Converting the 1/350 Trumpeter CV-8 to a 1944 CV-6

[JimRussell]

The theme I model is USN, 1/350 waterline, fall 1944. The ONE SHIP I want to do above all others is the Enterprise CV-6. It appears that no repops are going to be generated from the Hornet (too many errors?) and the YKM Enterprise is too much and reportedly has its own issues.

Fixing the Hornet to end up with a respectable Enterprise is a challenge I had to accept. when I found a "damaged box" for $60, I thought that if I can spend $50 for PE I can invest $60 for parts. Ordered a set of 1/192 plans from Floating Drydock and started.

Inspecting the kit confirmed my inclination to scrap the hull. As I had done before the hull was to be solid wood. One wrinkle is that the plastic hangar deck and the forecastle deck had to be used because they provided the locators for the very good hangar bulkheads which in turn located the flight deck.

pic 1 Shows the hull stations in the FDD plans, a hull width table generated from the stations and the plan for the waterline to hangar deck portion of the hull (the inner line is the w/l and the outer line is the hangar (main) deck.

pic 2&3 Show why I think a hull replacement was necessary. It turned out that the best way to show the difference was to photograph the hulls upside down. Not only is the Trumpeter bow awful, the sidewall flare is missing and the stern is as bad as the bow.

pic 4 Shows the modification necessary to change a CV-8 flight deck to a CV-5&6

pic 5 While the detail of the Trumpeter Essex class flight decks was excellent, the Hornet was awful. Thus an overlay of Evergreen scribed sheet.

pic 6&7 Show the island roughed out.

Next job is the blisters and support wings for the 5"-38's.

Jim

[nick]

Amazing conversion there Jim!

[johndon]

Looking great Jim, a 44/45 Enterprise is something I'd love to do someday...

John

[Avery Boyer]

Looks great I have a Trumpy 700 Hornet kit....about 50% scratchbuilt.

[J. Soca]

[MartinJQuinn]

Very nice work, Jim. You realize you are sitting on a potential revenue stream there....lots of guys want a correct hull, but don't have the time or skill to scratchbuild their own hull. You should sell the master to one of the resin companies, with the expectation of getting a cut of the sales!!

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Very nice work, Jim. You realize you are sitting on a potential revenue stream there....lots of guys want a correct hull, but don't have the time or skill to scratchbuild their own hull. You should sell the master to one of the resin companies, with the expectation of getting a cut of the sales!!

I agree. The innacurate hull of the Trumpy Hornet is why she is still in the box.

[Mike_in_Vancouver]

I agree, this hull has soured me on buying anymore Trumpeter products until they are reviewed buy this board or steelnavy with a critical eye. I will never build the one I have because of the hull. If a resin hull was available at a realistic price I would buy.

I just don't get those people who say the hull does not matter to me. The hull is closer to a barge than it is to an aircraft carrier

[Avery Boyer]

The hull is closer to a barge than it is to an aircraft carrier

Which led me to convert mine into a partly scrapped oil tanker

[JimRussell]

To all, thanks for the encouragement.

To Martin and others who discussed a resin hull, the same thought went through my mind. I think that it would not work because while a large hunk of resin is fantastic at replicating detail, it is a casting subject to variations in shrinkage and is NOT dimensionally precise. We have all seen or heard complaints about mismatched hull haves. Since the hangar and forecastle decks must be used, the casting must be dead on. Using wood allowed me to start oversize and GRADUALLY sand down to the proper location. Also the blisters will hide many sins over most of the hull length.

Jim

[MartinJQuinn]

Jim,

Any new progress to report? Inquiring minds want to know!

[Cadman]

The wood pattern would make a great master, if it was hollowed out a bit. I would mill it to about a half inch thick all around.


This kit is a good example of a hollowed master.

[JimRussell]

Martin, since you asked - more pics. I was really aggevated with these pics because the dark grey primer showed black. These shots were the frst I made on a new medium grey felt background. I was trying a new backdrop because the old light blue sheet made blue ships look olive. I am calmer now, shot some finished ships with more light (the new low energy socket bulbs!!!???) and blue was blue INDOORS!

The last picture shows the FUN of scratchbuilding. The blister is .25" thick at the waterline and I ended up grinding in grooves on the backside to make the bend easier. The job was all done and I was absentmindedly flexing one, when it broke. In 5 seconds my thought process was:
Damit
I dont want to make this again
You idiot
TILES
I broke all the pieces, bedded them to the hull with yellow carpenters glue, an easy sanding job with a palm orbital sander and nice results.

The first two shots show the hull to date

Jim

[MartinJQuinn]

Martin, since you asked - more pics.

Thanks. You can really see how wrong the shape of the Hornet it in that 2nd picture.

[ModelMonkey]

I would love to do that conversion and yours is superb.

[Devin]

Interesting that you used wood for the lower hull, I wouldn't have thought of that. Did you use the frames as a guide to sand the hull to shape, or did you sand and flare it until it looked right? My plan has always been to make styrene frames for the portion below the hangar deck and then fill it with sculpting clay or the like, but your method seems to have a lot of merit.

As far as shrinkage for casting replicas from resin; aren't there types of resin known for their lack of shrinkage during the cure process? I seem to recall they do exist but are quite a bit more expensive.

Nice work! I'm a huge CV-5 fan.

-Devin

[JimRussell]

Devin,

My basic guide is plans that I draw, copy and rubber cement to the top and bottom of the wood slab I am working on. For CV-6 the top was the hangar deck and the bottom was the waterline (the forecastle piece was added quite late in the process). The plan can be seen in the first entry of this thread (you have to clic the link - I used the old style picture entry and wanted the picture big). I then sand to get the side profile at any particular location along the length. A Dremel type grinder with a drum sander and set at slow speed is perfect for this work. Cannot answer resin questions, remember I make my hulls from wood.

Jim

[Elvis965]

My basic guide is plans that I draw, copy and rubber cement to the top and bottom of the wood slab I am working on.

Interesting technique, Jim.

Maybe I'm just being dense and this is really easy (or it could be the conference call that is droning on in my ear at the moment is blocking my thoughts), but how do you make sure you have the bottom sheet is centered under the top sheet?

Bob

[JimRussell]

Bob,

As is true of most things, it is easy. When the wood is still in block shape, draw the top centerline on the wood, cement the top plan (punch some holes on the centerline of the plan so the centerline on the wood can be seen).

There are then two location tricks for the bottom centerline, drill a hole (with drill press to keep vertical) or cut on the centerline with a thin scroll saw blade to 1" past the end of the ship at the waterline (a .016" blade leaves a slot that will just take a .020" strip of plastic). Insert the plastic strip which has the bow profile cut so that the length of the strip at the waterline is 1".

I use the strip when there is a pointed end (which was both bow and stern for the Enterprise) and the drill hole for a rounded stern. The strip also is a perfect guide for sanding and keeping the bow or stern vertical (I cannot keep a curved pointed bow vertical without the plastic guide). The location of the hole or slot is put on the plans before they are copied.

The attached photo of a CVL shows the plastic bow guide.

Jim

[Elvis965]

Ingenious!

Thanks!

Bob