Calling all Essex-class (Cold War configuration) fans

[Jeffcsr]

Lake Champlain CVA-39 lost it's deck mounted dual 5/38 turrets during the SCB-27A re-fit while others didn't. She also kept the straight flight deck instead of an angled deck. I think I want to model this carrier with the Dragon CVS-37 Princeton kit. Can anyone tell me since I can't find any clear photos, where the 5/38 dual mounts were removed from the deck are there any "barbettes" or plating, etc... that I would need to portray where the guns used to be?

[Dick J]

Lake Champlain CVA-39 lost it's deck mounted dual 5/38 turrets during the SCB-27A re-fit while others didn't. She also kept the straight flight deck instead of an angled deck. I think I want to model this carrier with the Dragon CVS-37 Princeton kit. Can anyone tell me since I can't find any clear photos, where the 5/38 dual mounts were removed from the deck are there any "barbettes" or plating, etc... that I would need to portray where the guns used to be?

Every SCB-27 conversion (both Alpha and Charlie types) lost the deck mounted twins. The area was planked over, so there were no obvious signs of where the guns had been. Antietam was NOT an SCB-27 upgrade of any kind - her angled deck was a total experiment. (The angled deck portion of the modernization of the other Essex's was SCB-125 and not a part of SCB-27.) Several of the unmodernized long-hulls had a limited bridge mod (angled funnel caps and the pole mast), but that wasn't an SCB-27 either. Lake Champlain was the only SCB-27 that did not eventually receive SCB-125.

[Jeffcsr]

Thanks once again Dick, I didn't catch those facts... I thought the angled deck was part of it (SCB-27A) and on Navsource I didn't see any other Essex/Ticonderoga class that had the turrets removed while having a straight deck. That's probably where my confusion was.

I'll have to pay close attention to the bridge variations, I'll wait till the kit comes in so I can compare it. Now all I need is a 1/700 Mercury Capsule and I'm in business

[Dick J]

and on Navsource I didn't see any other Essex/Ticonderoga class that had the turrets removed while having a straight deck.

All of the SCB-27A's and -27C's that commissioned with the straight deck have photos in that config on Navsource.

SCB-27A:
Essex: you have to scroll to the bottom of the first page and click on the 1948-1969 section.
Yorktown: main page has SCB-27A and SCB-125 sections.
Hornet: scroll down to the (SCB-27A and SCB-125) section.
Randolph: main page has SCB-27A and SCB-125 sections
Wasp: scroll down and click on SCB-27A and SCB-125 link
Bennington: main page has SCB-27A and SCB-125 sections
Kearsarge: has -27A and -125 sections on main page
Oriskany: commissioned in SCB-27A - has section for SCB-125A (added steam cats to -125,
the only -27A so upgraded)
Lake Champlain: only has SCB-27A section but it is on the main page.

Many of the above have separate as-built, -27A, and -125 sections under the "specifications"

SCB-27C

Intrepid: has SCB-27C and SCB-125 sections on main page
Ticonderoga: has SCB-27C and SCB-125 sections on main page
Hancock: has SCB-27C and SCB-125 sections on main page

Note that the forward end of the flightdeck was widened prior to having the bow enclosed under SCB-125. (to accomodate the angled steam cats)

SCB-27C + SCB-125 (both done in same yard period, but were separate projects.)

Lexington: has SCB-27C/SCB-125 section on main page
Bon Homme Richard: has SCB-27C/SCB-125 section on main page
Shangri-La: has SCB-27C/SCB-125 section on main page

Note that the modernization photos of Shangri-La prove that SCB-27C and SCB-125 were separate projects. One of the photos shows part of the bow removed, but the other half still has the tub for the 3" guns that was enlarged under SCB-27C. The bow was altered to the pre-SCB-125 config prior to having the bow enclosed.

[Jeffcsr]

Wow! I need glasses!

Well that opens up more possibilities... I really thought I stumbled on a rarity.

[M�LDERS]

Germans like to travel a lot. And when they re Naval Maniacs, they dont go to the Golden Gate. They prefer to check out some Stuff laying in Alameda CA.
Check out http://www.marinewerft.de if you like to see more Stuff like this:






Greetz!

[coolrunnings_99]

Hello all,

Please any help would be greatly appreciated.
I am keeping myself busy with 1/700 "Bonnie Dick", and am trying to make her look as close as possible ,as was during the first Korean tour of 51.

