Lindberg Graf Zeppelin Carrier

It's still up at Lindberg's (Lloyd's) website:

http://www.lindberg-models.com/water_model70819.html

I haven't seen it in my local Hobbytown, but then again, I haven't looked for it.

I already have two copies of the old Revell kit in my stash, for a what-if build, and the Lindberg kit's scale is a little more than I can afford, display-space-wise, but I would be curious to see what kind of detail it has.  If the photo on their website is of the finished model, it looks like her bow is too short.  Her flight deck didn't extend that far forward (check some of the links listed earlier in this thread.  You can find period photos of her with her flight deck structure installed, just not with the finished decking applied) and it definitely didn't extend as far as it appears to on that model.  It's hard to tell, though, from that pic.

Regards,

Brad

The Italians were also working on their own carrier, the Aquila (Eagle) built upon the hull of the transatlantic liner SS Roma. Here's a picture of her at the time of armistice.

Like the Graf Zeppelin it is hardly a paper project. Didn't the Russians try to finish her after the war? The Aquila would be an interesting project as well.

Mike T.

Thanks Bondoman, but don't they produce solid wood finished models on basically a contract basis? I was more interested in a kit product.

Mike T.

I know, I just thought it was cool. I think it would be a great project though. Maybe after my CVE is further along. This would be a really big ship, and Falco's at 1/350 might be a little hard to find.

But not to 'jack the thread. I didn't think the Graf model ever saw the light of day, and if it did, based on the pilot photos, I certainly would not buy it.

Jets on the Graf would be a no-go in 1946. Anything with 15- 25 hour engine life and 30 minute flight duration isn't going to be very useful

There's a good question- what was the first tricycle geared a/c to see regular carrier service, and B-25s don't count!!

That's true, and the Aquila was even launched in 1943, but with a armistice and not wanting the vessel to fall into German hands it was damaged by the Italians so that it couldn't be used. As well as being a target for Allied bombing at its pier in Genoa. I would imagine if an attempt was made to sail her south to the Allies, she would have been attacked mercilessly like the other Italian fleet elements. The Italians were going to use versions of the Re-2000 and Re-2001 series for the Aquila.

The Graf Zeppelin is an interesting project  and one wonders if the German industrial production wasn't changed to a full wartime economy until 1942 (consumer goods were being produced on a peacetime economy structure) what could have been done. More resources would have been available to projects like this. The Bf-109T, Fi-156 Storch and Ju-87 had versions ready for carrier use. Speer had also said that not using the women workers as was done in the US limited production as well as quality of what was produced.

Early jets had a second problem, it was the length of runway needed. Their engines needed to be slowly built up in revolutions to gain speed. Pushing the engines would cause them to explode in flame, one of the reasons that they were very vulnerable in both takeoff and landings. (anyone who has played IL-2 Forgotten Battles would have experience this with taking off a Me-262, that video game models that problem well.)

Mike T.

I would say the Lindberg model definitely was released.

If you could follow this Link to eBay you will find one for sale. Took me awhile to find it again but the listing shows 7 sold, the last being in April this year.

The Lindberg model will not be the best, nor the most accurate. It is however, the only large scale model of the Graf Zeppelin. I am not really interested if a model is 100% accurate, and since the better detailed companies can not do it I doubt if Lindberg will. My interest is learning about the subject and having fun building and painting.

I believe the initial photos were of a prototype and as such probably not as good as the production item. Fingers crossed.

Since it is out there and has been for some time and some have obviously made its way into the hands of modellers I find it odd there is not much information about it on the web.

The price, is obviously quite scary and I wouldn't pay that for it, but in time it will come down to a reasonable level. Especially considering the increased item cost and space they take up.

Some pics of the ship in question can be found below:

Graf 1

Graf 2

It isn't the same model, unless the one on the Lindberg website is not the kit. besides the length of the flight deck, there's also numerous other differences- hull openings along the lower deck, radar arrangements and locations of the guns.

I also wouldn't buy the model shown on the Lindberg site because the proportions seem wrong. That ebay one is pretty though. And, I don't much care for the old Lindberg kits either.

I'm standing behind my assertion it was never released. I'd like to be proven wrong, it'd just take an example of the kit. But there's no mention of any on Ship model Forum or the other sites I visit.

With the restructuring of Lindberg, I wouldn't be surprised if this model was cancelled.  I haven't seen any build-ups of their I-20 either.  Wasn't it supposed to be further along than the Graf?

http://cgi.ebay.com/REVELL-1-720-GERMAN-AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-GRAF-ZEPPELIN-/370340116324?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5639fdb764

            More photos if that helps.

        Montani semper liberi !      Happy modeling to all and every one of you.

                         Crackers                    

Big Jake

http://cgi.ebay.com/REVELL-1-720-GERMAN-AIRCRAFT-CARRIER-GRAF-ZEPPELIN-/370340116324?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item5639fdb764

 

Thanks, Jake, right, that's the old and still in production Revell kit, though.

This is a good opportunity to throw in a tip about buying kits on the secondary market--since this kit is still in production and available through retail sales, I wouldn't bid, if I were interested, unless I could win it at a final price plus shipping that was significantly less than the current retail price.

Best regards,

Brad

bondoman

 

There's a good question- what was the first tricycle geared a/c to see regular carrier service, and B-25s don't count!!

 

Well, the first tricycle landing gear equipped A/C to operate (but not regularly) was a Northrop BT-1. I would guess that the first regularly operated one might be the Grumman F7F Tigercat, but that is only a guess.

subfixer

 

bondoman:

 

 

There's a good question- what was the first tricycle geared a/c to see regular carrier service, and B-25s don't count!!

 

 

 

Well, the first tricycle landing gear equipped A/C to operate (but not regularly) was a Northrop BT-1. I would guess that the first regularly operated one might be the Grumman F7F Tigercat, but that is only a guess.

I'm thinking F7F too. I read that when they were first deployed, special arrestor cable setups had to be designed so they didn't do a front face plant. Makes me think they were "first".