USS Ronald Reagan, CVN-76 in 1:350 scale from Trumpter Kit #5605, USS Nimitz OOB Review and Build

My USS Ronald Reagan youtube video has really gotten a lot of looks...almost 23,000   now.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESlQidhdXT0

Also for those interested, I did a similar (though it was much more involved) conversion of the Nimitz modle into the 3rd Ford Class, USS Enterprise, CVN-80 here:

CVN-80 - http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/177251.aspx

Thought you and others might like this youtube video I made of the Reagan model:

USS Ronald Reagan in 1/350 scale: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESlQidhdXT0

warshipguy

Jeff,

You are in my prayers!  I wish you a long and comfortable life going forward, and I hope that you do see the release of the Ford class CVN in 1/350 plastic.  God Bless you!

Bill

I just finished my 3rd vessel in my World War II Doolittle Tokyo Raid grouping, the USS Vincennes, CA-44.

Here it is on FS:

http://cs.finescale.com/fsm/modeling_subjects/f/7/t/174798.aspx

That makes the USS Hornet, CV-8, the USS Grayson, DD-435, and the USS Vincennes, CA-44 I have completed.  My next project will be numner four, USS Enterrise, CV-6.  I am looking forward to that build and have held it back for some time.  The most decorated US Naval vessel in History.

Again, thank you for your prayers and I do pray God in Heaven returns the blessings to you and yours many times over.

Jeff,

You are in my prayers!  I wish you a long and comfortable life going forward, and I hope that you do see the release of the Ford class CVN in 1/350 plastic.  God Bless you!

Bill

raider-hall

Jeff, that is a nice build. Wish you with prayers that you beat your cancer. That hangar deck looks better than mine!

 

We have been fighting it for over eight years and they have me listed as "terminal" now with it sreading into my liver.

I have decided not to do all the special treatments, the clinical trials adm what not.  I am leaving it in God's Hands now and trying to enjoy as much good time with the wife, kids, and grandkids as possible.

Over the last three months the ones in the ital organs have not "taken off" like they thought they would, so I am thanking God and enjoying the time I have.

It's in His hands and I thank you for the prayers....and wish God t return them to you and yours ten times over too.

God's speed...and in the mean time, maybe I can get a few more builds in.

I am finishing up on the USS Vincennes, CG-44 from world War II as a part of my Hornet-Enterprise group from the Tokyo raid.  After this cruiser, I will have the Hornet, on Gelaves class DD and this cruiser.  Then I will build the old battle horse, CV-6, the USS Enterprise as she looked in 1942 wescorting the Hornet and Doolittle.

The GElaves DD and the enterprise survuded the war.  The Hronet and the Vincennes were both sunk before the end of 1942.  The Vincennes at the 1st battle of Savo Islnd, the Hornet at the BAttle of Santa Cruz Island.

God bless and rest all those brave men and that entire generation (inluding my father who was a World War II naval combat officer in the PTO commanding an LCI wih the Dougla MacArthur group.

If it goes that way...I may be thanking them all personally when the Lord calls in the not too distant future...if that is the way He wills it.

Since I have created this Reagan with its modern (soon to be implemented) airwing by including the F-35Cs and the COD V-22s, I am thinking about creating a few of the prposed ASW V-22s (which the US Navy needs in order to replace the too soon retired S-3s for long range ASW patrols and interdiction), and maybe the AEW version of the V-22 as well.

Those would never replace the E-2Ds, but they would compliment them ncely, and most importantly, would look VERY good along with the ASW V-22 on the Wasp and America class LHDs when operating in the Sea Control role.

In fact, I am thinking about building another Wasp class, but refit it to be the LHA AMerica and have it operating in the Sea control role with 16 F-35Bs, and four each of the V-22 AEW and V-22 ASW aircraft.

That would be a nice build!

What do you guys think?

Here's a 1/72 scale model of the ASW Osprey I built:

...and here is an artist depiction of the AEW V-22:

Coming right at you:

I just can't get enough of this model.

Tanker - Builder

Jeff ;

 I can't say enough about your build . It is nothing short of awesome . I have been working on the Franklin for two years , Off and On . I just like the older " bird farms ".

 On your health , You are included in all my prayer circles , they brought me through an almost fatal heart situation . Hang in there guy and God Bless . Tanker Builder

As to my health...I have had the disease now for eight years and the Drs at MD Anderson already worked miracles for me.