If anyone can help with the location of catwalks, and LSO platform, I d be much obliged.

Airgroup should be VF 71&72 with F-9F2 Panthers, Corsairs and Skyraiders? I presume no Banshees or Cougars on board?


Thank You very much in advance, and all the best!

Ante

[coolrunnings_99]

...Forgot about the damned rigging, so here s hoping someone might help with a simplified (1/700) diagram for rigging the Bonnie Dick

Thanks in advance,

Kind regards,

Ante

[Stefan Buysse]

Hi,

I'm interested in the Essex-class carriers that became LPH's: USS Boxer, USS Princeton and USS Valley Forge.
I have Dragon's USS Boxer kit and Starfighter decals.
The main source of reference for me have been the pictures on Navsource. These are not in the "Carrier" section, but in the "Amphibious" section.
I gather from these pictures that I can leave the catapults on the deck. But what about the arresting cables and their fair lead sheaves? Were these removed from the LPH's?

Cheers, Stefan.

[raser13]

hey guys i don't know if you guys have these yet or even if they would help. they're of one of the essexes. i'm guessin around the korean war? at least post WW-II by the presence of the jets. they're of the forward elevator after a jet missed the cable and ran throught the net. they were about to bring another jet up to the deck which is why it was down in the first place. it's also why the one jet is on top of the other. but is has great views of the walls to the front and to the sides of the elevator.













unfortunatly i don't remember where i got these from or i'd look up which ship it was on. but i tend to only keep pics of the intrepid, unless the picture has an area rarely photographed. like the front elevators. sorry if they don't help or if you already have them. i do have a couple of questions though, when the elevators where in the up position where there just open pits under them? and exactly how did the auxilery elevator on the stern elevator work(pg.74 fig.e7 item #24 in the AOTS)? did it pop up as the main elevator raised up, or was it counter sunk under it when it was raised?

[raser13]

also would anyone have any photos of the mid hanger deck? i've scoured the internet as best i could and all i've found is some verry dark or really out of focus pics that don't tell me squat,i'm trying to peice together what the hanger bay looked like from the schematics in the AOTS but i'm not much of an engineer and it is some what confusing to me. fig.E7 is helping a little, but you know what they say a picture is worth a thousand words.

[ModelMonkey]

Those are very dramatic photos! If the pilot survived, he's a lucky man.

The bulkhead details of the forward elevator well in these photos are post-war modifications.

also would anyone have any photos of the mid hanger deck?

Here you go:

[raser13]

Those are very dramatic photos! If the pilot survived, he's a lucky man.

i know the site that i got those from said that the pilot definatelly survived.and if i remember correctly they said that all of the deck crew and the pilot below survived as well. the only issue was the dammage to the plane,the bulkhead and the fire that started from the crash.

i'm sorry the photos were too late of a period for you guys. maybe next time i'll be able to help out.

thanks steve for the screen caps they'll help out alot.between those and the schematicts i should be able to hit the ground running and figure out how this is layed out.

where would i pic up a copy of "the fighting lady"? looks like it covers alot of the day to day life and areas on a carrier that just isn't seen anywhere else.(it is a movie correct?)also does the wartime cruisebook have alot more photos like the ones shown of the hanger deck?and if so who is the author so i can pick up a copy. is there any other books of photos and such that you guys would recomend that i add to my library? right now is all i have is the "AOTS:The Intrepid" to go off of and the few fuzzy and dark photos off of the web that i've been able to collect.

[ModelMonkey]

i know the site that i got those from said that the pilot definatelly survived.and if i remember correctly they said that all of the deck crew and the pilot below survived as well. the only issue was the dammage to the plane,the bulkhead and the fire that started from the crash.

Amen.

i'm sorry the photos were too late of a period for you guys. maybe next time i'll be able to help out.

Not at all, lots of guys are building Korean-war and later Essexes. You're a big help.

where would i pic up a copy of "the fighting lady"?

For free: YouTube. Just search for "Yorktown" or "Fighting Lady"

[Michael Davies]

Those are very dramatic photos! If the pilot survived, he's a lucky man.

i know the site that i got those from said that the pilot definatelly survived.and if i remember correctly they said that all of the deck crew and the pilot below survived as well. the only issue was the dammage to the plane,the bulkhead and the fire that started from the crash.

i'm sorry the photos were too late of a period for you guys. maybe next time i'll be able to help out.

