Dragon 1/350 USS Princeton wip

I'm looking forward to watching this come together. Double check the painting instructions, it sounds like there's some active debate about the various colors the ship was painted. 

also take a look at this link. http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=6011

Where is the Popcorn. Will be watching this one my Friend.....Cheers Mark

This is going to be a good one.  HURRY!!!

Three bench sessions in...many hours and many words, worthy of getting my mouth washed out with soap (ALL of the bad words!).

This is all I have to show for it...

I have heard many stories about Dragons instructions...I've even seen the issues on a few plane kits. I know planes, so it hasn't been an issue.

They had a couple of the numbers wrong on the exhaust stacks...then...they don't even bother to tell you which ones go where on the ship. A little deductive reasoning (trial-n-error/test fitting) does the trick though.

I need to use my "phone a friend" option here...

I can't seem to find anything regarding colors in the hanger deck...walls, floor, ceiling. I've wasted too much time searching my refs(nothing shown), web sites, and other people wips...and of course, Dragon instructions are of zero help in this area.

I'm kinda stuck until I get those figured out...anybody know???

The usual colors would be white bulkheads and overhead, deck painted to match Deck Stain 20-B, which is about the same as 5-N Navy Blue.

 I think in 1943 the deck was Stain 21, which is about the same as 5-O Ocean Gray. But I think she was repainted before being sunk in late 1944.

There was a great thread on the Ship Model Forum about the CVL kits.

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=46&t=6011

 There's a picture of a CVL elevator lowered. The walls of the elevator well are blue, there's a pretty wide black stripe around the tops of them.

And one additional link (New WIP)

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=166458&start=80

 Looks like this modeler is up to the hanger deck now.

 (Tracy White is one of the experts over there on Modelwarships.com and as I recall he  worked with Dragon on their 1/350th kits as technical advisor.)  He has some terrific posts with expert advice on the CVL class.

    Nino.

Thanks for the assist, guys!

Some progress!

Drilled holes in the hull and epoxied the bolts...

I thinned the support brackets for the prop shafts...

I used masking tape and "built up" some paint to simulate the hull panels...

Also did the preliminary painting. I figured it would be way easier now, than trying to do any masking with all the fiddly bits in place.

Off to a very good start my Friend. Nice and clean Paintwork as usual.....Cheers mark

Last nights progress...

It really isn't as visible as I thought it might have been...I had some black chain, but the links had a twist to them...then I remembered the gold chain I had stashed with another kit. 

The links are straight, much better! They are lacking the "bar" in the middle of each link, but looks far better than the PE chain provided.

Very good looking. Share how you masked the pattern.

Been at the bench, pretty much ALL day today.

Added and painted the slide up doors on the hanger level.

Spent the rest of the day on the main deck. Not gonna lie, this had me nervous...being my 1st go at this sort of thing.

I started by cutting off the molded on arresting cables. They're huge and really look dumb...they had to go! I can replace later, with much finer stretched sprue.

Started painting with a dark grey...

Then I mixed up a "wood" color...

Then the blue...

The kit provides decals for all the stripes...I don't think stark white stripes would have looked any kind of good...so...

I bit of dry brushing, a gloss, wash and dull coat...

I really wish the camera could pick up what the eye picks up.

I'm quite pleased with myself and think it turned out at least a little better than I had envisioned.

This last pic still doesn't do it justice, but it's as close as I could get it...

GMorrison

Very good looking. Share how you masked the pattern.

 

Masking tape!

For the curved areas, I cut thin strips of Tamiya tape, then just filled in the rest will regular (cheap) tape.

fermis

 

 

GMorrison

Very good looking. Share how you masked the pattern.

 

 

 

 

Masking tape!

For the curved areas, I cut thin strips of Tamiya tape, then just filled in the rest will regular (cheap) tape.

 

Tracy White if you are foillowing: I can't find any pictures of Princeton in 33, only 21 or 22.

I only care because I'm building one.

Wow that's looking really sharp.  Pics look great. The deck looks fantastic  

GMorrison

 Kill deer. OK the question was serious. I assume you copied the Dragon illustration. 

Apologies...I didn't know that's what you were getting at!

Yes, I did follow the instructions...with a bit of artistic license on the bow and stern. The instructions have some conflict between the side views and head on/rear views. The side views match the ref pics in the 2 books (pictured in my first post).

I believe this is the San Jacinto...pattern is the same though.

Fermis - your model looks great!

I, for myself, couldn't help but post this:

It's a paper model from "Maly Modelarz" I've built in 2006. I knew back then it was simplified, now Fermis is showing me how much...

Good luck with your build and have a nice day

Paweł

Love the weathered effect you achieved on the Flight Deck my Friend. very good and realistic.....Cheers mark

Thanks guys!

Before I proceed to the rest of the details, I wanna get the hanger deck situated.

That means...I gotta do some planes. As they are in the kit, the panel lines are pretty gross. As a test, I did a pair...I puttied the lines on the Hellcat, and just sanded down the TBF a bit.

Thoughts/opinions on the route to go are welcome!

Here they be...

I missed a little bit of filling on the Hellcats tail...oops

fermis

Thanks guys!

 

Before I proceed to the rest of the details, I wanna get the hanger deck situated.

That means...I gotta do some planes. As they are in the kit, the panel lines are pretty gross. As a test, I did a pair...I puttied the lines on the Hellcat, and just sanded down the TBF a bit.

Thoughts/opinions on the route to go are welcome!

 

Here they be...

 

 

I missed a little bit of filling on the Hellcats tail...oops

 

Those are simply gorgeous!

I agree. How do you paint those canopy frames?

Fermis; Your build is looking fantastic so far! Your question is kind of difficult... First I want to say either way would be really nice with the details you are adding putty or sanding). Part of me likes to have my eyes drawn to the finer details (like the panel scribing). On the other hand, the panel lines provided by the molding look a small bit out of scale. I kind of like either of your methods if it were me.  The real question for you is what are you after? How much of the lines will be seen if they are hanger queens? Are you going to light the hanger with LEDs? Are some going to appear folded on the deck? How to the sanded panel lines look when compared to the deck engraving? Like I said, I think both look wonderful. It is your kit... build it the way you want to, not what we say. From what I see, your skills and eye for detail will have it look like a show stopper either way you go...

Ben

Thanks for the kind words!

Still a bit "on the fence". I dig both...but leaning toward not filling the lines. At this scale, you'd not see panel lines...but like DRUMS, I kinda like to see the detail, even if it is on the heavy side.

I have no plans to light the hanger, and there really isn't much that will be visible beyond the rear elevator area.

For the canopies...I masked the whole thing with liquid mask. It sucked! I was only able to peel off maybe half of it. For the rest, I used a fine brush and thinner to clean the canopies off. I just brush painted the frames. Tedious...YES!

After some more messin around with the Hellcats...it has been decided that all planes will be just sanded, flat finished, and "spinning" props will be scratched.

Tired of dealing with the Ctas, I built up the Avengers...

Comparison of PE "prop blur" vs scratched disk...

Fermis,

As usual, your airbrush work is superb.

As to the liquid mask canopies, you seemed to have better luck than I, for the mask always seemed to overlap and I end up peeling off more paint that required and still had to touch up the canopy.

Scott

Lovely sharp work so far my Friend.....Cheers mark