Aircraft Carrier Group Build (July 07 to July 2010)

Is it too late to join?

 If not, sign me up for a 1/350 USS Essex and are CVLs accepted, too.  If so, put me down for a 1/700 Independence.

What about PE and other aftermarket?

 Jeff

Thanks for the advise AJB93.

Alain

It is great to see some activity within the group!   I have been working on the airwing in my spare time this week, and with snow predicted all weekend, I hope to come close to finishing the planes.  With thirty-three small kits to detail, this is taking plenty of time and patience.  I also need to get the small boats built up and installed on the ship yet.

Chester,

I will change post 1 to reflect your change to the 1:700 USS Independence.

Jazzy_Jeff,

I am always glad to add another name to the group!   It would only be too late to join this group after the build ends in November.  ANY form of aircraft carrier is acceptable for this build; in fact, I may build the Tamiya 1:350 I-400 for this build after I finish the Saratoga (and catch up on some other projects).  Also any detail that you want to add is fine.  If you go back through the postings you will see that I removed the molded deck-edge safety nets and replaced them with wire mesh.  I have also added some railings and stairs from Gold Medal Models to the smoke stack.

One question, do you want me to put you down for both kits now?  I will put them both on post 1 when I add your name, but let me know if you are only building one or the other.  Thanks again for your interest in the group.

Both.  This is my first GB, so it should be fun.

 Jeff

I decided on the specific ships.  My Essex will be CV-9 Essex herself, and the Indy will be CVL-26 USS Monterey. 

 Jeff

Jeff,

I have updated post #1 with your specific ships.  They should be interesting.  I started taking part in these group builds a couple of years ago, and they are good for getting me focused on what to build next from my stash.  The challenge is in joining too many at once and having life get in the way of building as much and as fast as one would like.

All,

The Saratoga airwing build continues.  I continue to move forward at a much slower pace than I anticipate week after week.  Anyway, the planes are coming along, and I will do some more with them this weekend.  I am also slowly attaching the final detail parts onto the ship itself.  As always, I will keep the group posted on my progress, and please feel free to do the same.

Greetings everyone, sorry I have not been around, was doing other GBs dealing with wingy things and targets :)

I have been looking at the Nimitz again, the 1:720 Monogram, very easy/simple, not much detail but a good "starter" a/c carrier. Spent some time months ago un-warping the deck, passing warm/hot water and slowly bending the hull back. Primed both parts and the base, thats about it....   spent some time learning about Modern navy colors, put an order for the deck/haze/flight decks greys, as well as the antifouling red (from white ensigns).

Debating whether to switch to the Dragon Essex in my stash, or succumb to temptation and get the dragon premium independence... but I may stick to the Nimitz as my "starter" ship. I will watch jazzy_jef's builds very closely! :)

Scott - thanks for the updates, lookforward to some pics. I have a Dig Cam, but my eldest daughter keeps taking it ;) I will post pics in couple weeks, once I finish some other stuff and have something actually built... cheers! James

James,

Thanks for the update.  That Nimitz kit is probably similar, if not identical to the Italeri kits.  I built the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower several years ago when I was serving onboard.  I also picked up the USS Ronald Reagan kit a couple of years ago, and the kit did improve a bit over time.  If you want a real treat though, the Trumpeter kit is phenomenal!  I picked up their release of the Eisenhower as I want to make a better version than what I have on display.

All,

I spent most of last evening and part of this morning installing the decals on my air wing.  I still need to touch up a few spots on about four planes then paint the wheels on all and the side and engine cowling bands on the ones that get them (I have not found evidence of the side bands being used on the TG-2 planes).  Lots of fine detail painting under good lighting and heavy magnification.  I can only do that stuff for so long at any given time, but at least I am moving forward and I am pleased with the results.

hiya all

just update on my carrier    havent start on it yet but good thing i have til nov smiles   it should give me pently of time to finish it. 

anyway  i got a free dvd of carrier in the mail but sucks it has no subtitle or caption  argh argh.  I want to clear up something from what i read on the dvd book saying that the carrier  USS Enterprise will be out of service by year 2015 or 2010  is that true? because it will be replacing to USS Geroge H W Bush carrier  SInce Enterprise is my all time favorite mordern carrier.  if its true it will be sad to see the Enterprise being out of service. Im hoping they can refuel it so it can last more years or remodel/restore it.

