Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

Post a reply

Confirmation code
Enter the code exactly as it appears. All letters are case insensitive.

BBCode is ON
[img] is ON
[url] is ON
Smilies are OFF

Topic review
   

Expand view Topic review: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by FFG-7 » Wed Oct 08, 2025 9:40 pm

no problem.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by Brocky » Wed Oct 08, 2025 9:29 pm

Thanks FFG-7. Good to know about the handles on the doors indicating water tight vs normal.

Thanks again.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by FFG-7 » Sun Oct 05, 2025 6:48 pm

the blue doors are watertight as you can see the handles on them that you do not see on other doors wether exterior or interior. the red items are port holes.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by Brocky » Sun Oct 05, 2025 3:55 pm

Hey guys I�ve run into another question about portholes and doors. I�m still knocking about with the hulls of the CV-5 and CV-6.

Right now I�m working on the Focsle decks. So now I am wondering if there were portholes and or passage way doors on the transverse bulkhead (wall) at the back of the Focsle deck. In the attached partial deck plan form the Yorktown�s Booklet of General Plansfrom 1940 below are the items encircled in red porthole location? And are the two items framed in blue doors and if so would they have been water tight?

I know it�s probably not going to be very visible on the completed modes, but I figure �in for a penny in for a pound� right?

Thanks.
Mark B.

Image

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by Brocky » Mon Jul 28, 2025 8:54 pm

BB62vet,

:doh_1: Well there are some days I have to wonder about myself and then other times I don't. :big_grin:

I checked and came up with 10 in, 12 in, and 16 in portholes. Who would have thought.

Thanks for the help and have a great week.

Mark B.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by BB62vet » Mon Jul 28, 2025 7:48 am

Mark B,

Glad to have been able to help! As for the hull portholes - you may want to check other WWII carrier plans for any notations of sizes - an area I'm not well versed in at all.

Hank

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by Brocky » Sun Jul 27, 2025 10:31 pm

BB62vet wrote:
"Again, you're overthinking this whole thing. Your first comment above is correct - the keels will be drawn IN not down. Here is a photo (again, a davited boat but that doesn't matter - the straps in this situation cause the same effect) which shows what we're discussing"

Thanks for the pictures and sorry for the confusion. :) I was talking about the overall effect of the moments of force exerted by the overhead davits and the tie downs on the boat. You can see why engineers make terrible system documentation writers. :big_grin:

And thanks for the porthole sizes.

Mark B.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by BB62vet » Sat Jul 26, 2025 7:44 am

Mark B wrote:
"I was wondering since the straps seem to be pulling the outsides of the boats down which would cause the keels to swing in towards the deck behind them. I thought that maybe the would be pulled to the point of making contact to the deck, but I see now that if the downward shift was small the keels would not come in contact with the deck but the tension generated on the overhead davits would keep the boats steady."

Again, you're overthinking this whole thing. Your first comment above is correct - the keels will be drawn IN not down. Here is a photo (again, a davited boat but that doesn't matter - the straps in this situation cause the same effect) which shows what we're discussing -
26' MWB on Davits_2.jpg
I don't think you have anything to worry about!!!

Re. portholes - the std. USN porthole at that time was either 10" dia. or 12" dia. There were smaller/larger ones, as well.

Hope this helps!

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by FFG-7 » Fri Jul 25, 2025 10:34 pm

do you have the Yorktown's Booklet of General Plans?
when drilling the port holes, are you drilling horizontal or perpendicular to that part of the hull?

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by Brocky » Fri Jul 25, 2025 10:20 pm

FFG-7 wrote:why would it be pulled in?
Hi FFG-7,

I was wondering since the straps seem to be pulling the outsides of the boats down which would cause the keels to swing in towards the deck behind them. I thought that maybe the would be pulled to the point of making contact to the deck, but I see now that if the downward shift was small the keels would not come in contact with the deck but the tension generated on the overhead davits would keep the boats steady.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by Brocky » Fri Jul 25, 2025 10:12 pm

Hi guys,

Another Question if I may...

I�ve been drilling out the portholes on the Revell 1/487 Yorktown kit and I was wondering what size they should be. I�ve been using a .4mm bit and while I was wearing my Opti Visor they seemed to look OK. But when I took the visor off, they seemed very small.

This has made me wonder, what was the actual porthole diameter of the many many portholes on the Yorktown?

I have also realized that there is also a larger size porthole on the bow and island superstructure area. Any idea on what size these were?

