USS Arizona Memorial - Revell, Shapeways - 1/426:1/429 scale - by SigEp Ziggy

Interesting, are those the Mk-19 platforms that you converted into 1.1" tubs? Great idea. Oh, and don't forget to lose the paravanes on the sides of the hull.

Started working on the layout, measuring and cuting out the shape for the mud line, also worked on the hull and the rear/aft deck.

Thank you for the response and the preponderance of evidence. I just checked Stillwell's book again and his art appears to support your claims. So, I stand humbly educated. Thanks again.

Brian

HooYah Deep Sea

...I'm curious as to why on the gun tubs, you went with a square base vice the round one.

Good question. There was a discussion of this feature on Modelwarships.com some years ago.  Link to discussion on page 85 on Arizona thread: http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=12942&start=1680

A high-resolution photograph of Arizona, taken in January, 1941 during a refit at Puget Sound obtained from the National Archives (NARA), confirms the bases of Arizona's aft tubs were square.  I'd post the photo here but it is over 19 MB in size. 

A lower-resolution copy of that photo exists on page 91 of the thread linked above.  Link to crop of that photo: http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/download/file.php?id=82905&mode=view

Although the bases are difficult to see at the lower resolution, the shape of the base is indicated by the geometry of the tubs' angled supports (the supports that extend from the base at an angle to the bottom edge of the tub).  A circular base supporting a circular tub has angled supports that are identical in shape.  A square base supporting a circular tub has supports that vary in shape and length depending on their position on the square (supports at the base's corners will be shorter).  The supports visible in the low-res photo vary in size and shape indicating a square base.

The square tub base visible in the Puget Sound photo matches even better high resolution photos of sistership Pennsylvania's aft square-base tubs, taken at Mare Island in early 1942, and those of Nevada. This confirms that Pennsylvania and Nevada had square-base tubs, too, of the same design.  US Navy general arrangement plans of Oklahoma indicate her tubs had square bases.  Maryland certainly had square-base tubs.  Link: http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/download/file.php?id=82904&mode=view

You can see the square base on Nevada's aft tubs very clearly in photographs on page 95 of that thread (about 2/3rds down).  Link:  http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=12942&start=1880 

Unlike Arizona, high resolution photos of Tennessee and California from NARA confirm their aft tubs had round bases and different shielding reinforcement (interior ribs).

Based on the careful analysis and comparison of the NARA photos of Arizona, Pennsylvania, Nevada and Maryland, and Navy drawings of Oklahoma, it is my opinion that kit manufacturer's generally get their Arizona kit's aft gun tub base shape wrong, if they have a base at all.  Some kits erroneously mold the tubs on the deck.

Hope this helps.

Well, that is good news, but I'm curious as to why on the gun tubs, you went with a square base vice the round one. All of the drawings I've seen of Arizona's aft tubs were on round bases. As I'm doing an 'As Sunk' version, I won't be needing the superstructure director bases. I will figure out how to build the aft director bases; should be fairly simple. Thanks for the note though, and I will be picking up a set of those gun tubs.

Great job, Ziggy!

HooYah Deep Sea

Monkey Dude, I need 1/350 scale 1.1" gun tubs (Aft, USS Arizona), I saw that you make them in 1/429; and you might want to make the gun director platform that goes with...Also, open and closed chocks and bitts and bollards for 1/350.

Good news, the 1.1 inch gun tubs are available in 1/350.  The forward 1.1 inch Mk.49 director platforms, the pair fit to the superstructure near the navigating bridge, are also available, but not the aft platforms.

Arizona products I offer are available in 1/350 scale and other popular scales, too, including 1/720, 1/700, 1/426 (1/429 true scale), 1/200, 1/192, and 1/96.  Products include three different superstructures and turret sets as-built and as sunk. Nameplates are available, also.

Chocks are not printable in 1/350 scale.  Their features are too fine to survive the printing and cleaning process.  They are available in 1/200 scale and larger.

Please poke around the catalog.

Hope this helps!

Mine's an old Banner kit, and yes I'll post the process here. I'm going to start a new thread so as not to trample your build.

Very Cool HooYah! Are you going to post your build here on finescale.com? Can't wait to see it, if you do.  Hobby Boss for the build? I see it sell for around $50. Me personally, I buy from someone in the states and pay more. I plan on using the Hobby Boss Arizona to kitbash the USS Idaho.

I have been working on my build very slowly and a fellow modeller helped me out with some photo etch to use as railing for the dock and memorial.

Hey Ziggy, Well, ya got my interest up so I decided to join you; Going to go "As Sunk, Circa 1960's" in 1/350 scale. It's been a while so we'll see how it goes.

Monkey Dude, I need 1/350 scale 1.1" gun tubs (Aft, USS Arizona), I saw that you make them in 1/429; and you might want to make the gun director platform that goes with. Actual platform was 6' in diameter and sits even with gun tub rim height, on a 2' diameter post. So, it basically looks like a flat top mushroom! They never got around to installing the railing or mini tub on top.

Also, open and closed chocks and bitts and bollards for 1/350.

Thanks for the info Steve, it would be great to build the Arizona with cage masts.

Will be working on mine as time permits. Update posts to follow.

Model Shipwrights did a model of the wreck in 2010, however, the photos are no longer supported. Too bad 

Lookin good!

Quad 1.1" gun tubs are available in 1/426 scale and so are accurate 14" triple turrets with barrels.  Not needed for this project, accurate fighting tops are available too.