The big E is indeed slated for Decom 2014-2015, dependent on the state of the nuclear fuel currently in the carrier's reactors. Check this page:

http://www.history.navy.mil/library/online/navycvn21.htm

For general info and pics, check this links:

http://www.enterprise.navy.mil/

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/65.htm

A list of all carriers and info/pics here:

World Aircraft Carrier Lists From 1913 to 2001

http://www.hazegray.org/navhist/carriers/

also here

http://www.navy.mil/navydata/ships/carriers/carriers.asp

finally, USS Enterprise CVN-65 in 1/350 Scale :

http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/ships/cv/cvn-65/350/cvn65.html

Cheers! James

GO NY GIANTS BIG BLUE

jmart

i  c  your a giants fan

i am a pats fan  that wants to c  the giants win  sounds strange don't it

here is the reason  MANNING

i would like to see him out from under his brothers big foot and shadow  BECAUSE HE DESERVES TO BE and he has proven it

thanks Jmart

what will they do with big E?  hope they dont plan  to sink it like they did with mighty O  off the coast of florida.   ill research it more from the link u send to me   thanks again

JMart,

Thanks for those links!

Silentmodeler,

As the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, I would hope to see it made into a floating museum somewhere.  The issue is that carriers are rather large and one must really think ahead on where to display such an item.  The Enterprise is indeed an impressive engineering feat.  Part of the downside to the ship, aside from its age, is the complexity of using multiple reactors to run the main engines and generators.  With the Nimitz class, there are only two reactors, which simplifies refuelings quite a bit.  Of course as a former carrier sailor, I am rather partial to the Nimitz-class ships.

All,

I FINALLY finished the thirty-three planes of my air wing this weekend!  There are probably a couple of items on one or two of the planes that I could tweak, like the broken propeller blade on one plane, but that plane may just wind up in the maintenance area, where the flaw would be less visible.  I will eventually get around to taking some photos now that I have made some good progress.  I have also finished the small boats, and have installed about half of them.

I managed to get out this past Saturday (there was a break from the snow) to pick up a copy of Great Scale Modeling 2008.  There is a nice two-page spread of a 1/350 USS Lexington that is nicely built.  I made a couple of changes on my ship based upon how that kit was built, but I am still looking for detail photos of a few items that I have not found in my reference photos (such as hand rails on the decks where the small boats were stored).  I could be getting close to finishing this before my refueling outage next month, as long as I avoid a bad case of AMS (Advanced Modeler Syndrome).

It continues to be good to see more folks checking in, so please do not hesitate to do so yourself! 

Durr - I am still pinching myself and getting my voice back, miracles DO happen! I am driving my family nuts, everytime I scream EEEE--liii  someone has to answer MANNING :)  Cheers!

silentmodeler - Not sure what will happen with the E, but again, I am several months behind on my Navy News and Proceedings, so...   will post if I know anything. I remember reading a long time ago, that it would be harder to re"fit" a nuke carrier for museum purposes (as the Intrepid here in NYC), due to size and security factors. I do hope it ends up somewhere, such as san Diego.