It's come back all over now, including my liver.  I have left it in GO's hands and am okay with that.  My wife and I and my kids (all adults now) and even the older grandkids have all discussed it.

If God in Heaven want me to stay around, He can make that happen.  At the same time, when He wants you home, your coming home.

I do not fear that...I know my parents, two of my brothers, and a whole lot of friends are waiting there and we will be beyond the sickness and sadness of this earth with our Savior.  I'm okay with that.

At the same time, I go about my days trying to do good and help others...and spending time with family, and also working on models when I have the time.

This whole thing has given me SO MANY opportunities to witness to others about God in Heaven and His Son, our Savior.  The experience has been difficult, painful and hard...but it has also been uplifting and His Hand is in it.

Anyhow, thank you, and God bless you for the prayers.  I pray that He will return the blessing on you and yours ten times over.

God's speed!

...PS:

as to the build, I really like this pic...it shows off the hangar and when you look at it full res...by golly if it doesn't look pretty good.

Jeff ;

 I can,t say enough about your build . It is nothing short of awesome . I have been working on the Franklin for two years , Off and On . I just like the older " bird farms ".

 On your health , You are included in all my prayer circles , they brought me through an almost fatal heart situation . Hang in there guy and God Bless . Tanker Builder

Jeff, that is a nice build. Wish you with prayers that you beat your cancer. That hangar deck looks better than mine!

jeaton01

Impressive, Jeff, great display.

Thanks for the time reading it and commenting on it.

It was one of the most enjoyable builds I have done.  

Probably the USS Iwo Jima, LHD-7, by Gallery in 1/350 scale, the USS Enterprise, CVN-65 by Tamiya in 1/350 scale, and the B-36 by Monogram in 1/72 scale were close to being as enjoyable...but I think I actually enjoyed this one more.

Impressive, Jeff, great display.

scottrc

Wow Jeff, that was some undertaking you did.  You have a lot of details and action going on.  Nice representation of the battle group.

Scott

I decided to put a 2020s air wing on the Reagan.

I am REALLY excited one day to get a Ford Class carrier in 1/350.  That will be another big project for me when it comes out some day.

Also the Royal Navy Queen Elizabeth class in 1/350th.

As it is...I just got a German Type 125 Class frigate, the Baden-Wuerttemburg.  It's a 3D print by a company called Dutch 3D Naval Miniatures.  They did a great job.  It is like an almost complete resin hull, but made of different material.  I will paint it and add all the details (a lot of sensors, weaponry, railing, helos, etc.).

I'd rather get a kit...but there simply is not one out there and this outfit puts out quite a few vessels no one else makes.

 Like the new Hobarts, or the Legnend Class USCG National Defense Cutter, the upgraded Anzac class, the new Russian Admiral Gorshkov frigates, the US Navy Cyclone class patrol boats, the US Navy Avenger class mine vessels, etc.

Anyhow, thanks for the kind words and thanks for taking a look at my thread!

Here's how that 3D printed model of the F125 came to me:

Wow Jeff, that was some undertaking you did.  You have a lot of details and action going on.  Nice representation of the battle group.

Scott

I added some more aircraft to my Reagan. More F-35Cs.

One is shown taking off from the port bow cat, right at the end of the deck with its front gear already in the air.

Also added a few more. I have 15 F-35Cs on deck with two groups, one group fully stealth with eveything in the bays for a SEAD mission, the other grup fully loaded up with guided munitons on the wings to come in on the heals of the SEAD attack and hit major positions.

That makes a total of 30 aircraft on deck and 12 in the hangar.

My F-35C count is now fourteen on deck and two in the hangar...sixteen all together.  

As stated above, I am showing several launching in full stealth, with all the weapons buttoned up in the bays for SEAD missions, and six of them loaded up completely with PGMs on the wing pylons to come in after the SEAD missions and really rock and roll.

With technology like the 3D Printing that people are getting into, with companies like ShapeWay, I believe it is really going to make a difference in the modeling world.

I know they helped out a lot with this model...and as I look into what is out there...it seems like they will be able to print amost anythign they can get decent prints of, or even a decent mode that they can spec out.

Its going to let a LOT of new parts and pieces...and even entire vessels be added to the hobby.

Well, I have to say I am happy with the way the hangar ligting turned out. I was looking at it this evening with the light a little dim and took these pics:

Pretty nice.

I have to say that the Veteran 1/350 scale US Aircraft carrier personnel turned out better than I thought. far better than the older photo etch figues. These give you a 3D perspective on the individuals.

