Very Fire has a USS
Montana coming out in 1/350. Being in plastic as opposed to resin cast in rubber, this is one of the mass produced best WIF models ever! I am going to build one of these kits as a late 1990s reactivated version.
The idea is that the ship was commissioned in the early 1950s but was decommissioned after Korea and then reactivated again during the later years of Vietnam and modernized in the 1990s.
As built, the twin manual 5"/54 caliber guns were replaced with Mk42 5"/54caliber mounts.
Attachment:
Mk-42-gun-005.jpg [ 336.91 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
Attachment:
WNUS_5-54_mk42_sketch.jpg [ 89.8 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
or an armored version with the same splinter shield as the Mk16.
Attachment:
WNUS_5-54_mk16_White_Sands_pic.jpg [ 20.69 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
With a standard projectile stack 30-40 RPM.
Attachment:
WNUS_5-54_mk16_side_pic.jpg [ 96.13 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
With standard projectile stack.
Here is the same gun configuration firing the DeadEye Semi-Active Laser Guided Projectile (SALGP).
Attachment:
39104709_10216397648070589_8465267986503041024_n.jpg [ 50.38 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
A DeadEye being test fired at Dahlgren naval test range.
Attachment:
WNUS_5-54_mk16_missile_pic.jpg [ 11.41 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
To accommodate a more situationally aware bridge and flag bridge, I am considering scratch building a bridge similar to that of
Little Rock.
Attachment:
LR Bridge TOP1.jpg [ 139.64 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
Attachment:
LR Bridge 3.jpg [ 101.05 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
In the early 1960s, Mts 53 and 54 would have been removed and replaced with Flag Facilities similar to those aboard
Albany /
Columbus and
Newport News.
For perspective, this structure would only be 60' wide while the beam of Montana is 121'.
Attachment:
Chi10GC.jpg [ 121.84 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
Attachment:
Chi11GC.jpg [ 113.99 KiB | Viewed 2636 times ]
The stern will be arranged in one of two ways, either a hangar dug down into the stern from Turret 4's barbette 90' back and 50 feet wide (this would be the equivalent of a Cleveland-class below-deck hangar with an armored sliding hatch. The landing pad would be level with the top of the hatch) or it would be smooth from Turret 4 back with markings for 3 helicopter landing spots, 1 general and 2 SH-46/53s. A UAV shack would be positioned under the guns of Turret 4.
I'll have to build the NIXIE windows and the Outboard EW arrays along the hull and super structure.
As always, comments and ideas are welcome!