Aircraft Carrier GB 2016

Your reaction was the same as mine.  I just spent 7 months and who knows how much $$ in PE and aftermarket parts to kitbash the Tamiya Enterprise as of June 1942 and now there is shake n bake kit.

I was not really impressed with the mounting bosses in the hull, and the planes did seem to lack any detail. Overall, the kit does look like it would be fun.  I wonder what the island looks like?

I looked at the video review too, and it looks like Academy's Enterprise would be from the Midway era, with Wildcats, Dauntlesses and Devastators.  I had to buy both an Enterprise and a Hornet from Tamiya to kit-bash one Enterprise, and then scratch build some guntubs.  Lot of fussy work.

And now they put it out in a kit!!

Thanks Check,

I just looked into the new Academy Enterprise and it looks to be for the time period I built mine for.  Go figure!  Still, I really liked the Shapeways island the the photo etch from Tom's Modelworks.  

Looks all ship-shape, Scott.  Nice work!

 Aircraft are now built, needs touched up and the decals put on, then this project will be complete.

Looking good, Scott; and aircraft on deck, too!  

Trying Flkr, latest pic of my Enterprise.

Scott:  yes; although photobucket has still always worked for me, those pop-ups are multiplying, and getting more annoying

Baron:  that's a good idea I hadn't thought of--using them in the hanger deck; never considered putting them down there and saving the good stuff for topside; thanks!

checkmateking02

Thanks, Baron. 

I don't know what could be done to improve the look of solid molded canopies.  Which is why I have all the various kits' aircraft sitting in a box somewhere.

Just logged into PB and reset everything.  30 minutes of my life taken up playing pop add avoidance.  Posting pictures here is a complicated process, takes away valuable model time  

Photobucket seems to be giving you headaches here, too, Scott.

The only gripe I have with the Trumpeter planes are the wheels.  Being clear is not really great until they are painted because I cannot see any of the parts.

I got the Enterprise planes all painted, and now in the process of waiting until I do the planes for the Lexington so I can finish them all together.  I did get a few done so far.

Thanks, Baron. 

I don't know what could be done to improve the look of solid molded canopies.  Which is why I have all the various kits' aircraft sitting in a box somewhere.

checkmateking02

Baron:

Thanks for the kind comments about the Wildcat.  

It's a Trumpeter product, molded in clear plastic.  Whenever I've built a carrier, I've replaced the opaque air group with Trumpeter.  They sure do look a lot better.

 

Baron:

Thanks for the kind comments about the Wildcat.  

It's a Trumpeter product, molded in clear plastic.  Whenever I've built a carrier, I've replaced the opaque air group with Trumpeter.  They sure do look a lot better.

I should add that I think Trumpeter's choice to produce aircraft in clear plastic is one of the greatest improvements in injection-molded ship kits in the last 50 years.

checkmateking02

 

That Wildcat looks great!  If this is the Fujimi kit, then I take it that the aircraft are molded in the same solid plastic as the rest of the kit.  How did you paint the canopy?  That looks like a good way to deal with the solid plastic.

Thanks Scott! That took me at least three days to decal that whole deck. Yeah, it was quite the challenge making them as straight as possible.

Nice work there Duke, its not easy trying to keep all those lines strait, then fight the silvering.

checkmateking02

Nice work, Duke!  It's not always easy to lay down the striping on the flight deck.  The whole project is looking great.

 

You got that right, especially when they don't give you continuous runs of lines, but break then down into 1/12" or 2" lengths. I appreciate the compliment, I am quite pleased with this so far.

Nice work, Duke!  It's not always easy to lay down the striping on the flight deck.  The whole project is looking great.

Wow, I just realized that I hadn't posted on here in a while. I did manage to move forward on the Baku quite a bit during the past month or two. Here's my latest...

Some time back I added some of the decals to the deck. These were very fine and difficult to lay down flat, but I did it:

That's when I realized I hadn't painted the yellow stripe. So, I painted it, working carefully around the decals that are suppose to sit on it and then added the rest of the while lines, circles and number decals. There are about 53 decals on this deck right now.

That was the second round of decals. After that, I had to do a third round to complete this flight deck. So, I shot another gloss coat in this to seal in what I already had placed; let it dry, and then added the final deck decals:

Once that was dry, I sealed it again and then I added all the decals to the hull all around:

I've already taken care of those silvered decals on the stern. Finally after letting all that dry, I shot a final dullcoat over this whole model. Here it is all dullcoated with the island sitting dry on the deck. I have some more parts to add to this; as well as paint before I glue it down:

Okay, that is all I currently have done so far on this ship. Now it should go much faster so hopefully I'll be able to finish this soon.

Thanks for looking in, comments are welcome.

Some of the decal sets from Starfighter include tail stripes--but I don't remember which right now.

They're tiny, but it beats trying to paint them!  I've tried.  Not good. 

Hi Check,

Its the Wildcats landing gear that really is driving me nuts.  The wheels somehow are too dsitracting for me, so I'm going with pegs and trying to keep them as descrete as possible. The other planes look fantastic.  

 I'm ready for the Lex to get here for Coral Sea, and the Akagi for Midway.  I would have built the Yorktown and have all three of the class in my collection and one build for both GBs, but I would have gotten real bored with it so close after this Enterprise build.

Yikes, It just occured to me, I have to put the red and white stripes on all those tails for the Lex.  Thanks again for your pics of your build, they are inspiring.

scottrc

Again, thanks for your comments and support Check.  I have been going back over your builds of the Enterprise and Yorktown a lot lately and they look so clean and precise.

 

Thanks, Scott.  They took so long, so many months, I admit I was getting tired of both of them by the time I finished--and the PE didn't help.

What is it about the landing gear that makes them cartoonish?  I did feel that sometimes they were too long, making the plane sit too high, so I did cut some back.

I eventually built some for the Fujimi Lexington's air group--photo below.  

Worst thing about them is that Trumpeter has the Wildcat's landing gear extending from the wings, not the fuselage.

Again, the Enterprise is looking great!  Good to have you with us at the Coral Sea GB!

Started building the planes from Trumpeter.  I am not fond of the deep panel lines, being molded in clear is kinda a pain, but the biggest issue I am struggling with is how to put these little wheels on without making the plane look like it belongs in a cartoon.  

Again, thanks for your comments and support Check.  I have been going back over your builds of the Enterprise and Yorktown a lot lately and they look so clean and precise.

scottrc

Overall Sea Blue.  Thanks!  I'm am quite satisfied with the overall results.  Starting on the airwing and then looking at what type of base I want to put it on.  Decisions, decisions. 

 

Getting the rigging on this morning.  I put it on an old practice board I had to see how it looks in water.  I think I will put it in a water scene.  The problem I usually have is room in my display shelf.  

Overall Sea Blue.  Thanks!  I'm am quite satisfied with the overall results.  Starting on the airwing and then looking at what type of base I want to put it on.  Decisions, decisions.