These two pics say it best perhaps on the Reagan I just completed:

The Build - Bulbous Bow, Air Wing, Life Buoys, Personnel, Completion, CSG - February 18, 2017

I began this session by scratch building the bulbous bow on he front end of the Ronald Reagan. The Reagan is the first Nimitz class to receive this addition, which helps with stability and maneuverability, particularly at high speed. I found a 1/72 scale fuel tank that had the proper width and then worked on its shape and then cut off the appropriate section of the bow from the Trumpeter Nimitz model and added this to it, painted it, and then it was done.

T hen built, painted, and addded the decals and tuch up to the air wing on the carrier. This took quite a bit of time. I had already added 12 aircraft to the hanar deck. I decided to add 28 aircraft to the flight deck. They included:

12 x F-35C Joint Strike Fighters
04 x F/A-18F Super Hronets Strike Fighters
02 x FA/18E Super Hornet Fighters
04 x EA-18G Growler Electronic Warfare aicraft
03 x E-2C Hawkeye AEW aircraft
02 x CVM-22 COD Osprey aircaft
01 x MH-60R SAR/ASW Black HawkHelicopter

This makes a total of forty aircraft on the model. Typical peacetime air wings consist of more than this, usually close to 60 aircraft. In war time, with a full load, the Nimitz class carriers can carry 90 aircraft.

I used Orange Hobby resin kits for the F-35Cs along with several Skyway 3D models. I used Trumpeter 1/350 scale models for all of the other kits except the COD Ospreys, which were made from Gallery Models, US Marine aircraft kit in 1/350 scale.

These took some time. For example, each Hawkeye consisted of 28 pieces itself. All of these are small kits. Then adding the painting, some of which consisted of paint schemes from actual US Navy squadrons for the Hawkeyes, the Super Hornets, the the Grim Reapers for the Super Hornets, and the Growlers.

Here's how that turned out being built:

Then it was time to complete building the deck equipment. This included the newer tugs for the F-35Cs, the older tugs, Fire equipment, cranes, electrical servicing carts, etc.

There is a LOT oe equipment on the deck of a US Navy super carrier when it is conducting high tempo operations...and the deck is a finely tuned, orchestrated busy...and dangerous...place.

I also built some crates and packed equipment for the fork lifts to be moving around on the deck.

Here's three pics to show how that went:

At this point I decided to arrange and glue all of the aircraft and equipment in place on the deck.

I decided to depict a large launch operation, using the two bow cats and one of the waste cats to launch F-35s, F/A-18s, and a Hawkeye.

I then spotted aircraft around deck in position to be towed to their launch positions when the time came.

Here's how that looked with numerous pictures:

I then added life buoys around the vessel, from the stern to the various areas along the vessel where they might be located to toss to anyone who fell overboard, or whom the vessel may come to on its way...though if someone needed SAR, the helos and Opsreys could take care of that at any distance from the ship.

A couple of more of the carrier, the last with all of the aircraft spotted:

At this point it was time to add US Navy personnel on the fight deck, along the catwalk all around the flight deck, on the stern, and on the island.

I had already added personnel inside the island, and in the hangar deck. I had a total of 17 inside the island, and 24 in the hangar.

Now it was time to add more. The distinctive colored shirts for armament, fuel, electronics, and deck maneuvering for the aircraft, and then numerous personnel in thei US Navy whites, working around the carrier..

I used Veteran Models 1/350 scale US Aircraft carrier personnel...and they were very reasonable for purchasing the pre-painted personnel, so I bought those. They are very tiny and they certainly have the equipment to mass produce them in a very decent paint scheme which I would not have been able to duplicate.

Altogether on the flight deck, outside the island, on the stern and around the catwalk and various auxiliary decks I added another 91 personnel. Which means I have 132 personnel around the carrier. This of course is a very small number as over 5,000 personnel man these carriers.

Here are a bunch of pictures showing the personnel:

At this point the ship was essentially completed. Much earlier than expected...but I gauged my work on doing the work only in the evenings after work. Now that I have retired, I found myself working on the carrier many more hours each day...probably three times as much each day...just couldn't tear myself away.