Thanks for any thoughts and suggestions.

Mark B.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by Brocky » Mon Jul 21, 2025 9:59 pm

Good Day BB62vet,

This helps a lot. I was trying to envision how these boats were secured to keep them from banging into the deck, railings or even the side of the hull in rough weather. I know even big ships can get pretty rambunctious in a strong storm. But what you say makes sense. The straps would pull down against the over head davits and keep the boats from moving side to side or up and down.

Yeah I've not had much luck finding pictures of this area either. Most of the ones I've found were taken too far away to even see the davits and or rigging.

Thanks again
Mark B.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by BB62vet » Sun Jul 20, 2025 10:22 pm

Brocky wrote:But this does raise another question in my mind, would the boats be pulled into contact with the platform deck plate by the straps?
Thanks again
Mark B.
Mark,

Refer again to Model Monkey's last photo - if you look real close at the boat's orientation, you'll see that they are slightly pulled in towards the exterior bulkhead of the ship (thus showing the edge of the port side of the boat). That's the effect of the lateral tie-downs. I don't think that the boat keel would be in contact with the deck plates. I'm certainly a novice when it comes to carriers, but small boats of that period were all stowed in similar fashion, whether from davits or overhead tackle (as in this case). I've tried to find photos of this area of WWII era carriers where the boats were stowed but without success. :huh:

Hope this helps!

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by FFG-7 » Sun Jul 20, 2025 10:20 pm

why would it be pulled in?

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by Brocky » Sun Jul 20, 2025 9:46 pm

Thanks for the pictures and verifying the use of the two tie downs BB62vet. I'm not so much worried about the block and tackles so much. They will be very small in 1/487 but your picture shows I guessed correctly about placing an engine box amidships on them.

But this does raise another question in my mind, would the boats be pulled into contact with the platform deck plate by the straps?

Thanks again
Mark B.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by BB62vet » Sun Jul 20, 2025 3:32 pm

I'm quite aware that the boats are suspended by block & tackle from the overhead I beams. I simply posted those photos to show the DETAILS OF THE BLOCK & TACKLE used in a typical 26' MWB stowage situation.
The diagonal tie-downs that are shown in Model Monkey's last photo are the usual method for securing those small boats in their stowed positions.

But of course, I could have predicted that the forum troll would have something to complain about.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by FFG-7 » Sun Jul 20, 2025 2:18 pm

BB62vet, is not using davits but block & tackle from the overhead i-beams forming the bottom of the gallery deck as those boats not the bigger ones are suspended past the ship's hull sides. could be using ropes, block & tackle or wooden boat booms to prevent the boats from swinging sideways. have a look at this picture to see what I am talking about.
Attachments
RG19_175662092_USSEnterprise_1_01 cropped.jpg

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by BB62vet » Sat Jul 19, 2025 9:25 pm

Mark,

Those small boats are probably 26' Motor Whaleboats - a typical small boat carried on almost all WWll classes of ships. Here is a detailed photos of the typ. davit block setup for those boats:
26' MWB on Davits (USS CALAMARES AF18).jpg
Here is a 26' MWB on davits with covered steel blocks as opposed to the wooden blocks that were common in WWII era:
26' Whaleboat on Davits.jpg
This photo is from the 1960s era aboard a FLETCHER class DD.

Referring back to your original drawing, I think I would go with (2) dbl wooden blocks for each davit as shown in my first photo. Steve's last photo showing the diagonal bracing is also typ. of the type of tie-downs that were common for those boats in davits.

Hope this helps,

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by Brocky » Sat Jul 19, 2025 9:13 pm

Thanks Steve.

It helps a lot. I was wondering where they would be positioned in relation to the small deck behind them. Above or below. The picture shows the tops of the boats about in the middle of the chain rails with the bottoms of the hulls just below the deck plate.

It will also give me a use for some of the PE fret frames I have been hording from other builds.

Have a great weekend,
Mark B.

Re: Calling all USS Yorktown CV-5 fans

by ModelMonkey » Fri Jul 18, 2025 9:45 pm

Hi Mark,

The photo comes from the National Archives, catalog number 80-G-63560.

The boats in the photo appear to have props but I could be wrong.

Here's another photo showing the configuration of the straps securing the boats.

Hope this helps.
Attachments
CV-5 Yorktown 1937_07_14 19-N-17193 cropped small.jpg

Top