The Ship Model Forum

Love to do it. Just need accurate 2D drawings (pilot house and redesigned decks, mostly) from which to make a good 3D design. If Big E's late pilot house and decks were identical to Hornet's, we're in business.

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-Steve L.

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Designs for Korean War-era Essex class islands continues.

Let's start with USS Oriskany CV-34 as she appeared off Korea in 1953. Here's the design at 50% complete. It is considerably different in detail than islands as they appeared in the 1960s, most noticeably radar platforms and dome and the very different bridge window configuration.

This model is intended to help convert any 1/350 scale Trumpeter Essex class model to a straight-deck Korean War-era ship. Get out your AD-1 Skyraiders, Panthers, Fury's and FH-1 Phantoms!

Many thanks to Ray D. Bean who graciously provided high-resolution photographs.


Compare to the design for USS Intrepid CVS-11 in 1968:

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Dang Steve!!! You HAD to do this one!!! I have a practically good Trumpeter CV10 and accessories ready(and a full air group), awaiting for me to get around to building it, but I have always loved the looks of a KW Essex class carriers!!! "Bridges over TOKO-RI" And one mention of the Skyraiders, Panthers and Fury's have now blown those plans.....

Looks like I'm am going to have to start moon-lighting!!! Papa John's anyone?

Kelley

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Hello Steve ,

my compliments for the convincing work on your latest projects (Yorktown class and Essex class Iceland) !! They look awesome and I will order some of them as soon as possible in 700 scale.

I'm a little confuse about the different versions ? Can I use for my Jim Shirley Oriskany the CVS Intrepid island from 68 which you offer in 700 scale or will you make a different Oriskany island for that time frame ?
And for the Korean war island ...you are working on a Oriskany island ....will you make also the Essex island for ISW 700 scale kit ?

Thanks for doing that job

best regards
chris

Thanks, Chris! Your models are wonderful.

During the next year or so, I hope to be able to offer several Essex class designs in 1/700 scale, depending upon the references I have available. The design for Oriskany in 1972 is complete. Ray D. Bean has been a great help in getting the details right for specific ships.

At present, Shapeways has informed me that for only 1/700 scale, the window framing of the Vietnam War-ear Essex islands will not survive cleaning as designed, even though they are printable. The framing is simply too fine in 1/700 scale. Redesigning the framing of this 1/700 scale model to meet Shapeways limitations has so far proven very difficult. I'm still trying!

Larger scales, 1/530, 1/500 and 1/350 have been printing beautifully.

I am much more optimistic about the Korean War-era islands in 1/700 scale because the bridge window configuration is entirely different with much shorter members, much better braced. Korean War-era Oriskany is being designed along side a 1942 USS Hornet CV-8 island and should be ready this week.

The Intrepid '68 island is a good start for some of the other ships, like the Essex class USS Hornet CVS-12, but not all. Intrepid does have some features that are noticeably different than the rest. It has a deck house above the pilot house back against the funnel trunk that other ships didn't have at that time, such as Essex, Oriskany, Ticonderoga, Lexington and Shangri La. It also has exterior electrical cabling and steam pipes that follow a different route than most other ships.

Intrepid is not a good match for Yorktown or Randolph at all. Bridge window configurations are also one of the conspicuous features that differ between ships. Vietnam War-era Yorktown and Randolph, for example, have bridge windows that look more like the Korean War-era Oriskany, not at all like 1960s Intrepid.

There is a lot to sort out! Here's some guidance on some of the other ships based on feature similarities (meaning little modification necessary, if at all):

Ticonderoga's Vietnam-era island is reasonably similar to Hancock's. If you want Hancock, buy Ticonderoga.

Oriskany's Korean War-ear island is reasonably similar to a Korean War-era Kearsarge. If you want to build Kearsarge, buy Oriskany.

Shangri La's Vietnam War-era island is reasonably similar to Bon Homme Richard's Vietnam War-era island. If you want to build Bon Homme Richard, buy Shangri La.