Here are pictures of the whole thing on the work table after adding the touch up and the dull coat paint:

Now it was time for the final layout pictures on or kitchen island, where I take the final pictures of most of my models:

Very, very nice indeed! ...and here are some close ups, along with looks into the hangar:

And finally, I thought I would show the Reagan with its full Carrier Strike Group. This includes 1/350 scale models of:

1 x CVN-76, USS Ronald Reagan, Nimitz Class Nuclear Powered Super carrier
1 x CG-53 USS Mobile Bay, AEGIS Ticonderoga Class cruiser
1 x DDG-82, USS Lassen, AEGIS Flight IIA Burke class destroyer
1 x DDG-68, USS The Sullivans, AEGIS Flight I Burke Class destroyer, 1 x LCS-1, USS Freedom, Freedom Class Littoral Combat Ship
1 x SSN-775, USS Texas, Virginia Class nuclear powered attack submarine

This is the heart and soul of US Naval power on the high seas. These carriers, along with their strike groups represent the most powerful surface groups of ships on earth, particularly when protected as they are. This is a peace time grouping, in war time you would probably add another Frigate or LCS, another cruiser and another attack submarine.

This was a very enjoyable build.

Probably my most enjoyable to date (though I have to say that the USS Iwo Jim in 1/350 by Gallery models comes in a close second, and the Tamiya USS Enterprise, CVN-65, I built, a close 3rd behind it.

Given the work to convert the 1970s era Nimitz and namesake of the class, to the 2000s USS Ronald Reagn, CVN-76, which is the next to last Nimitz class and represents a lot of development work over an almost 30 year period.

Further development has gone into the Ford Class, the first of which is supposed to conduct her intial sea trials, next month, in March 2017. With her new electromagnetic catapults and arrestor system, her new all electric drive, her awesome, and very powerful new reactors, each 200% more powerful than those on the Nimitz class, and her new air-wing, which will include the 5th generation F-35 stealth Joint strike gihters and the new COD Osprey aircraft I have shown here (because the Nimitz class will also receive them) as well as new UAVs...not to mention the likelihood, with all of that electrical power available on the Forc class of her class embarking ultimately with laser and rail gun weapons for self defense...they will be the new pinnacle of naval power.

As soon as a 1/350 scale Ford class is available...she will be added to my collection as the USS Enterprise, CVN-80, which is scheduled to be built in the early 2020s.

Thanks for reading...I hope you enjoyed my build of this marvelous carrier..

SCHEDULE for Future Activities - February 18, 2017

1. By April 28, 2017 Complete the German Class F122 Frigate, F212, Karlsruhe by Revell
2. By June 31st, 2017 Complete the 1/350 scale WW II Doolittle Raid strike group with the Gallery Hornet CV-8, the Merit International Enterprise CV-6, two destroyers (one a Dragon and the other by Trumpeter) and a Trumpeter cruiser.

@uspsjuan

Here is the build I was talking abut on the other thread

Just for the heck of it I thought I would place my USS Enterprise, CVN-65, next to my current state of my USS Rnald Reagan, CVN-76.  Of course once the air wing and all the equiment is on there the Reagan will look better...but they look pretty good next to each other as it is:

Nice models.

When I am done, I will creat the entire Carrier Strike Group with both of them, a couple of Burke Flight IIAs, a Ticonderoga, a coupld of Freedom class LCS< and a Virginia class SSN and get some pics of all of that together in 1/350 scale.

The Build - Flight Deck Decals/Painting, Munition Offload, Lighting in Stand, Trap Wires, additional details - February 10, 2017

I started this session off wanting to put the flight decals on. These decals really make the model.

But alas, the decals were so old, that they literally came apart when the got soaked in the water. I wrote Trumpeters distributor here in the US, Stephens International, and Trumpeter. But they wanted a receipt and since this was a Christmas present I did not have one and it had not been kept. So they would not help me.

So, I decided I had to paint it myself, and ely on the other decals I had.

Too bad really. Tamiya, when I wrote them and asked for an enitre part that was missing from a box, they sent me that part no questions asked. It was on my USS New Jersey BB build...and I thanked them and mentioned it in the thread.

You can see below how bad it was.

So, I had to paint the entire landing deck markings.

Once I got those done, I decied to place the hot/bad munition off-load stations around the flight deck. The White ensign Model PE set has a nice photo etch set of pieces for the one near the island. So I put those on and then added similar scratch builds at the other places, and then put the offload decals on:

At this point, I used the deacl sheets I had from Gold Medal Model for Nimitz carriers. I also found a few smaller adecals suppiled with the model that worked. and then decaled the entre flight deck, adding the elevator markings, the electrical outlet opening, the arms elevators markings, the ship's name, the pennent number, etc.

