has links to some other photo sources.  Plenty of shots of this ship are knocking around.

Good luck.  An Essex-class carrier in dazzle camouflage is a big project, but the recipient will love it - guaranteed.  And the Dragon kit is an outstanding one.

To answer your camo questions:

According to the camouflage database at http://shipcamouflage.com/usn_cv.htm

the dazzle (or funky as you call it) camouflage that the Intrepid wore in 1944 was Measure 32/3a

A diagram of that measure is at the US Naval Historical Center's website -- and is mirrored at Nautilus Models http://nautilusmodels.com/camouflage.htm

The Ms 3x patterns were the same, they just varied from Dark (31) to Light (33).   Ms 32 was a medium toned pattern and the colors were Light Gray (5L),  Ocean Gray (5O), and Dull Black. 

The best online source for photos of  US Naval ships is NAVSOURCE http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/11.htm