Dragon 1/700 USS Lexington CV16 Build Log -"COMPLETED"

Hi!

     Even though it's from a different Company and smaller scale ,It reminds me of a Lindberg kit I built years and years ago .They had a open hull and hangar like that .You weren't even given something to close up the hangar deck with .

     Luckily I was an inventive kid .I had a box from an Easter shirt My cousin gave me .It was that slick type where the cardboard was wrapped in smooth white Paper . After I succeded in making a pattern I chopped up pieces of sprue and put them in the right spots .Then I glued the deck to that !

     Viola! a Hangar Deck deck. Still have that old thing somewhere in another box of hulls . T.B. 

Neatstory TB.  I built a few of those Lindberg kits as a kid.  Remember the "TableTop Navy"?

Lindberg re-released those about a year ago, but not at the $0.99 prices I used to get them at.

Well, I have some updated photos.  Got the MK37s to look somewhat presentable.  Now onto assembling all the aircraft.  I usually paint them a primer because I REALLY HATE these clear parts. Its a real bear to find the tiny hole or slot that the landing gear fits into. Yet if I pre-paint, then the glue and paint reacts and I have a mess.  But still, nothing is more satisfying than finishing up a detailed assembly in 1/700.

TB,

I remember when the Table Top Navy was made by, first, Eagle or Eagle Wall, then Pyro.  The Eagle line was very expansive; Pyro limited their line to only a few ships.

Unfortunately for me, I do not recall any of the carriers coming with hangar decks or open roller doors.  I have them all, even the Lindberg releases.  I bought up the entire Eagle collection over the many years I have been on eBay. They might be crude by today's standards, but they inspired a very young boy to run down to the local drug store every week with his 50 cent allowance and add to his ship collection.  They cost anywhere from 38 cents to 50 cents when I was a kid!

Bill

Looking good, Scott.  I like the look of the radar!

Thanks Check,

Got all the wheels on those clear SBDs and extra Hellcats from Trumpeter.  Anyone have a better way to put these little buggars on?  In know some folks like the idea of molding these in clear for the canopy, but really, in 1/700, whose going to notice a clear canopy?  Needed the Optivisor and a lot of concentration of not squeezing the tweezer too hard to have the little landing gear go shooting off into space.  I have about three planes that are going to be wheelless and probably stored hanging off the roof of the hangar deck, never to be seen.  

The folded wings on the Dragon planes went on well.  Dragon also had molded both landing gear into one piece that made it a lot easier to install.  Dragon molded the tail wheel right into the fuselage where as Trumpeter adds to the insane fun of trying to glue an very oversized, clear, tailwheel onto the area the size of a flea.  I thought I had learned my lesson about Trumpter 1/700 aircraft from building the Enterprise and CV2 Lexington, but they do look really good when complete.

Next up is finishing details on the hull, applying PE on the hull and island, and then deciding how I am going to paint the tri-color scheme on the planes.  I done it in 1/32, 1/48, 1/72, and even 1/144, but never in 1/700.

Scott

Tell us where to send the flowers. I use a brush. Not great results, but it's hard unless you are Fermis. I use a black 0.5 ink pen for the canopies.

No flowers, maybe chocolates

I am wanting to channel my inner Fermis and airbrush the planes.  First coat is easy, the last one is what I need to build confidence, and a steady hand for.

Ink pen works good.

Scott

scottrc

Also base coated the flightdeck with Mahogany.

For what it's worth, US Flight decks were made of douglas fir with the exception of the plank right before each tie-down strips, which was teak. Mahogany was a stain used until 1941 and then discontinued.

Probably decent for a wood tone underneath flight deck stain for weathering, but not accurate for war time or post-war renditions of the Essex class.

Hi Tracy,

Its a base coat.  I just applied the layer of blue stain last night.  There is a lot of work to do with washes, light sanding, and then some pastels before this will look like a flight deck.  

Test fitting.  

Next, start applying PE and other details, then more painting.  

First coat of paint on the planes last night.

And some more work on the island.

Hi Nino,

Nice blast from the past kit, I also built this kit back in grade school. I think it was the Essex andit did not turn out a good as yours. Thanks for looking in on my build.  I hope to have more done in the coming week.

I have three SBDs with no landing gear, so these may get stored overhead since I will have no further use for them.  Thing is, the hangar will be closed up so it will be next to impossible to see them, even with all the doors rolled up. 

Scott

Nice progress, Scott.  Looking better every time you post.

As for 1/700 planes, they can be a pain with all the little (and oversize) parts.

