PACIFIC CARRIER AVIATION GROUP BUILD

I'd like to join in this GB if it's not too late.  I'm fairly new to the FSM forum and group builds.  I have a 1/48 Eduard F6F-3 Hellcat ProiPACK that I received from the Czech Republic a couple days ago.  I can't promise I'll finish it by the end of the year, but I'll give it a spirited effort.  The kit doesn't look to difficult.  If there is anyone familiar with this kit, I'd be interested in any pointers.  Thanks.

Craig

Welcome to the GB Craig! Mighty excellent to have you join us. Nice! Another Eduard Hellcat. I'm building the 1/72 version for the GB. I also have that kit in my stash waiting to be built. From what I am able to discern both kits are quite similar. What I can tell you is that you're going to love that kit.

  Joe

Thanks Joe.  I started on the kit today.  Removed parts from the trees and did some test fittings.  So far, smooth sailing.  I'll post pics soon.

Craig

Welcome to the GB Craig.

Steve

I'm working on the instrument panel and seat belts this evening.  Those PE parts are a nightmare.  I don't even think some of the levers and really fine stuff will be visible once the cockpit is in place.  How the hell do you guys do the fine detailing?  I'm using my reading glasses and a magnifying glass.  

Craig, your instrument panel looks great. Despite your issues with the PE you did a right fine job. Considering that I am building the 1/72 version of the same kit it is a challenge indeed. In order for me to see the cockpit PE parts I start with my 2.5 reading glasses, then put on my opti-visor, then peer through a stationary magnifying glass which then looks through a telescope and finally through a goldfish bowl. An issue I confront while doing this is that when all put together my arms are barely long enough to reach the model.

Thanks for the words of encouragement.

Craig--the instrument panel looks awesome.  I have not started mine yet but I will be soon.  You are really plugging along on this build.  Thanks for sharing this.

Duke, very detailed instrument panel! Well done, even with the extensive optical assistance!! I finally stepped up and got an Optivisor and hope to use it soon.  I hope my results are half that good!!!

First post here at FSM.  Can I join in with my 1/48 Tamiya F4F?  Surprised to not see it already being done since I've read such favorable reviews on it.

Welcome to the Forums avipond. And welcome to the GB. It is awesome to have you join us. It's great that you are stepping in to fill the apparent F4F void. I know from other folks experiences that that is one terrific kit.

Please feel comfortable here. You are amongst your own kind now. Ask plenty of questions and by all means post pics. Lots and lots of pics. We LOVE photos!!

  Joe

Welcome to the GB, avipond.  It's been a fun one.

Very nice work on the instrument panel, Craig.  Reading glasses, magnifiers and Optivisor usually all get a good work out on the little pieces!

I finished up the last of my Dauntlesses today.  They're intended for Tamiya's 1/700 USS Enterprise flight deck.  They were constructed they way I did the earlier ones for the hanger deck so I won't bore y'all with repetitions.  One thing I did discover too late for the hanger deck was that Enterprise Dauntlesses sported a blue nose cone over the prop hub, so I did paint that in with a touch of acrylic blue craft paint.

Looking at the photos, I noticed some of the props were a little whopper-jawed, so I corrected that.

They are a mix of VS-6 and VB-6 planes.  Over the long weekend, I plan to set them up on Enterprise.  I'll post photos of that when I get it done.

Those are flat out awesome CMK! What fantastic detail. Honestly, those are jaw dropping. I am relly looking forward to seeing your Enterprise all come together. Man, pat yourself on the back, because you dang sure deserve it.

Those little Dauntless look sharp.  I would imagine some type of magnification was necessary.  I don't think I could do it.

Quick question for anyone.  I'm about to starting airbrushing the inter. green parts.  What is the mixing ratio for Model Master acrylics?  Thanks.

Craig

Thanks, Joe and Craig.  I appreciate your comments very much.

I've had a 10x Optivisor for years, back when I painted 54mm miniatures.  It's more necessary now than ever.

Craig: That instrument Panel looks great! It's nice to see another Hellcat build in here!

Joe: That's a very interesting technique for working with tiny PE. I definitely have to give that a try!

CMK: Wooo, they're finished! I still can't believe how you can get those tiny planes to look that good!

avipond: Welcome to the Forums! There are some great people here, so I'm pretty sure you're going to have a good time! I started building one of the Tamiya kits, but messed up big time (my fault, nothing to blame the kit for). I'll try building another one at some point.

Thanks, Clemens.  It's about time I finished!  I appreciate your comments very much.  It's all due to a good Optivisor!

Here are photos of the Enterprise Air Group in their natural environment, aboard CV-6.  The USS Enterprise is Tamiya's 1/700 (or 1/720) scale offering, kitbashed with Tamiya's Hornet to get a semblance of the Midway fitting.  The planes are from Trumpeter.

