Calling all Essex-class (Cold War configuration) fans

[Guest]

Hi Branniff92,

I'm well into my conversion project on the Gallery Intrepid to CVA-12 in her 1957 fit. I'm having no luck in finding any data or photos of deck winches visible either on the galleys or inside the hangar bay. Additionally, trying to get better pics for the hangar bay, placement of acft drop tank hangers, etc. Anyone know of any places I could locate photos to help in my project? Thanks.

Have you seen these ones?
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/h ... s.369852p/
https://www.loc.gov/pictures/resource/h ... s.369850p/

Regards,
domi13

Thanks my friend. I've seen those two. Just can't find good pics to give me a good idea of the exact layout throughout the hangar bay. Can't locate how many acft drop tank hangars existed and where they were actually located. When I volunteered on Hornet I took alot of pics of the hangar bay but can't locate the damned negatives. Thanks again.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hi Branniff92,

You ask for the 'layout' of the main deck, I suppose you already have found exactly that, even for CV-12 Hornet: https://archive.hnsa.org/doc/plans/cv12.pdf

The 'Main Deck' (third plan fom the top) or the hangar deck shows rather exactly what equipment is located where on that deck. Except for the aircraft and vehicles of course. I guess the date of these plans is sometime in the seventies or eighties.

[Guest]

Hi Branniff92,

You ask for the 'layout' of the main deck, I suppose you already have found exactly that, even for CV-12 Hornet: https://archive.hnsa.org/doc/plans/cv12.pdf

The 'Main Deck' (third plan fom the top) or the hangar deck shows rather exactly what equipment is located where on that deck. Except for the aircraft and vehicles of course. I guess the date of these plans is sometime in the seventies or eighties.

Thanks my friend. I did have these but until your post I hadn't figured out how to enlarge each section enough so I could read the small print. I've finally figured it out and have what I need. Thanks for nudging me enough to find what I needed.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Hi Branniff92,

You ask for the 'layout' of the main deck, I suppose you already have found exactly that, even for CV-12 Hornet: https://archive.hnsa.org/doc/plans/cv12.pdf

The 'Main Deck' (third plan fom the top) or the hangar deck shows rather exactly what equipment is located where on that deck. Except for the aircraft and vehicles of course. I guess the date of these plans is sometime in the seventies or eighties.

Thanks my friend. I did have these but until your post I hadn't figured out how to enlarge each section enough so I could read the small print. I've finally figured it out and have what I need. Thanks for nudging me enough to find what I needed.

You're most welcome! Glad that it helped you figuring it out.
And be sure, if there are other questions coming up (they will, I'm sure) just ask. We might be here to help you find the answers.

[Braniff92@gmail.com]

Good Memorial Day Weekend all. I'm trying to verify exactly what was located in Hornet's Stern 3"/50 cal twin mounts director tub on her stern gun sponson. The schematics are for a later time frame after this sponson was removed. Was it a Mk 56 director but with the radar dish located on top of the left side 3"/50 cal? Was it a different type of director? Was it a searchlight and if so any idea what size? As usual any help would be greatly appreciated.

[Braniff92@gmail.com]

Good Memorial Day Weekend all. I'm trying to verify exactly what was located in Hornet's Stern 3"/50 cal twin mounts director tub on her stern gun sponson. The schematics are for a later time frame after this sponson was removed. Was it a Mk 56 director but with the radar dish located on top of the left side 3"/50 cal? Was it a different type of director? Was it a searchlight and if so any idea what size? As usual any help would be greatly appreciated.

Here's a scan from the cruise book............

[Timmy C]

Looks like the Mark 63 Fire Control System, where the director/gunsight is the Mark 29 and the radar antenna is located on the 3"/50 mounting. Details here: https://eugeneleeslover.com/USNAVY/CHAPTER-26-D.html

[Braniff92@gmail.com]

Looks like the Mark 63 Fire Control System, where the director/gunsight is the Mark 29 and the radar antenna is located on the 3"/50 mounting. Details here: https://eugeneleeslover.com/USNAVY/CHAPTER-26-D.html

Simply amazing the knowledge found here. You guys are wonderful!! Thank you.

