The Ship Model Forum

The California's superstructure was seperated on the o1 level just abobve the windtunnel. There was a set of 4 harpoon missles there faceing starboard. Just forward of the missles there was a seem were the deck would pass over its self kinda like a big scissor action. It's looking pretty good. Todd

G'day All!
A bit more work has gone on with the beastie... All Deck cutouts have been done, props shafts and rudder tubes are in and forward deck piece has been glued on. First test run looks like being late March due to lack of workers in the shipyard!! I have all the bits for the drive systems 2.4Ghz Rx, 2x Electronize FR15 ESC's, 2 nice motor's and a brand new Hitec servo for the rudders (all except for 2x 1/4brass inserts for my uni coupler's....some how ordered little 3.17mm (1/8??) ones instead...Oh well quick trip to the LHS is in order!!)

Cheers Bruce

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building:
1/72 RC USS LONG BEACH CGN9
1/72 RC USS CALIFORNIA CGN36
1/72 RC USS SAIPAN LHA2
1/72 RC USS JOHN PAUL JONES DDG53
1/72 RC USS SHARK SSN591
1/72 RC USS SEAWOLF SSN21
1/72 RC USS ALBANY CG10

Nice work
Keep the pictures coming !

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If you are not living on the edge then you are taking up to much space

Cheers Richard!!

Ok the decks are attached! next up I need 2 do combings around the deck access's and make some motor and rudder servo mounts up. Hoping to have her ready for a test run by end of the month!

Bruce

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building:
1/72 RC USS LONG BEACH CGN9
1/72 RC USS CALIFORNIA CGN36
1/72 RC USS SAIPAN LHA2
1/72 RC USS JOHN PAUL JONES DDG53
1/72 RC USS SHARK SSN591
1/72 RC USS SEAWOLF SSN21
1/72 RC USS ALBANY CG10

Bruce
Nelson is working on his 1/96 CGN-36 mold .
Looking good !

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If you are not living on the edge then you are taking up to much space

Thanks Richard!!
I look forward to seeing Nelson's CGN36 hull mold when its done!

Had a productive weekend got all the combings finished Saturday night just in time to watch some AFL (ozzie football) on TV (and drink some beer ) and Sunday did a coat of Flo coat over the decks and fitted the bow thruster in my 1/72 Salvage Tug! Just need to fit the bilge keels later in the week then I can finish putting the motor's and rudder servo in and throw some paint over the hull.

At this stage I am looking at a test run early next week or our club running day on April 1.

Cheers Bruce

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building:
1/72 RC USS LONG BEACH CGN9
1/72 RC USS CALIFORNIA CGN36
1/72 RC USS SAIPAN LHA2
1/72 RC USS JOHN PAUL JONES DDG53
1/72 RC USS SHARK SSN591
1/72 RC USS SEAWOLF SSN21
1/72 RC USS ALBANY CG10

Hi Bruce your full hull looks just superb , best of luck with the test runs.
Dave Wooley

Hi Bruce looks fantastic hull work.

Thank you both!!

I have finally got round to ordering my weapons and bits from APS and have been busy getting hull painted and drive bits installed for a test run. With 4 SLA's motors and electronics she needs approx. 3kgs of Ballast fwd (under fwd 5") and 5kgs(approx.) aft beneath rear mk13 launcher.
The test run was good and bad: The Good she steers nicely and makes a nice wake! The bad: TX had some throttle issues and only gave about 1/4 power fwd! (And I didn't bring spare Tx...Doh) Gave her a second test run yesterday and found she is still a bit slow! I have tweaked the props with some more pitch and will try again, if there is no great improvement I will put a pair of higher revving motor's in!!

Bruce

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building:
1/72 RC USS LONG BEACH CGN9
1/72 RC USS CALIFORNIA CGN36
1/72 RC USS SAIPAN LHA2
1/72 RC USS JOHN PAUL JONES DDG53
1/72 RC USS SHARK SSN591
1/72 RC USS SEAWOLF SSN21
1/72 RC USS ALBANY CG10

Looks great

_________________
If you are not living on the edge then you are taking up to much space

Hi Bruce the hull show very well balanced in the water.
good perform i like

I have been fairly busy lately with work and rearranging the workspace in the shed, however have done a bit more motor testing and tried some cheap Johnson 700 motors in USS California she had great speed but these motors pulled a lot of Amps (over 15!!)at speed and that would not give acceptable run times. I have ordered some MFA torpedo 800's from the UK which should provide good power and lower Amp draw.
Also have done a small amount of work on her superstructure building the aft upper level, bridge upper level, then did a test fit of fwd bridge faces and assembled and painted the 5"mk45's and mk13 SM2MR missile launchers.