Tennessee class cage masts are available in 1/350 scale.  They can't be 3D printed in smaller scales either by Shapeways or by me in gray resin with the tech either of us use.  But, as was said above, Carl Alsop at 3D Modelparts offers cage masts in 1/700 scale using an entirely different kind of tech that is better optimized for smaller objects.  He may be able to re-scale his 1/700 scale cage masts to 1/426 scale depending on how large the build platform workspace of his 3D printer is.*  If interested, recommend contacting Carl and asking him.  He is helpful and receptive.

* According to the original Revell Arizona kit design documents held by Loren Perry of Gold Medal Models, the Revell kit is actually 1/429 scale.  Loren explains that the kit's original box erroneously stated the kit as 1/426 scale, probably just a simple copy error during box art and layout creation, and the error stuck with subsequent box printings.  The difference in scale isn't much, but might affect the fit of larger aftermarket products for the kit such as 3D-printed superstructures, funnels and turrets created in CAD.  For this reason, Model Monkey designs are precisely scaled to 1/429 for best fit, but labeled 1/426 to be consistent with Revell kit packaging.

Yes Goldhammer, That's where I got the thought, I recalled that article. I too do not remember where I saw it, but it stuck in my brain. 

HooYah Deep Sea

You can make them from 3 rings and stiff piano wire. The work gets busy, but its do-able, though I probably wouldn't try on any scale smaller than 1/350.

 

Now that you say that, I can remember an article and pics in a mag years ago on doing that.

But I have more money than patience........

Raymond G

Please keep up the good work on such a worthy project. Raymond

Thank you Raymond for your words of encouragement and for showing interest in my build. I have to admit, it has been great fun so far.

Carl at 3D Models Parts does cage mast in 1700 scale so is possible for larger scale.

http://www.3dmodelparts.com/1-700-cage-masts-for-big-five-colorado-tennessee-class-battleships/

You can make them from 3 rings and stiff piano wire. The work gets busy, but its do-able, though I probably wouldn't try on any scale smaller than 1/350.

I wonder if someone at Shapeways could do cage masts in 3D.  Dstephni does some amazing 20 and 40 mm along with 4"/50 cal in 1/72 and1/144.

WAIT .  .  . do not cut away anything else until you get the package. Lots of info coming your way. Now, as for the marks you have along the starboard side of the aft deck, do not remove anything there as there is no damage or salvage cuts in that area. There is only one salvage cut aft, and that is the one for the aft aircraft crane machinery.

You can use four of the 5"/51 "turrets" to make your 1.1" gun tubs and don't forget the director platforms aft. All of the ladders going up to the fore deck level can get cut away, as well as the angled sections on both sides of the T-shaped structure. close up the holes with styrene along the T-structure, Frame 88, and the deck. You don't have to sand off the engineering soft patch as your going to cover that area with silt texture. 

depends on how much work you want to do to somewhat fix the Arizona's stern. go thru my link i posted before on my OBB kitbash thread & look at the sterns of the different models not just the Arizona as almost all the same in shape. can buildup the stern at the lip where the hull dents inward but only down to where the mudline starts, not what i have done as most of that area is buried in mud so won't see it.

HooYah Deep Sea, Model Monkey says he cannot currently make 1/429 scale cagemasts. "The masts are too fragile, too fragile even for 1/350 scale which is why I don't offer them in gray resin in any scale." Sept 17 2018

Posting some pictures. I have been working on the decks and have glued the hull together. Debaiting on if I want to fix the hull near the rudder. I have been using the drawings for detail and stencils.

The 'mesh' towers in 1/426:1/429 scale would be the most difficult part of that build. Maybe a different scale? 1/700 or 1/350, anyhow there are some available to build the Tennessee, I think.

So, off on a tangent (which I do quite often) I was thinking about this build and trying to figure out how many models would you have to build of ARIZONA to cover the significant alterations she went through, from her original build up to recent times. I came up with eight. There are eight different 'versions' possible to build, realistically speaking, between 1916 and the present. Almost sounds like a group build idea, don't it !!  

As for the detailing, you are fortunate in that you have the NPS drawings available. I did not have that luxury; my model was based on my knowledge of the ship and aerial photopraphs, mostly picture post cards (its surprising how much detail you can get from those!). As I said earlier, the big factor is knowing what deck level you are dealing with in any particular area. There is one area on the port side where there are three decks compressed into an area less than eighteen inches.

If there is anything on the lists that you need clarification on, do let me know. Since I've seen her up close and personal, I can help.

Sigep Ziggy

...

I am going to try and superdetail this project, there is a lot of photos out there, however, I will be using a yet to be determined water effect. I will model the high water mark in an effort to minimize the amount showing above the water.

....

 

Be careful if you use catalyzed resin.  The hardening process for those generates considerable heat. If you make the layers too thick the heat can melt or disfigure styrene pieces.  You have to do pours in a number of thin layers.

HooYah, thank you so much for the info and especially for the photos. It is great to see someone who worked with the same Revell kit. It will help a lot.

I am going to try and superdetail this project, there is a lot of photos out there, however, I will be using a yet to be determined water effect. I will model the high water mark in an effort to minimize the amount showing above the water.

I will not model the shuttle boat as too much work, but will include visitors to the memorial.

HooYah Deep Sea,

     Nice replica of BB39 at her final resting place.  Access cuts at the stern: Well Done. Most folks miss that.

Good job posting the Pic too.

  Nino

 P.S. If that is the Revell 1/426 kit, I have plenty of spare turrets, (I suspect we all do).  If you want one, let us know.

Please ignore the missing turret two side; I built this in the 1980's and it didnt fair well in the moves from California to Virginia and Virginia to Oregon. I repaired what I could but wasn't going to buy another model just for the turret side.