[Braniff92@gmail.com]

Now that it looks like it's been verified that I need a Mk 29 Gun director for my 1/350 Hornet conversion for the stern 3"/50 call twins mounts gun director is anyone aware of such a thing available in 1/350th scale? I've just been searching for awhile and see none. Plenty of mk 56 for the 3"/50 cal twin mounts but nothing for the Mk 29. Any 1/350th kits include them????? Thanks.

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Now that it looks like it's been verified that I need a Mk 29 Gun director for my 1/350 Hornet conversion for the stern 3"/50 call twins mounts gun director is anyone aware of such a thing available in 1/350th scale? I've just been searching for awhile and see none. Plenty of mk 56 for the 3"/50 cal twin mounts but nothing for the Mk 29. Any 1/350th kits include them????? Thanks.

Thanks for biting the bullet Braniff92!
You're having exactly the same question as I have for the Kearsarge in 1952/53:

So far I can only think of scratch building the Mk 29 in a separate tub and the radar antenna on top of the gun mount. I will need two set of these, both at the bow and at the stern platforms.

[Timmy C]

You might be able to make a rough facsimile by modifying a Mk. 51 director, such as this set from L'Arsenal, especially if it comes with separate PE "arms" that you can rotate to a lower position to more accurately reflect the Mk. 29's appearance.

[Tracy White]

One might consider dropping our various 3D Printer vendors a line - the Mk 63 was a system that came out in 1945 and there were more than a couple of ships that had it before war's end - from memory at least CV-16 and CV-18 did.

http://www.researcheratlarge.com/Ships/Misc/Mk63GFC/

I have some good photos of the radar mounted on a quad 40 MM.

[Rick E Davis]

Actually, the Mk 63 GFCS went through several "director mods", which were only part of the total system, including a "pointing/tracking" director and a ranging/tracking Mk 34 radar (same radar/antenna on the Mk 56) installed on the 40-mm or 3-in/50 RFG mounts. Initially in 1945, the Mk 63 GFCS used a modified Mk 51 Mod 6 director (with the Mk 15 gunsight). The gunsight was modified and improved and then designated as the "Computing Sight Mark 29". The system was considered to be obsolete post-war, but used where Mk 56 GFCS couldn't be utilized post-WWII. But, a succession of improved/upgraded directors were installed on ships in an attempt to overcome the performance short-comings against modern faster jet aircraft.

A scale Mk 51 director can be modified with an additional "box" atop the director as seen in image Timmy posted to visually appear as the Mk 29. The Mk 34 (in 1950's reclassified as AN/SPG-34) radar antenna was 3-ft in diameter.

[Admhawk]

These are the best pics I could find of the guns. HTH's.

[Braniff92@gmail.com]

WOW! Thanks so much to you guys. The help from you all is so appreciated. This is the most technical and exhaustive conversion I've ever done (I thought my conversion of a BWN 1/350 Gearing Class to DD 731 (USS Maddox) in her 58 fit was intense) but this project easily out-does that. Your help is greatly appreciated.

[Braniff92@gmail.com]

I've spent hours on-line searching trying to find the trailers/dolleys Essex Class ships boats were set on. NO JOY!!!!!! also, can't find any 3"/50 Cal ready ammo lockers. Anyone know of any that I haven't been able to find?????? Also, I know I've seen a photo somewhere of the Hornet's personnel boats stored in Hangar Bay 3 but now I can't find the damned picture. Anyone know where I could find them? Thanks.

[Michael Potter]

These photos show parts of boat dollies aboard LPH's, which overlapped with the postwar Essex class.

1. < Boat dollies in background aboard USS Guadalcanal (LPH 7) >

2. Boat dollies in background aboard USS Iwo Jima (LPH 2).

[Tracy White]

Damned mangey MUTTs...

[Tracy White]

Well, hopefully your retirement won't / didn;t involve getting sawed in half!

[Tracy White]

(For reference, the jeeps in the hangar are M151A2s, often called MUTT for "Military Utility Tactical Truck") and the de-militarization process for them before being surplussed was to have then cut in half. Some enterprising enthusiasts bought the pieces and welded them back together so there are historic examples running around today)

Good luck with your procedure David.