Cheers Bruce

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building:
1/72 RC USS LONG BEACH CGN9
1/72 RC USS CALIFORNIA CGN36
1/72 RC USS SAIPAN LHA2
1/72 RC USS JOHN PAUL JONES DDG53
1/72 RC USS SHARK SSN591
1/72 RC USS SEAWOLF SSN21
1/72 RC USS ALBANY CG10

Hi Bruce taking shape, looking forward to more up dates from your revamped workshop
Dave Wooley

Thanks DW,
Yeah the re arranged work area came about because I went to the hardware store for sand paper ($6) and spent $228 bought the modular shelf unit that CGN9 sits on and a modular work bench which has free'd up alot of space on build tables for California and my mates ANZAC that I an working on too.
My next little job is to put some more lights up over the work area, as its not bright enough for working on the beasties...

Cheers Bruce

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building:
1/72 RC USS LONG BEACH CGN9
1/72 RC USS CALIFORNIA CGN36
1/72 RC USS SAIPAN LHA2
1/72 RC USS JOHN PAUL JONES DDG53
1/72 RC USS SHARK SSN591
1/72 RC USS SEAWOLF SSN21
1/72 RC USS ALBANY CG10

Got my new MFA Torpedo800's in the post on Wednesday I hope to get em in the model sometime next week for a test run (weather permitting its been raining a lot the last few days!!)

Tested these motors (No load test) with the Turnigy watt meter and a mates Optical Tacho. and they are both right on the Manufacturers specs. showing 5150rpm (Claimed is 5167rpm) @12volts and 0.8amps each. These motors look to be a good alternate for the big (and unavailable...) Graupner 900BB Torque
Itchin to get em mounted in USS California but had to do maintenance on USS Long Beach instead! (for a club run tomorrow)

Cheers Bruce

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building:
1/72 RC USS LONG BEACH CGN9
1/72 RC USS CALIFORNIA CGN36
1/72 RC USS SAIPAN LHA2
1/72 RC USS JOHN PAUL JONES DDG53
1/72 RC USS SHARK SSN591
1/72 RC USS SEAWOLF SSN21
1/72 RC USS ALBANY CG10

Good numbers, they should push her along nicely!

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Darren (Admiral Hawk)
In the not so tropical climate of the Great White North.

Nice work there, I was stationed abord the USS Enterprise breafly in 1985 and teh Long Beach accoumpanied us. It is and interesting ship and one of a kind, Like Enterprise. I guess my WW2 ships wouldnt be much of a threat to Those beauties there.

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Shoot till You see the Whites of their tails.

Got the rest of my Resin fittings from Allan Pew at APS models a couple of weeks back and made up some of the SPG51 radars and CIWS guns.

Had a test run at our last club sail with her new 800 MFA motors and she has plenty of grunt now (but a little high amp wise approx. 10Amps@full juice!! when I find my tiny screw driver I will turn the FR15's back down to 90% throttle)

Cheers Bruce

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building:
1/72 RC USS LONG BEACH CGN9
1/72 RC USS CALIFORNIA CGN36
1/72 RC USS SAIPAN LHA2
1/72 RC USS JOHN PAUL JONES DDG53
1/72 RC USS SHARK SSN591
1/72 RC USS SEAWOLF SSN21
1/72 RC USS ALBANY CG10

Superstructer looks great . Did it go together well ?

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If you are not living on the edge then you are taking up to much space

Yes it went together pretty well, there are a couple of smaller bits that are a bit fiddly to put together (the aft SPG51 base area.....took me ages to work out where it went!). Now I just need to make some internal bracing to stiffen it, then the aft section that has the 5"mk45 on it can be fixed to the main aft section. Still need to do some scratchbuilding of masts and internal bridge details...and drill some holes for LEDs.

I will be making slow progress on her as I need 2 finish my mates model (HMAS ANZAC FFH150) first....

Cheers Bruce

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building:
1/72 RC USS LONG BEACH CGN9
1/72 RC USS CALIFORNIA CGN36
1/72 RC USS SAIPAN LHA2
1/72 RC USS JOHN PAUL JONES DDG53
1/72 RC USS SHARK SSN591
1/72 RC USS SEAWOLF SSN21
1/72 RC USS ALBANY CG10