The Ship Model Forum

by **Dick J** » Fri Apr 10, 2026 1:31 pm

In addition to her other unique features, CA-37 had a unique arrangement for the intake vents aft of the second stack. She had 2 square vents rising vertically out of the deck and curving aft. The trash burner and movie projection booth were between the vents. Steve Wiper's New Orleans class cruisers book has better photos, but here is one from online. https://www.navsource.net/archives/04/037/0403710.jpg

by **blackhawk135** » Fri Apr 10, 2026 12:55 pm

Thanks to this helpful thread, I am able to try to build the Trumpeter Tuscaloosa kit into a 1944 Tuscaloosa. Still ongoing and I know there are mistakes but I will try my best. Seems that no 1944 Tus finished model around due to the lack of clear photos.

by **TZoli** » Thu Dec 18, 2025 1:41 pm

Timmy C wrote: Thu Dec 18, 2025 11:31 am
TZoli wrote: Thu Dec 18, 2025 3:30 am Does anybody have photos or info on the New Orleans class Aircraft handling space between the Catapults? Were the aircrafts towed out using a wheeled trolley? or some wheels applied to the floats of the planes? I presume the USN did not used rail systems for moving planes and ship boats like the French and Japanese did?
Here's one, showing a wheeled dolly: https://i.imgur.com/DY4XEW3.jpg

Thanks

by **TZoli** » Thu Dec 18, 2025 1:40 pm

FFG-7 wrote: Thu Dec 18, 2025 10:40 am no rail as of 1944. would USN Booklet of General Plans work for you?

I have Astoria's 1941, San Francisco's 1944, Tuscalosa's pre-war and Vincennes's 1942 Booklets.

by **Timmy C** » Thu Dec 18, 2025 11:31 am

TZoli wrote: Thu Dec 18, 2025 3:30 am Does anybody have photos or info on the New Orleans class Aircraft handling space between the Catapults? Were the aircrafts towed out using a wheeled trolley? or some wheels applied to the floats of the planes? I presume the USN did not used rail systems for moving planes and ship boats like the French and Japanese did?

Here's one, showing a wheeled dolly: https://i.imgur.com/DY4XEW3.jpg

by **FFG-7** » Thu Dec 18, 2025 10:40 am

no rail as of 1944. would USN Booklet of General Plans work for you?

by **TZoli** » Thu Dec 18, 2025 3:30 am

Does anybody have photos or info on the New Orleans class Aircraft handling space between the Catapults? Were the aircrafts towed out using a wheeled trolley? or some wheels applied to the floats of the planes? I presume the USN did not used rail systems for moving planes and ship boats like the French and Japanese did?

by **KotoBuilds** » Sat May 24, 2025 9:57 am

Vladi wrote:Hello Koto, quick check of my photo collection shows Astoria always with crane backs closed with metal sheets in 1942. New Orleans photos during her Feb 42 docking at MINY show them open but e.g. July 8th photo 80-G-10115 shows them blanked. My guess is they kept them closed while on sea to prevent spray and rain outside of the machinery. Style and material of the covers differed depending on the ship and timeframe.

Hi-res photos can be found on the NHHC website.

Thank you. Looks like I'll give Astoria the closed backs and NO the open backs.

by **Vladi** » Tue May 20, 2025 8:56 am

Hello Koto, quick check of my photo collection shows Astoria always with crane backs closed with metal sheets in 1942. New Orleans photos during her Feb 42 docking at MINY show them open but e.g. July 8th photo 80-G-10115 shows them blanked. My guess is they kept them closed while on sea to prevent spray and rain outside of the machinery. Style and material of the covers differed depending on the ship and timeframe.

Hi-res photos can be found on the NHHC website.

by **KotoBuilds** » Sun May 04, 2025 4:39 pm

Hey all. I'm currently planning on what to buy for my 1.700 Astoria and New Orleans from Trumpeter, and one of the things on the list are the cranes. Now I've noticed through this forum, specifically page 33 and images on Navsource

(Astoria here) that the boat/plane cranes have backs that could be open. As these images are 1942, does anyone have a time table or series of pictures that document whether these were open or closed with blanks through 1942?

by **Vladi** » Thu Apr 17, 2025 11:56 am

Hello gentlemen, would anybode have either a drawing or more good photos showing detail of the 12ft main battery rangefinder used on the NO class cruisers?

by **Dick J** » Fri Apr 04, 2025 1:25 am

Cruiser in the first photo is CA-36. Second is CA-38. Third photo is CA-36 then CA-32 and CA-38 behind. Next cluster is CA-35 and CA-68.

by **Jeff Sharp** » Thu Apr 03, 2025 7:46 pm

June 1942

by **FFG-7** » Thu Apr 03, 2025 7:40 pm

what time period?

by **Jeff Sharp** » Thu Apr 03, 2025 7:13 pm

West Virginia

by **MartinJQuinn** » Thu Apr 03, 2025 6:45 pm

Jeff Sharp wrote:

Totally off topic, what battleship do those turrets belong to?

by **Jeff Sharp** » Thu Apr 03, 2025 4:52 pm

by **Vlad** » Fri Mar 21, 2025 5:15 am

Indeed, thank you very much Jeff!

And yes, that was going to be my next line of inquiry. Was she painted in Ms.11 in Feb 1942 and repainted into Ms.21 later, or Ms.21 immediately?

There's also the famous colour photo of Minneapolis and Astoria side by side, where in my opinion Astoria looks notably darker, but that's not enough evidence that Minnie (or any other class member) was still in Ms.11 while Astoria was already in Ms.21.

by **Vladi** » Fri Mar 21, 2025 4:38 am

Thanks, Jeff, for the Ms-1 evidence.

It�s the usual problem of distinguishing Ms-11 (5-S) from Ms-21 (5-N) if there�s no written evidence. Check how light she appears on the in-refit photos from February 1942 shared by Rick on page 33 of this thread, but that all can be just the lighting conditions, photo material etc. etc.

by **Jeff Sharp** » Thu Mar 20, 2025 7:55 pm

Hi Vlad,
USS New Orleans was wearing MS-1 camouflage during the 2nd half of 1941. She was still wearing MS-1 on December 7th, 1941. She was in the Navy Yard for an overhaul which included installation of wiring and the foundation for an SC radar on top of her forward mast.

Here is a cropped pic of her on 12/7/41. Note that you can see that both her forward mast and main mast are painted 5-L (light gray).

This is an overhead shot a few days later. Note that there are no turret top markings on her and her teak decks are still unpainted.

Whether or not she was painted into MS-11 prior to leaving Pearl on 12/23 is anyone's guess at this point.

Hope this helps!

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