More Power Scotty - Good news on your progress! So many new nice carrier kits out there.. I need to have patience and re-learn my skills with the simple monogram Nimitz. A review of the recently released Dragon Premium edition HMS Invincible:

http://www.modelshipwrights.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=Reviews&file=index&req=showcontent&id=2969

Hope to get something done on my simple build soon, once I finish few things... and post some pics if I can pry the cam away from my kid! :) Cheers, James

More Power Scotty wrote:

As the first nuclear powered aircraft carrier, I would hope to see it made into a floating museum somewhere.  The issue is that carriers are rather large and one must really think ahead on where to display such an item.  The Enterprise is indeed an impressive engineering feat.  Part of the downside to the ship, aside from its age, is the complexity of using multiple reactors to run the main engines and generators.  With the Nimitz class, there are only two reactors, which simplifies refuelings quite a bit.  Of course as a former carrier sailor, I am rather partial to the Nimitz-class ships.

The odds of Enterprise being preserved rest heavily on what happens to Kitty Hawk. Some people want Kitty Hawk preserved in Wilmington next to North Carolina. India is also interested in her (according to Wikipedia that is). If she is preserved, then she will likely be the third supercarrier on the East coast. Saratoga has all the funds available and is in the middle of conducting an enviromental study-the last step before compiling and submitting an application for donation. She will likely be donated by the beginning of next year. John F Kennedy has a very strong effort to save her underway in Florida. For political reasons, she will likely get alot of government loans and support and be saved there. So it is really a toss up between Kitty and Big E. As much as I am attached to Kitty Hawk, I think Enterprise is the better candidate as she is more historically significant. Of course, there are many hurdles to overcome and the worst thing that could happen is that two orginizations try to save both of them and both are lost.

Anyways, my Essex is still awaiting 20mm guns and her airwing. I will try to get her finished this weekend. I am also going to be building an America or JFK in 1/720 so maybe I'll enter that too.

JMart and AJB93,

Great comments on the possibility of making a museum out of the Enterprise, as well as the status of some of the conventional super-carriers.  I have not kept up with what has been happening to them since their retirements.  I actually got to work on the Kitty Hawk, America, and Kennedy in 1991 after I finished my time in the Navy and worked for a government contractor.  It was interesting to see some similarities between them and the Eisenhower and Lincoln that I served aboard.

As they made the submarine USS Nautilus a museum, I think that they have the technology to get rid of what needs to go in order to make the ship "safe" for visitors.  Of course with that Yucca mountain fiasco still dragging on, it may be difficult to store the high level rad waste that would be present.  I guess time will tell, but I would certainly like to see her preserved somewhere.

All,

No photos yet (go figure), but lots of progress this past weekend and yesterday.  The ship itself is nearly complete as I added arresting wires, finished installing all of the small boats, and placed the funnel in its final position.  The flagpole up front, with a flag of course, should just about finish her off.  Well, maybe I will add some figures too.  I want to add some sea blue paint to the underside of the water display base that came with the ship, in order to show it at sea, and that will also mean touching the wave crests with white.  

Keep on modeling and keep the group posted on your progress. 

it would be very nice to put the Big E in museum,  of course depend on the space  and size since im pretty sure its bigger than the Mighty Mo in pearl harbor, but  is it possbile to put the big E on shore of ford island since im sure it has space for the Big E or its depend on the military or goverment people to deicded where to put her?

Finally just finished my Pearl Harbor gb which is over two month due oopies  blame on my work schudule lol  but need to finish up other gbs  but i can get start on the carrier soon.

Size/cost is an issue. A reservist in my unit is also a NY Firefighter, we were talking about the Intrepid (NYC) refit. Problem is, once you "dock" a ship and convert it into a museum (stricken from the list), it becomes a "building" in terms of fire codes, etc. (so yes, still have not set foot in a carrier, technically ;)  You have to then make the "building" accesible, fire exits, all sorts of "stuff". With a small sub (like the pampanito in SD or nautilus in Groton), you can simple open part of the sub to the public in a way you cant get "lost" in the "building". Whole different story with the Intrepid, with its large spaces and area. Not to mention heating the beast in the winter time. Anyways, my rambling was just to highlight some of the unique challanges with the "big"ships in turning them into "buildings" (museums).

