At 'Em Arizona Fans!

[dobarton]

Dark grey...almost black. Thanks for your response.
Doug

[MartinJQuinn]

I'm assuming you were told your planes were wrong by some know it all. Show them this picture (from Navsource) that shows the Kingfisher on the USS Texas painted overall Non-Specular Gray. The photo is says the date is 1940, but it might be 1941 - note the superstructure is Standard/Light gray, while the fittings along the hull (bollards, etc) are Ocean Gray, or something akin to that. You can also see the lower portion of the crane is painted a darker color than the upper part (I don't believe that is a shadow).

[Tracy White]

David Aiken has done some research on the OS2U-1s that were aboard ship until around August I believe, I will see if I can call him in on this one to give a better idea of dates.

[Hippy Ed]

David Aiken has done some research on the OS2U-1s that were aboard ship until around August I believe, I will see if I can call him in on this one to give a better idea of dates.

This is an interesting discussion and I'm definately interested in what David has to say Tracy. I have the 1/350 Banner kit which I'm planning to build soon.

[David_Aiken]

Aloha Tracy, et al,
The OS2Us on USS AZ in summer 1941 had received their dark scheme. The photos of the OS2U-1 from USS AZ appeared in the OS2U PROFILE publication in the 1970s...and often since then. That series of photos reveals the colors were not yellow wings. In the early fall 1941, the ship received new OS2U-3 also with that scheme.
HTH,
David Aiken, student of 7 Dec

[dobarton]

Greetings again and thank you all for all your help...Next stoopid question. Maybe I should find myself a good reference. LOL. Anyhow, the directions for the Dragon 1/700 Arizona have four large launches. The color callouts are for red below waterline, black at waterline and white above the waterline. Here is how I have them painted...somehow, it just doesn't look right. Consider her during the Aug-Sept. 1941 time period as I think that is how I have her main colors.



What do you all think? Also, would the launches have had railings bow and stern? It would be a shame to detail the main ship so much, then fail to detail the launches to an appropriate degree.

[Tracy White]

The hull above the waterline should be the same color as the ship, I.E. 5-D Dark Gray. I've got a Puget Sound Naval Shipyard order requesting clarification in July/August or so that I'll try and get posted this weekend to my ship camouflage section.

[Tracy White]

Turns out the document was dated March. The original SHIPS-2, dated January 1941, called for all bright work in general to be painted over (Read it on Shipcamouflage.com here under "General Directions Common to All Systems"). While the yards had begun receiving orders for the new paints in March, general orders didn't go out until April, but it's well before the time you're depicting.

[Hippy Ed]

Aloha Tracy, et al,
The OS2Us on USS AZ in summer 1941 had received their dark scheme. The photos of the OS2U-1 from USS AZ appeared in the OS2U PROFILE publication in the 1970s...and often since then. That series of photos reveals the colors were not yellow wings. In the early fall 1941, the ship received new OS2U-3 also with that scheme.
HTH,
David Aiken, student of 7 Dec

Thanks David! Seems you are the one ta ask about the ol' Arizona!!

[Tracy White]

He's an airplane guy, actually.
http://groups.msn.com/japanesemodelairc ... otoID=1652
http://groups.msn.com/japanesemodelairc ... otoID=1643
http://groups.msn.com/japanesemodelairc ... otoID=1644
etc.

[Hippy Ed]

He's an airplane guy, actually.
http://groups.msn.com/japanesemodelairc ... otoID=1652
http://groups.msn.com/japanesemodelairc ... otoID=1643
http://groups.msn.com/japanesemodelairc ... otoID=1644
etc.

Thanks Tracy. nteresting read here

[Elvis965]

Here are a few in progress shots of my 1/350 MHM Arizona build.

This one is following Ron Smith's Modeling Theorem to a T: The cost of the model is inversely proportional to the cost of the aftermarket accessories you have to buy to make it look good.

While the model was a gift, I could've purchased 4 or 5 MHM Arizona's with what I've spent on WEM & Eduard PE, brass barrels, WEM 5"/51's, various Paper Lab accessories and Northeastern Scale Lumber!

The hull has gone through 2 iterations of putty-sand-prime, and needs a third. But I got bored doing that so I moved on and built the turrets and started working on opening up the casemates for the 5"/51's.