The aircraft on the flight deck represent the First Divisions of both VS-6 and VB-6 at the Battle of Midway.  The aircraft were crewed as follows (pilot listed first, followed by radio man/rear gunner):

GC   Lt. Comdr. C.Wade McClusky (CEAG)/ARM1c W.G. Chocalousek

S-1   Lt. W.E. Gallaher/ ACRM T.E. Merritt

S-2   Ens. R.W. Stone/RM1c W.H. Bergin

S-3   Ens. J.Q. Roberts/AOM1c T.R. Swindell

S-7   Lt. (jg) N.J. Kleiss/RM3c J.W. Snowden

S-9   According to the after-action report:   “Before reaching the objective, 6-S-9 was forced to return to the ship when the pilot was unable to shift to high blower. This airplane is not shown on the above tactical organization.”  According to Paciifc Payback, published in June 2014 (by Stephen L Moore), the planes was crewed by Ens. E.E. Rodenburg/Sea2c T.J. Bruce

S-18  Ens. C.E. Dexter/RM3c D.L. Hoff

B-1   Lt. R.H. Best/ACRM J.F. Murray

B-2   Lt. (jg) E.J. Kroeger/RM3c G.W. Halterman

B-3   Ens. F.T. Weber/AOM3c E.L. Hilbert

B-5   Lt. (jg) W.E. Roberts/AMM1c W.B. Steinman

B-6   Ens. D.W. Halsey/RM3c J.W. Jenkins

If you look closely or enlarge the photos, you can see the individual aircraft letters.  Starfighter Decals does a really outstanding job with such tiny markings.

Thanks, again, Clemens, for the opportunity to be part of the group build.  I've enjoyed it very much.  If you do another carrier aircraft GB, I look forward to participating--but maybe with something a little bigger next  time.

That is a fantastic piece of work all the way around. Thank You for sharing your awesome build with us. Very excellent reference to the  squadrons and the pilots. Really adds to your overall work. Speaking of, you have apparently read Pacific Payback. How is that book? I've been contemplating getting that book. I'm currently reading Islands of Destiny. The Solomons Campaign and the Eclipse of the Rising Sun by John Prados. Definitely an informative analysis.

Thanks, Joe.  I very much appreciate your comments; I hope I've done The Big E and her air group some honor and tribute.

I'm not too far into Pacific Payback, but so far I like it.  It begins with the Pearl Harbor attack and the involvement of the unsuspecting Enterprise air group.  The author does a commendable job of sketching out short biographies of the air crews.  Some reviews on Amazon criticized the author for this, but I think it humanizes the story.  

I've just reached the story of the 1 February, 1942 raid on Roi-Namur Island.  It catches at the heart when these airmen, whom we've come to know, go down with their Dauntlesses.

Your Welcome!

Thanks for the tip on the book. I'll definitely be picking that one up right directly.

Are you turning your attention to the USS North Carolina now?

Checkmate..

Nice work!  What a big job that must have been.  How long did it take for you to do this project?  

Thanks, Bakster.  The whole project to build the ship took about four months to do, not counting the flight deck SBD's.  There are four more SBD's down in the hanger deck, but you can't hardly see them through the open rear hanger doors.

I built the Enterprise for the "Hollywood GB," since she appeared in both John Ford's wartime documentary and the 1976 film with all the big-name stars.

I was assisted immensely by the research and previous build of Gordon Bjorklund over at modelwarships.com.  I think he also used to post here at FSM.  He had posted a very thorough build-log of the modifications needed to put Enterprise at Midway.  

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/cv/cv-06/700-gb2/gb-index.html

Out of the box, Tamiya's Enterprise is a conglomeration of different time periods, and you have to kitbash both Tamiya's Hornet and Enterprise to get an accurate version of the catwalks and gun positions.

The trickiest part was all the PE rails.  I don't always bother with them on ships, but I did want to do Enterprise up with as much as possible.

Thanks, Joe.  Yes, I've been working on North Carolina already, but haven't posted photos yet over at the 1944 GB.  It's been a little slow going with the Measure 32/18d camouflage pattern.

Thanks again for your comments.

.  

Your Enterprise looks great! Amazing detail on those little Dauntlesses

Thanks, silentbob.  It always surprises me when I look at them in photos, cuz I can't see them that well in real life.

I appreciate your comments!

Checkmate...Wow you did a lot in four months.  It is a very cool build and I love it.  Maybe someday I will venture into building military ships.  For now though, I will just enjoy the work that guys like you do.  

Thanks for the synoposis of this build.  I love hearing about all those details because it really gives us a better perspective of what your vision for the kit was, and what it took for you to  make it happen.  That is all the stuff we'd never know unless the builder shares it.  It just adds another dimension to it.

Great work!

Hi Checkmate.

I'll chime in like all the others and marvel at those itty bitty planes you have detailed so well.  The carrier looks very sharp too!

Thanks, Bakster!  It was all I did for those four months--modeling-wise!

I only got into ships three years ago, and I went real sloooow on the first one--Fujimi's 1/700 USS Lexington--cuz I had no experience with ships at all.  I was shocked by how small all the parts were.

Sometimes, I still am!

Thanks, Rob.  I appreciate the comments.   Sometime in the future, I want to do Yorktown, so I'll need some more of them then.

I"m not in this GB but wanted to chime in anyway....

That's some great modeling, CMK. She really looks great and the detailed birds on the flight deck surely are the icing on the cake.

I only wish I had been following along to watch this one in progress.

Thanks very much, Greg.  Most of the work on the little birds is masking and painting, but the parts count adds up when ya need a lot of them.