1/350 USS Yorktown (CV 5) Build/WIP

Franklin 1944

Essex early war

thanks

dan

What years?

EJ

Anyone have a good source to go to for pictures or drawings of the hangar deck on the carries Essex or Franklin?  Can't seem to find visual references to those areas. Thanks

This is really looking spectacular.

I've started painting the hull and done some detail work.  With the hull painted, it looks like the sanding of the hull plates was about right.

I've had to fudge the boot top somewhat because Yorktown's was very wide.  I've started to work on the weathering and as it goes along I believe everything will balance out.  So often in my weathering of models the object is to blend colors.  This has been something new, weathering while trying to keep a sharp edge on the boot top.

The starboard side was much more weathered than the port side as can be assumed by some historic shots.

Trying to match the weathering is a challenge, and I intend to use an additional color on the underwater hull.  Looking at current color shots of ships in dry dock you can see a fair amount of yellow.  I'm not sure this is an underneath coat of primer used today or not.  I've got reference material to the WWII USN underwater hull painting procedures, so I'm thinking of checking that primer as a possible color.  I'll tone it down regardless.

This port view shows a cleaner boot top but I'm curious about a stain on the bow that you can see in this crop of the above photo.

Since there are so few photos of Yorktown during this period, it does give you some choices.

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[URL=http://s188.photobucket.com/user/CVNClicker/media/painted-island.jpg.html]

Here's a couple of the 5"/.38 guns.  The kit uses 10 parts per gun.

And here's the 1.1 gun mount on the clip shack.

Still being fun you bet!

Impressive work!

I have the lamented Tamiya 1/700 version of Yorktown, so I'll be following along to see what I can pick up from your build to improve her.

The island is looking very good!

I'm jumping ahead to do more of the island.  I've added the PE ladders, prifly and the signal flag lockers and opened up the kit's bridge windows.

I thought the bridge windows looked weird as molded, particularly since the other windows on the island are opened as shown from the Midway shot after Yorktown received her first attack.

I'll prime the island and work it in with the hull painting, etc.

Hey-

 Great!  Thanks for taking the time to post your progress.  I have started on mine as well, so I plan to follow along closely.  I have started to sand the hull, though I'm working slowly and not sure how far down I will take it.  

Thanks for the tip on the island, I'm still still researching the ship and it's nice to know about these little mods before I get to that point.  I usually find these bits after it's too late.

Thanks again,

Phil

EJ, John, Bill and Steve,

Thanks for your comments and are all welcome to sit in on the WIP.

Here's another view of the completed model from Merit's web site.  The island "void" is represented by an indentation molded into the one piece island.  I suppose it could/should have at least been painted black or dark gray in their build and not left as they did it.

Since this area aboard the ship was open, I decided to remove the indentation entirely and attaching the island's top piece, I cemented a length of stock tubing inside.

The tube represents the forward uptake and along with the visible interior will be painted dark gray. The tube follows the slant the actual uptake took.  As I discovered on my 1/700th Yorktown-class builds, once the platform and railings are added this void area becomes hard to notice.  Simply painting the original indentation would suffice, although there is no mention in the kit's instructions to do so.  Having built the other Yorktown-class kits though, and knowing what was actually there, it was an easy enough change to make.

Mike,

Hope you don't mind me pulling up a seat on your WIP. My family gave me this kit for Christmas and I have been biting at the bit to start it...... I need to finish what I have going first! Looking good so far.

Steve

Mike,

This has always been one of my favorite ships, and I am glad that there is finally a decent kit of her.  It looks like you are doing a terrific job! I will follow this thread with keen interest!

Bill

Lookin' good Mike. I think the plating detail will look fine under a coat of paint. There's no doubt that this kit is worth the trouble - and the subject certainly deserves everything the manufacturers and the modeler can do for her.

Nice start. I've only done 1/700 carriers, not done a 350 carrier yet - several in the stash - will be watching this with interest.

EJ