The Ship Model Forum

One main thing to keep in mind with the Italeri 1/720 Kitty Hawk & Constellation kits. Although the Island with both kits reflect CV-63 & 64 before they went through their SLEP refits. Otherwise the kits are of the USS America CV-66. Flightdeck, hull, sponsons, etc, are all CV-66 after her SLEP refit...

Great link to NavSource Mark, thank you very much! And thanks for the heads up on the Italeri kit wvtomcat. Sounds like one would just need to find a replacement island for that kit and it would make a CV-66. I am actually building the 1998 version of the 1/700 Fujimi kit and trying to keep her in that fit.

I think though I may not have been specific enough in my question. I was actually talking about the box type structures in the cropped image below and not the sponsons (although with my limited knowledge, these may be called the same thing).



I will look for a digital copy of the Italeri instructions and some builds of that kit and perhaps I can get an idea of what I need to scratch for the jet shop area. I'm sure there is a wall close to the end with some type of doors. It shouldn't be too hard to do I just don't want to be way off in left field with the detail there as it will be fairly visible.

**EDIT** Wait, after thinking that through, if the hull in its entirety is of the America on the Italeri kit, then I assume the jet shop area will be America's as well and may not reflect accurately the Kitty Hawk jet shop. Grrr, surprisingly difficult to find references on this area.

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Eric

They are bumpers for barges and ferrys to rest against when the ship is anchored. Personnel use this area for going ashore when anchored.

The USN has tried several configurations over the years.

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

Kitty Hawk, Conny, America, and JFK had the same hulls. The sponsons, flight decks, and Island varied but you would be pretty safe using the Italeri kit as an example of what to build in the Kitty Hawk kit for the fantail area to recreate the jet shop. The hardware found in the jet shops will vary from ship to ship and on the same ship over time. All it will provide is some dimensions for the bulkheads for the stern area. Another fairly inexpensive source of photo's are Ray Bean's CDs available here:

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.co ... ographics/

He also has them available here:http://freetimehobbies.com/kitty-hawk-and-constellation-carriers-pictorial-photo-dvd-album/

The bumpers you are looking at are to secure a barge to the fantail during port calls when the ship can't get up to a pier. There is a ladder that folds down from the ship and Liberty Boats dock against the barge to transport the crew to and from shore. The bumpers keep the barge from smashing up against the fantail.

Good Luck,

Mark

Hello,

The image above of the rudders on KittyHawk look to be on a slight angle. Would this be correct? On the Enterprise drawings (above) they look to be straight.

Regard
Pawly

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Hindsight always trumps forethought..............

The Enterprise drawing has pretty good hull lines, but the rudders are not correct. In reality all 4 of the enterprises rudders are angled at 90 degrees from the hull surface.

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Building:
1/350 BWN California 1941, model monkey parts
1/350 Trumpy North Carolina with WEM, GMM, Lion Roar,
and Very Fire PE, Model Monkey parts
1/350 Fujimi Shokaku

The Rudders on all US Supercarriers are vertical. The photo above has a distorted perspective because it's so close.
The only exceptions are the two outboard rudders on Enterprise, which are 90 deg to the hull surface, which gives them about a 30 deg angle. Enterprise is the only Supercarrier to have 4 rudders, the 2 inside ones are vertical. All 4 rudders are smaller than the other carriers.

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

Thanks for the info. I am waiting on my 1/350 USS Constellation to get a better idea of placement. I understand that there will be discrepancies but between my 1/192, the 1/350 and all the documentation that is about, I should get it really close.

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Hindsight always trumps forethought..............

Hi Mark / Guys
I added a seperate post under the JFK folder.

However, I have a question for those who could assist with a 1/350 Kitty Hawk / Constellation question.

Both of these 1/350 kits are now stocked locally, if I purchased the Eduard Kitty Hawk Etch sets would they work with the Constellation Kit?
(I assume so as the kits look very similar) but I need some expert advice.
Thanks in advance for any assistance.
Peter Hoskins
Sydney, AU

Hi Peter,

Kityy Hawk and Conny were very similar up until the mid 80s. So if the detail set is for a ship build after let's say 1984, (Conny's 1983/84 Complex Overhaul) Conny would be a little different. Some of the sponsons and CIWIS mounts would be different. Not sure how that would affect the PE set. I would guess that the PE Set would be 95%+ the same.

Good Luck,

Mark

Hi Mark
That's exactly the info that I was looking into, I still have to purchase either Kitty Hawk AUD $299, Constellation $330 or JFK $350. So If i did go with the Connie i can purchase some of the Eduard sets.
Much appreciated.

Peter H
Sydney, AU

Thanks everyone for the extremely helpful information provided on the questions I asked!

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Eric

@Peter H, I bought the Infini-models PE set for the Kitty Hawk, it's absolutely phenomenal! I bought it based on the PE set that they released for the Yorktown, again another great set! Infini plans on releasing a Conny PE set in 2017, if I read correctly. I have my Conny kit already, just waiting on the PE set. I'm sure it will be worth the wait. I'm an ex-Conny squid, so I've been watching for this for a long time.

Hi Guba
Thanks for the info on Infini, I have seen they are making "Rigging Line" for 1/700 & 1/350 ships that looks very good, but have not seen their etch sets but will search on it.

Thanks again
Peter H
Sydney, AU

The late Craig Laughton's 1/72 CVN65 could do figure 8s in the Wagga Olympic sized swimming pool at full speed!! She could turn like a cruiser amazing to see.

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

Did Craig's Big E have a wood or fibreglass deck?

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Hindsight always trumps forethought..............

Who was the person that was making the island for the USS America in 1/350 and is the product still in production?
Thanks

Gregg is still working on it MAJOR-B.

Greg, Baconfist Models", used to have a section on his shapeways site where he described future projects that included a USS America Island. I would like to get both an America and JFK Island in 1/700 scale to do a make over on my two attempts at those conversions from a Kitty Hawk. The 1/720 Islands just don't cut it.

https://www.shapeways.com/shops/baconfist


Good Luck,

MM

Sorry mate I missed seeing this post!!

I'm pretty sure Craig's E had flight deck of ply with a hefty layer of glass cloth over it, Kerry James would be able to give you the details as most of the work happened at Kerry's place.

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