Hope all this helps!

The next Korean War-era island design will be USS Essex CV-9..

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-Steve L.

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Hi Steve,

I am cueing up a 1/350 scale Oriskany 1972-ish/CVW-19 with Crusaders and Corsair II's. Would the Vietnam Bonny Dick/Shangri La Island work for that?

Awesome work!

Mark


P.S. How is the MK-25 Sea Sparrow Launcher going? I will need 3 for the JFK 1969.

Thanks, Mark!

Thanks to a request by Christoph Mentzel, I'll have a Vietnam-era Oriskany done tonight.

Regarding the Sea Sparrow launcher, another designer who appears on this site has designed those so I will be passing on that project.

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-Steve L.

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Hello Steve...sadly Mickeybugs already passed also for the Mk 25 Sparrow launchers, now we have to wait until a good Samaritan makes them,hopefuly soon. Steve my request is for a 4.7 Mk XIX turrets for the Trumpeter Models Tribals,still nobody is printing them and they are also really needed.

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1.- Modify it
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-Steve L.

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Thanks for the list of recommendations, Steve - very helpful. Much as I hate making these kinds of suggestions, I'd be lying if I didn't say I hope an island appropriate for Yorktown will come along at some point.

Jodie Peeler

Very nice, Steve!!!

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WOW!

Oriskany looks really good. I will be getting one of those as soon as I finish up Intrepid.


Is it possible to design and print the Main Mast in the various configurations? Perhaps the mast and each platform printed separately and sold as a kit.

Well done!

Mark

Thanks, Jodie, Kelley and Mark!

Yorktown is in the queue.

Regarding designing masts, I will have to respectfully decline for the following reasons: platforms being unsupported would be unprintable close-to-scale; insufficient detailed references; too many different configurations year-by-year, ship-by-ship; too much design time needed. Better to design other islands, superstructures, etc.

Hope you really enjoy your Intrepid!

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-Steve L.

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I am planning on doing a Ticonderoga circa 1953-54 Which island would you recommend?

1953 Oriskany should do nicely. But if you can wait a day or so after Oriskany is released, I can offer a 1954-1956 Tico. From available photos, the details of the islands of those two ships at that time are too close to tell them apart, the big difference between Oriskany and Tico is that Oriskany has a small deckhouse at flight deck level on the forward face of the island and another just aft of the forward Mk.37 tower. Photos indicate that Tico didn't have either of those features, an easy design adaptation to do (always easier to remove stuff than add stuff).

By your request, Ticonderoga '54 will be done in the next few days, pending any "life happens" events. Oriskany will come shortly afterwards. They are being designed simultaneously with Hornet CV-8 but Hornet's details are more geometrically complicated so it is taking longer.

If you choose to go a bit later, say 1957, that's a different story. Tico had her SCB-127 angled deck fit by then and her island's features were significantly different, the most obvious being an entirely different bridge window configuration, like the design for Vietnam War-era Intrepid's, and the deletion of the simplified PriFLy just aft of the bridges and the addition of a new, enlarged PriFLy high and aft.

Hope this helps.

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-Steve L.

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Here's 1954 Oriskany island at 95% complete. Final tweaks and then this animal will be freed from the design zoo.





Compare to 1972 Oriskany. Big differences!

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Hi Steve,

Would the 1954 Oriskany Island work for a 1953 SCB-27A Kearsarge? I seem to remember that you had mentioned that on another thread.

'Nearly identical, a very good match. Remove the aft SPN-8 radar dome from Oriskany but keep its platform. But hold on, a Kearsarge island is coming. [edit: done!]

Ticonderoga and Oriskany are ready in 1/350!

viewtopic.php?f=16&t=162262

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-Steve L.

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any chance we might get tuscaloosas Bridge ?

No, sorry, I'll have to pass on that one.

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-Steve L.

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