The Ship Model Forum

Hello, I am after some information on the bilge keels on Connie. I would like to know what shape they are so I can get them correct on my 72 scale Connie.
If someone has a photo that would be appreciated.
Thanks
Pawly.

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

Hello , I am needing some accurate information for my build of USS Constellation CV-64 for her final year 2003. As you can see, I have now completed the supports internal. They have been coated in resin for longevity.
The information I am after is the actual AFrame positioning and the rudder positions. Is there any way I can contact the USA Navy to see if they can send me the information? Does anyone have an email address I can use to contact them?
The drawings I have show the overhead layout and the side profile. I would like to get the correct angles of the AFrames, these I do not have.
The photos are from today, getting the ballast weight actual needed. Turns out it will be 136KGs. Total weight of ship will be around the 190KG mark.
Any help will be much appreciated, as I would like to be as accurate as possible to do Connie justice. She may not be around anymore but as long as I can get her accurate then that would be great.

I will be posting updates to this log as I go along. Any information or pictures will be great. I have all the ones from the net, I would like to get some from personnel that served on her.

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

I cannot help you with the references you need, but I have to say that the work you have done is amazing! What scale is it? 1/72? It looks HUGE! Hope you will find the info you need.

Aop

_________________
On the way:
--1/350 Tamiya DKM Tirpitz Nov 1944

--1/350 scratch-build HMS Lion never built battleship (1938)

And our artworks!

Hi Aop, It is 1/72 scale. It has been a dream to build for the last five years. You will find earlier on in this forum from when I recieved the hull this year. I have all the running gear now as well waiting to go in.

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

Hi Pawly,
As the supercarriers from Forrestal to Kennedy all had the same basic hull with 990' waterline length, I believe you may safely use the plans of CV-60 to use details for the bilge keels. Above the waterline though the differences start, with bow overhang, flight deck length and shape andsoforth.
You can find these plans here: http://maritime.org/doc/plans/cv60.pdf

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

Thanks Maarten,

Thanks for the heads up. Do you know where I can find the actual AFrame angles as they come out of the hull down to the shaft?

Regards

Pawly.

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

Well, those A-frames with all the dimensions (they call 'm 'brackets' by the way) will only be on the detail design drawings: those will only be at the Newport News shipyard I'm afraid, or at repair yards of the Navy. Not free on the Internet anyway.

The best I can do for you here are a few pictures: one from Kittyhawk and one from Enterprise. I think they reveal quite much, and in conjunction with the Booklet of Plans it shouldn't be too difficult to work out some dimensions for your model. Note that the bracket arrangement between the ships is slightly different (which legs are vertical and which are slant).

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

Some more photos. Also note the pointed rear end of the skeg, not the blunt plank Tamiya put under their Enterprise:

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

Thanks for the pics Maarten.

Would you be able to clarify if the outer shaft is on a slight angle towards the outboard? It looks like it in the drawings, but I would like to be 100% sure.

Regards

Pawly

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

Hi Maarten,

The skeg has been moulded correctly by Tim Amos. He has done a truely great job on this hull.

Regards

Pawly.

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

You ar right, these angle a few degrees outboard. The reason must be that the outboard screws musn't foul the flow to the inboard screws. It's no option to place the turbines further away from the centerline, so the only option is to angle outward.

Any naval architect reading this can add or correct on that?

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

Is that... bare bronze shafts I see? I'd thought the USN always painted the shafts.

- Sean F.

Don't think so, rather anodized or painted steel. Bronze is not suitable for shafts, too springy and too costly. Don't know whether this is the final coat or that antifouling is to follow.

That's what I'd figure, too. It just looks like they're exactly the same color as the props in that America photo. It's black and white, but they seem to match the props in the Forrestal photo as well. Hard to tell in the Kitty Hawk shot, but obviously painted red on the Enterprise.

- Sean F.

Pawly,
I found also this hull lines plan of CV 59 Forrestal, showing the triangular cross section of the bilge keels.

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=28&t=34604&start=15
Darren put up some plans from Floating Drydock on the thread above, the Enterprise hull lines plan show the brackets clearly:

Bear in mind looking at the photos that there are slight differences between the brackets of the Forrestal/Kittyhawk class and the Enterprise

_________________
"I've heard there's a wicked war a-blazing, and the taste of war I know so very well
Even now I see the foreign flag a-raising, their guns on fire as we sail into hell"
Roger Whittaker +9/13/2023

Thanks Maarten.

This is good to see. Thanks for the heads up regarding the A brackets. A bit of measuring now to get the shafts and brackets in the right place.

Regards

Pawly.

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

Hello, I have started the island and am looking at what radars where on Connie in 2003. In particular, the one that sits forward at 06? deck level. What size is it or does anyone know if somebody makes it in resin or plastic?

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

I have a few questions on the Hawk and I was hoping maybe some of you 'pros' could help! I am currently quite a ways through building the Fujimi 700th Kitty Hawk and the cavernous area at the stern is driving me nuts! I think this is the area I am seeing called the 'jet shop'. I have been searching for some detail shots of this area so that I can scratch in some detail here, but have had no success. Does anyone have some handy?

Also, what are these blocky structures found on the stern at the waterline as in the image below? They are not molded on the kit but seem prominent enough that they should definitely be there, that is if they were there at all in '98.

_________________
Eric

Take a look here: http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/63.htm


Notice how the sponsons on the stern started growing over the years. I think that the photo you posted is Kitty Hawk late in life. I believe that the Fujimi kit is early in life. It depends on which one you have. Fujimi did a version of Kitty Hawk and/or Conny in a late 90's build which are fairly accurate but they share the same lack of detail for the jet shop area. It is a pretty big oversight on Fujimi's part given the price of the kit.

The Italeri 1/720 kit has a decent jet shop that you could copy or potentially get a set of plans. I get plans from floating dry dock. They have the Conny so it would be a good reference for interior work on a Kitty Hawk. After the mid 80's Kitty Hawk and Conny started looking different with regard to sponsons tacked onto the hull. It depends on how much detail you want to add and how much you want to spend on research. I could not find any plans with the interior dimensions on them posted on the web. I just moved so mine are all packed up still.


Good luck,

Mark