More detailed markings:

Now more details. In particular the Mk-38 Mod 2 25mm guns and the fifty cal machine guns around the vessel.

Here are the 25mm cannons:

Then it was time to add the trap wires. I took some vey light guage wire, inserted them into the holes in the deck for the trap wires, and then straightened them with wire tools, bent them and inserted them into the other hole and then added glue to each hole. Worked out very nicely. Here's the fifty cal machine guns, the ship's name, and then the trap wires:

And that about does it for the ship itself. Here's some nice pics of her:

...and I like this one closing off this session (and essentially closing out the model itself without the airwing on the flight deck:

Now I will start building the air wing for the vessel, along with more tugs and cranes.

Here's the entire write up for building the Ronald Reagan Island for the Trumpeter kit:

The Build - Building the Ronald Reagan Island - February 5, 2017

So, I started out by building the various levels of the Island, and adding some internal structure, tables/counters etc. and personnel within each level.

Once all of those levels were completed, I then began building the various structures for the Ronald Regan island, where they did away with the large mast behind the island and added that directly to the island. At this stage I also added the various masts, antennae, sensors, etc. for the island istelf. 249-255

Then it was time to dry fit what I had to the model to see how she was looking...and she was looking fine. 256-258

I then added the decals for the Reagan, which are a little different. Each Nimitz has some unique schemes for the Jet Blast Warnings, and the location of the pennants, etc. I also finished adding some more details to complete the island, showing her stand alone and then dry fitted to the deck. 259-266

The some more of the completed lisland dry fitted to theentire vessel:

...and one last one:

Looking very nice now.

In my next session I intend to do the decals for the flight deck. This will take a lot of time because there are a lot of them, many moe than what come with the Nimitz kit...but that is what those Gold Medal model decals sets are for. The deck decals will really get this thing looking like the USS Ronald Reagan!

'll do the write up for it tomorrow or Monday...but the Island is complete except for putting some personnel on the catwalks outside. (I have people in the various levels inside).

Looking good:

After I write up doing the island...I will add the decals to the deck. Then I will build the big honkin air wing.

Stpete01, here's the thread for my USS Ronald Reagan.

The Build - Weapons, Completing Flight Deck Details, Struts, Propos, Rudders, railing, Stern Structure, Safety Netting, completion of flight deck - January 31, 2017

Lots of work in this session. A lot of the details where I placed new sponsons or new structure comes from either after market parts (many from the BaconFist site on the Shapeways 3D outlet), scratch build, and some spare parts.

I started by building the weapons systems. Started with the old Sea Sparrow Launchers included with the kit, the Phalanx and the RAM Launchers on their sponsons.

Later scratch built the newer Mk-29 ESSM Launchers.

I then added a lot of detail to the flight deck including large radar dome, the landing radar tower, and other sensors and details:

I then added the struts, propos and rudders to the under side of thw vessel:

At this pint I built the elevators and painted them completely and then added the Photo Etch safety netting to each.

Once this was complete there was a lot more detail to add around the flight deck. This included hoses, fire hoses, the life many boats/rafts, photo etch railings, and the scratch built Mk-29 launchers:

Each of the Nimitz class has a large structure on the stern...not included with the model, and added to all of them.

I scratch built this structure and added it to the vessel:

I then added more details, including a large comm and lighting tower forward on the starboard side, the jet blast deflectors, the landing lighting system, and other details.

I then added auxillary deck railing along the port and starboar sides, using the Gold Medal Photo Etch kit (as I have been using fr most of the photo etching:

Then it was more details with more safety netting around the flight deck in particular:

And here is how she looks now with the flight deck pretty much completed and all of the details and newer structure added:

The next session willl be the large task of building and modifying the island.

Wolfman_63

Gold Medal Models no longer makes the decals and per an email from them they have no plans to reprint or reissue them. Boatswain plans on reissuing their set this summer and Star Fighter decals are working on their set and hoping to have them ready by early summer. I have been checking Ebay weekly since thanksgiving and have not seen a GMM or Boatswain set listed yet.

 

I was unaware that GMM was no making them any more.

I had a couple fo sets and will be using one of them for the Reagan.

I think Boatswain plans on a re-issue this summer.

Gold Medal Models no longer makes the decals and per an email from them they have no plans to reprint or reissue them. Boatswain plans on reissuing their set this summer and Star Fighter decals are working on their set and hoping to have them ready by early summer. I have been checking Ebay weekly since thanksgiving and have not seen a GMM or Boatswain set listed yet.