For a tri-color paint scheme, I used poster tack years ago, then airbrushed, since I don't have much success with brushes.

Here are some in-progress photos I took back then.

I painted the white underside, then stuck the plane in the tack and painted the lighter blue.

Then I covered that up with the tack, and painted the darker blue.

They didn't come out too badl

However you manage to do it, I'm sure that your little planes will come out fine.

Super idea Check, they came out great. 

Check, your work in 1/700 has inspired me in the past.  Thanks for showing me your tri colored planes, now I don't feel so overwelmed.  

I am using the tacky tac and modeling clay to hold all these little parts.  It works well on all those machine gun assemblies.  The clay is soft for holding fragile brass assemblies and the clay cleans off easily with a soft brush and solvent. 

I'll try it as a mask. 

Hi Steve, great that you stopped by.  

Thanks, Scott and Steve.  

What kind of solvent do you have to use with clay, Scott?  Might that not damage paintwork?  

I'm popping in for an update, which is that there is no work being done at my bench.  All the rain we got here in KS caused some minor flooding in the basement, which in turn is allowing a bumper crop of mold to form, even with fans and dehumidifyers  So I'm in the process of cleaning, sealing, and repainting the workshop.  Hope to resume work on the Lex soon.

Scott

Well, still getting flood warnings, but the workbench area has been cleaned up and I am back to work on the Lex.

bunch of PE added over the weekend and now everything is masked up and ready to shoot the dark blue for the 5N.

Sorry to hear about the basement flooding, Scott.  Seems there's lots of rain all over, but it doesn't "float yer boat" when it's inside the house.

My wife and I went to North Carolina to visit our oldest daughter; toured USS North Carolina in Wilmington.  Rained a lot down there, too.

Lex is looking terrific!  Excellent work.  What is that device you're using to measure for the PE?  Looks pretty handy.

Calipers, they are a must for measuring and cutting railings.  

Very nice work so far on the Lady. Look forward to seeing some more of your build.....Cheers mark

Back to building for the time being and got the 5N blue on all the vertical surfaces.  There is a lot of BLUE!  Even in 1/700.   This ship lived up to its nickname.  

Almost 30 days have gone by and nothing to report on this build.

Here is why:

My Mother in Law got diagnosed with very invasive cancer at the begining of July and I had to make several trips to Dallas to be with her.  She is now doing much better with Chemo.

Then, at the same time, I started getting an adomoninal sickness around the 4th of July that got worse every week.  Many tests, including CT and MRI, and inspections of places I do not want to mention, found I had clogged bile ducts from residue left from my old Gall Bladder that was removed some yeears back.  So, I got to get my upper digestive system scoped and all this gunk, including a 1cm stone, sucked out.  A week after the procedure and I feel 100% better than I had over the past 10 years.  All my labs this week show I am healthy again.

And to top it off, the old model shop in the basement got soaked again, this time from the hot water tank blowing the water drain faucet out and 50 gallons of hot water spraying all over the basement.  

After a new hot water tank installation, which I did the day after my endoscopic operation, and a complete cleaning of the basement, I should be ready to start back on the Lexington, right?

Wrong, this past week, the weather has brought storm after storm which has caused a limb to knock out my power for a day, which knocked out my pumps, which until I got the generator on line caused 2" of water to form in the basement.

So, back to cleaning the model room and getting it to dry out, then back to work on the Lexington.

My wife did promise me I could have the bedroom upstairs to model in when the kid is done with college.

I promise, this model is going to get done!

Scott

Just one thing after another......at least you and the family are back on the mend.

The weather gods seem to know you are building a floaty thing and are making sure you have the "big pond" to sail in.

I thought the same thing Goldhammer, that maybe I should make it a full hull and then let it float around on the floor.

I got my workbench ready last night and started working on the Lex again this morning doing touch ups and test fitting the deck. 

I cannot wait to start adding decals, weathering the deck and other features to add some color and contrast to all this blue.  

Good to see everything is OK now and you are back at it. She is looking mighty fine so far.....Cheers mark

Thanks Mark,

Everything is going good.  I spent time this morning putting on the many small details on the Island.  I am not pleased with how thick the dark blue sprayed on in some places and dry in others, but its fixable.  The photos help me see the areas that need worked on. I also sprayed a coat of Future on the flight deck and will start applying the markings.  

I have the deck marked and many of the guns installed.  Here is a few shots of a test fit.  Nothing is glued down. I will be out of the shop for the next ten days so no more work on this model during that time.  When I get back, the plan is weather and then apply a coat of dull finish to the deck and attach it to the hull.