I've not seen these images before, very informative, do you remember the site you got them from please ?, I'm virtual modeling Essex carriers for all there major conflicts so Korean and Vietnam images are very helpfull.

A little look through my records shows that the vessel is USS Bennington, the Big #20 in the first image was a dead give away , as was the tail code WP which was assigned to VMA 223 who flew F9F-2 Panthers, they made several deployments but the only one aboard Bennington was in 1953 from Feb to Oct when she did a training cruise from Florida to Cuba, other than that I dont have much more info right now.

Best

Michael

[sumpter250]

I ran a search, and could not find any result on "CVS-15".
I am working on a 1:700 (Dragon) Randolph, as she appeared in 1963-1965(CVS-15), while part of Task Group Alpha.
What I would really like, are some photos of her Starboard side, both high level, and low level (high angle/low angle).
Aircraft carriers, as a group, seem to shy away from "starboard side shots"

[ModelMonkey]

Randolph is covered under the "Calling all Essex class" thread. There are lots of Essex experts sharing ideas and experience there.

NavSource and Naval Historical Center may have other photos of Randolph that may be helpful to you or the starboard side of sisters ships with the SCB-125 modernization.

Randolph: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-u ... r/cv15.htm
SCB-125 modernization (angle deck & hurricane bow) photos: http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/usns ... b125cl.htm

[Bill Lahaise]

Hello all,

I have a question about the Antietam that I'm working on. I want to build the 1956 version. The instructions don't show any difference with the AA layout, but I have found pictures where the bow and stern 40mm have been removed and the tubs are empty. Does anyone know about the other AA mounts around the ship and island?

Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks so much
-Bill L.

P.S. I did a search here and didn't find the info I needed, so I hope I'm not rehashing a topic that has already been covered.

[jgrease]

Hello all - a couple of Antietam-related questions for the folks at home. I am starting the DML kit and I definitely want to build her for 1956 or so. After an hour of browsing the 'net, I keep coming up with the same 3 photos. Does anyone have any other CV-36 photos post-55? References are few and far-between for this ship after the addition of the angled deck. I was tempted to build her as a training ship, but aircraft would become a problem. As for an ASW ship, there's the new Princeton for that. So back to that period when she was still a carrier with regular planes. I really need photos, so if anyone has a line on some, let me know. Also, I see parts on the new sprue B that aren't in the directions (what a shock), but I believe they are to be used on Antietam - parts B17, B18 and B19. I'm guessing they are the lifeboat thingys that hang off of the sides of the flight deck. Also, I am guessing by the could of pictures I can find that the 20mm AA guns are only present on the island or is that wrong as well? I think there are few guns left on CV-36 by 1956, the only ones I think I see are on the sponson port side at the large forward doors and the area just forward of that, for a total of 5 guns. In areas where the guns were removed, would one still see the mounting poins or should the deck be flush? My last reference question would be flight deck color for that time period - still deck blue or darker? Thanks in advance for any help.

John

[jgrease]

Let me try again. Someone here must have an answer for me...
Hello all - a couple of Antietam-related questions for the folks at home. I am starting the DML kit and I definitely want to build her for 1956 or so. After an hour of browsing the 'net, I keep coming up with the same 3 photos. Does anyone have any other CV-36 photos post-55? References are few and far-between for this ship after the addition of the angled deck. I was tempted to build her as a training ship, but aircraft would become a problem. As for an ASW ship, there's the new Princeton for that. So back to that period when she was still a carrier with regular planes. I really need photos, so if anyone has a line on some, let me know. Also, I see parts on the new sprue B that aren't in the directions (what a shock), but I believe they are to be used on Antietam - parts B17, B18 and B19. I'm guessing they are the lifeboat thingys that hang off of the sides of the flight deck. Also, I am guessing by the could of pictures I can find that the 20mm AA guns are only present on the island or is that wrong as well? I think there are few guns left on CV-36 by 1956, the only ones I think I see are on the sponson port side at the large forward doors and the area just forward of that, for a total of 5 guns. In areas where the guns were removed, would one still see the mounting poins or should the deck be flush? My last reference question would be flight deck color for that time period - still deck blue or darker? Thanks in advance for any help.
Doesn't anyone have any answers for me?