Aircraft Carrier Group Build (July 07 to July 2010)

All,

I am still finding that several of you are MIA.   While off for the holidays, I managed to injure myself, and this has had a major impact on everything, including my build time.  As I still want to add my Tamiya 1/350 I-400 submarine to this build, I have decided to move the end date to July.  Please feel free to check in when you can.

raider-hall,

I am slowly improving with my herniated disk, and I know that it will take time to fully recover.  I am sorry to hear about your cousin.  Unfortunately, I went through the same issue early last year with a cousin that I was very close to in our youth, and he was four years younger than I.

On to better things, the Enterprise looks great!   You certainly do some fine work.

As we seem to have stagnated here, I am attaching a couple of shots of the interior of an Aichi M6A1 Seiran that I just started.  This is a 1/72 scale Tamiya kit that I am building to pose next to the I-400, which I hope to be starting soon.

raider-hall,

I will be looking forward to those photos.

traveller,

Very hot? Living in Michigan, I have forgotten what "hot" feels like, but if you want to know about cold, just ask.   Anyway, update the group as you move forward, and welcome back!

raider hall,

Which Monday?   I will keep my eyes on the postings as I always look forward to seeing your work.

hey guys  sorry been gone too long since i finished the Hornet and i won 3rd place at rochester model show last sept.  been totally busy with job and many other things as well. 

the deadline postpone to july mmmm   seem like i might have other carrier to build   ill let u know which one ill be doing.  will update you which carrier ill pick,  either ronald reagan or big E.  I do have Yorktown but I was planning to make it sunken Yorktown, i know i wouldnt have the time to finish it by july. 

Great work on the ships RaiderHall!   make out of cardstock or index card?  very impressive and creative as well.   

silentmodeler,

Congratulations on the 3rd place!   If you want to start another kit, just let me know, and don't concern yourself with the July deadline, as I may extend to the end of the year if needed.

Greetings all - sorry I missed couple evolutions, work/life issues kept me from building, not to mention the monogram Nimitz which is quite a sorry kit (what we remember from our youth is very different! Lol)

Scott - hope you are healing well... you ever get my emails about teaching/adjunct?

Raider-hall - top notch work as usual! Thanks for the updates

Silentmodeler- congrats on your third place!

I will post pics of the monogram Nimitz in a couple days (or later today). A  very VERY basic kit, took me a bit to fix all the seams and gaping holes on the construction. No sense spending time scratchbuilding or fixing her up, so Im making something fun out of it.  All construction is finished, one paint layer done, need to fix couple parts and start painting/detailing the deck.  The 3 tomcats are in folded wing position, so I have to do some surgery to make them airborne.

Cheers

Here is an example of how bad the parts fit:

After fixing up the seams and bad fit:

More fixes:

The hangars have absolutely no detail and are just an empty space:

Construction finished, flight deck painted:

Some fixing of the fit between the bridge and the deck:

Flight lines painted, catapults dry-brushed and some weathering attempted. Not fully accurate, but best I can do at the moment. Many techniques tried, like using a pilot pen to draw the white lines instead of masking/painting. Definitive learning experience; much time spent fixing up errors. Looks "Ok", not good but not bad. Good training for another carrier build : )

I also painted the anti-fouling red hull, have to take some pics.

What is left is some touch-up and to build the planes. The tomcats are molded in stored mode, need to make some surgery to make the tomcat look in flight:

I hope to finish the planes today and finish the "setup". Not a good kit or a good build, but I guess its an Ok first try.

JMart

Nice job on ur carrier.  Nimitz class in Monogram kit?  mmm  I dont remember seeing one in monogram  just the battleships.  guess i must be baby when it came out LOL. Im impressive that you can fix her up nicely smiles.  it gave me some ideas to fix the parts up for the future projects. 

on ur flight deck,  the umm lines,  sorry i dont know the name of it,  how do u paint it,  do u mask it up or is there other techquine (sp) to do that?  and ur right  its def a learning experience!

JMart,

For the rough start, the finished product does not look too bad at all. As far as the e-mail, I do not recall receiving any, my work address is sehollingshead@aep.com, and I check my mail throughout the day there, so please use that for personal messaging.

silentmodeler and JMart,

I have had pretty good success using dry transfer lines for the various carrier deck markings.  The ones I typically use are made by Woodland Scenics (they specialize in railroad decals) who produce white, black, yellow, and red to the best of my recollection.  I typically lay down a solid yellow or white line (the dry transfers come in three widths on the sheet and are perfect for 1/700 scale), then use a red ink drafting pen to fill in the second color.

There are three types of lines used on modern carriers, or at least there were on the two that I served aboard.  The white lines on JMart's ship mark the landing area.  Yellow and red lines were painted around the edges of all elevators (aircraft and weapons), electrical connection boxes (they plug in the aircraft to start them up), and the launch station between catapults 1 and 2.  White and red lines marked safety areas next to the catapults (non-essential personnel stand on the far side of the line when preparing to launch).

I hope that this helps.

raider hall,

Nice work once again, please keep us posted on your progress.

Knock, knock...

Is there anybody out there?

Just checking in as the build seems to be drying up.  I have plans of starting my I-400 aircraft carrying submarine when I finish up some business travel in a couple of days.  I thought that I would see if anyone is still wrapping up a kit for this before the end arrives in November.

Hiya Scotty, well a carrier isn't a carrier without her airwing. I bought a lot of 1/350 Spads and 1/350 Crusaders as well 1/350 Skyhawks. That what take time to do. Also I had to build some hulls for friends that took time away from BigE. The ship is done needs just a good touch up.  I will try do show some photos on Monday.

Scotty

deadline is end of nov or? this nov or since it says nov 08.  let me know thanks smiles

Gentlemen,

Yes, I have set this November as THE END of this build.  You still have time to complete your entries.  I just received the USS Hornet (CV-12), and will build it next for this group.  Please keep us posted as you progress.

nice pix u got raider hall

 i have decided to do other carrier.  ill be doing the 1/800 Enterprise (65) and 1/720 Ronald Regan after i finish my other projects.  should be pently of time for me to do til end of nov. 

does anyone know the colors on the those ships from bottom hull to top hull and on flight deck/island  let me know thanks  sometimes i dont trust the painting intruction from the kit, so basically i dont know their true colors since i never see an actually carrier before.