My own particular pseudo-political mini rant is simply to state that of ALL the pork that senators/reps include into their budgets, why cant some of them include the funds to maintain our ships and make them accesible to the public?? Oh I know, no one cant give you a kickback that way ;) 

on a final note, IF the big E (or kitty hawk or any of the carriers being decom next few years) becomes a museum... could the "owners/curators" populate the deck with aircraft, a-la Intrepid? I hope some Tomcats and Prowlers are left around for that purpose...

All right folks, enough talk, here are some photos of my progress.  Please feel free to provide any comments you care to make.  I still need to do some work on the ocean display base and I have not added all of the final details on the ship (no flag, and I need to touch up some small spots).  The planes are done done as I painted the propeller tips with blue and red stripes (I left out the yellow as it was hard enough to get blue and red lines thin enough and at 700 feet, yellow does not really stand out as a 3/700 inch stripe (the real stripes on the real plane propellers were each 3 inches wide).

View of the starboard side...

View of the port side showing the flight deck...

Another port side shot...

The aft end of the flight deck (note the arresting wires that I added)...

A portion of the airwing (the pencil is there to give you an idea of the size of these planes)...

speaking of the BIG E, this mouthwatering History Chanel special series was announced, check out the intro promo:

http://www.history.com/minisites/battle_360

Excellent Saratoga, well done!

I have three new entries: USS Hancock 1944, USS America 1968 and USS John F Kennedy TBD. Kits are Dragon, Italeri and Converted Italeri.

AJB93,

Thanks for the comment!

Concerning the new entries, are they all 1/700 scale (as I am assuming), and are they in addition to, or instead of your original 1/700 Essex-class ship?  Let me know, and I will update post #1.

scorpr2, JMart, and chester,

Thanks for your comments.  I have taken this week off to start work on a couple of other projects, but I may finish Sara this weekend.  I am thinking of tacking down the arresting wires in the middle of each run with a drop of CA.  The wires do not look as sloppy in real life as they do in the photo, but I think that I can improve them.  I will have to see if I can finish off the display base as well, but I have not glued the bottom of the ship in place so that I can swap over to the full hull at some time if I wish.  At some point in time, I would like to make a wooden base out of Douglas Fir as that was what the flight deck was made of.  Until that day comes, I think that the sea base will be a nice addition to my carrier collection.

could you "pull" the arresting wires from below deck (assuming you have some slack beyond the attachment point, and assuming the deck is not yet attached to the hull....)?

maybe you can use the point of a drill bit to "wrap" the end of the wires, giving it a "turn", tightening the slack?

Sorry if the ideas are silly just trying to contribute something  :)

And I love the idea of using a "deck" of the flying deck... imagine if you could get a slab of the real thing! :)

Jmart,

The pulling from beneath worked for the forward most four or five wires, the ones further aft were blocked as there is a small section of deck in between the flight deck and hull on this kit.  If only I had thought of adding this detail sooner in my build.  Actually, I just tacked down the planes with a drop of CA on each wheel and the tail.  With them installed, the slack is much less noticeable.  When I was "rigging" the island, I drilled small holes on the deck below to try this same approach.  I worked to a point, but I could have left the lines a bit longer intially, which ended up making this more of a challenge.

As far as a piece of the real deck is concerned, the USS Saratoga CV-3 is presently at the bottom of the Bikini atoll where she was sank in the atomic bomb test there in 1946.  I have a local woodworking shop that carries many exotic types of lumber (and much of it is in convenient small boards for people like me), unfortunately, they do not have any Douglas Fir.  One of the workers told me that it would be similar to Cypress (which they do stock), but a little more yellow.  As I am going to cover it with a Mahogany stain anyway (just like the real flightdeck, and just what I did to my kit's flightdeck), I could go that route in a pinch. 

I did finish the "sea" display last weekend, and it was easier than I had anticipated.  I still need to place the crew on the ship, and I may start on that this weekend.  I want to have everything completely finished before I set up for another photo session, but I will get the pictures posted here as soon as I do.