The upper deck bulkheads aren't correct, but it wasn't my intention to go all Steve Larsen on them. I just didn't want to be able to see completely through the ship, and also add a little support for the superstructure deck when it goes on.

So far just the port 5"/51's are installed.

If I could go back, I think I would just plate over the molded on bulkheads instead of removing them and using the Eduard bulkheads. You'll notice a door on the bulkhead between the #4 & #5 five inch guns, and I'll be darned if I can find any evidence, photographic or otherwise, that it should be there. Both port and starboard bulkheads have the door cut into them.

Plus the doors Eduard provides have no detail on the inside. so if you want to show them in an open position, you have a flat, featureless door. I'll be replacing them with some left over GMM open doors from my Lexington fret.

No worries about the deck green overspray. That will be getting planked over with 1x2's.

Bob

[wildspear]

Looking real good. I'll be starting my 1/350 "zona" later this year. Have to finish my 1/72 gato first.

[MartinJQuinn]

Must...resist....urge....to...start....back....on...my....1/350 'Zona....

Nice work Bob!

[Elvis965]

Thanks gents.

Here are a couple more....starboard casemate 5"/51's are in.....and one with the supertructure deck & turrets dry fit.

Guess I have to go back to work on the hull now....

Bob

[Dana Bell]

In 1926, Battle Fleet introduced a new form of turret marking for its divisional flagships - four beamwise colored bands on at least one forward turret and at least one after turret. West Virginia (BATDIV FIVE) was photographed with the stripes in March. Photos of New Mexico (BATDIV FOUR) wearing the stipes don't turn up until February 1929, though the marking could have been applied at an earlier date. Pennsylvania (BATDIV THREE) had the stripes in 1927. In the Atlantic, Arkansas (BATDIV TWO) had them by 1929.

But I've never found any photos of Arizona with the stripes while she was flag of BATDIV THREE.

I've a limited library, so most of what I've seen came out of the Archives, but has anyone out there found a shot with these markings on Arizona? I'm trying to wrap up a chapter on these markings and only just realized that I'd nothing on Arizona.

Thanks in advance for any help on this one - the book is almost ready!

Cheers,

Dana

[kailhikid]

I am in need of 3 pounder saluting cannons and 1 pounder subcaliber guns(whatever that is). Can they be purchased or is scratch build my only option? Where would I locate photos of same if that is the case?
Cliff

[Tracy White]

Aloha Kalihi Kid! I don't know of any personally, but it might help if we knew which scale you were working in.

[kailhikid]

Tracy, I am going to try again. Scale is 1/350. Interested in whether I can buy or must scratch build the saluting cannons aboard the Az. Additionally, there were four 1# subcaliber guns mounted one on each turret. Scratch build is the only way I aaume but what do they look like?
kailhikid
Hope that I am doing this correct this time.

[Tracy White]

I think you hit "new topic" instead of "Post Reply" but we've got merging tools now so I've merged it back in.

I haven't seen any of the saluting guns produced before and the sub-calibers are so small they'd almost have to be photo-etch for a manufacturer to take them on.

The signaling gun changed around or after a 1939 overhaul; prior to that each side had a two-barrel unit, but after that point it appears a single barrel unit was fitted. Details of the later are sparse, unfortunately, but some inferences may be made from the earlier unit. Do you have Paul Stillwell's "Battleship Arizona?" I can see a photo of the two-barrel unit pedestal behind the middle sailor on page 155, the gun (receiver covered in canvas) and it's deck pedestal on Page 160, a so-so to poor shot on page 204, a bit of it visible on page 209. A photo of her in March 1939 on page 214 shows a single barrel on the starboard wing, but there's still a cut-out in the splinter shield for the second one so I'm not entirely certain it was permanently removed at this point or temporarily. It DID drop down to a single barrel by her Dec 1940-Jan 1941 overhaul to make room for the Mk 19 director support above it. Unfortunately pictures of Arizona after this point are extremely scarce and entirely shots of her in the background; I know of maybe five for all of 1941 before December 7th.

Sub-caliber guns I don't really have anything on; but there are some photos in the Stillwell book again. The best DETAIL shots I can see are from the 1920s, when they were mounted on the barrels themselves and not the top of the turret, but comparison with a photo on P 150 doesn't show much noticeable difference so they might work for you. Check out pages 41 and 74.
You may also want to post over on the http://www.navweaps.com/ message board and see if any of the gun specialists there can help with details.