Angeliccypher wrote:
-the catapult "towers" appear to have some sort of window facing the middle of the plane deck. I am looking for better shots of this and trying to determine if those were still present after her 10/44 refit.
They were still there, shows very clearly in this photo;
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/038/0403888.jpgCouldn't find any NO class shots easily online, but same style on Northampton class as seen in these photos;
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/028/0402840.jpghttp://www.navsource.org/archives/04/027/0402742.jpghttp://www.navsource.org/archives/04/031/0403124.jpgAngeliccypher wrote:
-the height of the bow 20mm shields on the kit seems wrong. Do we know what the height should be?
I can not locate an exact height, they appear to have their top level with the waterline. It seems that they are shorther in the front and taller in the back to match the sweep of the bows shear. The best I can come up with is they are at the same height as the MK10 mount. This pamphlet gives you some ideas of dimension;
This video also claims to be the SF and I believe it is;
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvZ3-vyrtkQIt gives a rare view of the backside of these tubs and is just a cool video.
Angeliccypher wrote:
-the height of the splinter shields on the boat handling deck also seems wrong in the kit. The photos I have seen today seems to have different heights in different spots but the angles play havoc trying to determine that
Based on this photo and another in WP#5, the shield that runs around the hangar top and the outward facing side of the 40mm tub is the height of USN 3 bar railing. You can see the back of the 40mm tub is slightly higher.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/038/0403858.jpgAngeliccypher wrote:
-the two 40mm gun tubs on the boat handling deck. Port side appears to have a opening facing aft, but the starboard side has no opening that I can see. If that is correct where did the gun crews get in and out of that tub and what if they needed more ammo?
Based on the same photo above and it's high res version in WP#5, I believe that the back of the port tub is open facing aft wards. There is a similar picture in Hansen's book that shows most of the starboard tub's backside. Now it is possible that there was an opening but what I see in the photo is a couple of grab iron style ladders. I wouldn't think this would be there if there was an opening just a foot or two further aft which is the part that I can't see.
HTH,
Matt