Calling all Essex-class (WWII configuration) fans

[Timmy C]

Franklin kit comes with the most planes. If I remember correctly from what Tracy told me, the kit is supposed to represent her in 1945, but the instructions would have you paint her in late 1944's dazzle scheme.

[MartinJQuinn]

Most sources claim that USS Hornet was the only Essex that wore MS 33/3a with 5-N, 5-H, 5-P color set.

I'll be painting my 1/350 CV-12 5N/5H/5P.

[Mike Pajewski]

Switching gears to 1/350 scale:

I'm thinking of treating myself to a 1/350 scale Essex class, I'd choose a short hull so it's the Essex or the Franklin. There's no review on this site about the Franklin (CV-13) but is it just a re-box of the Essex or is it an actual late war model?

What are the differences If you don't mind me asking?

Are the aircraft in the kit different also?

The Franklin kit is a modified short hull compared to Essex. The kit differences are as follows:
1. Hull has been retooled to include the armor belt and and inset mooring bollards which are missing on the CV 9 kit. It still has the small starboard sponson for the hangar catapult. The hangar catapult was removed by NNSY during fitting out, so she never took it into action.
2. Flight deck was retooled to include both port and starboard catapults. The missing round downs or ramps were also corrected. Larger 20mm gun galleries provided for port side.
3. Island inculdes the enlarged flag bridge modification, extended radar platform, SM and SK 2 radars. Flag and Navigation bridge platforms are also different. Larger 20mm gun galleries provided for island.
4. Extended sponsons are include for the two Stbd aft hangar deck 40mm mounts.
5. Parts are included for the three outboard starboard 40mm mounts below the island.
6. The large stern transom for twin quad 40mm mounts is included.
7. A sponson for the two forward port quad 40mm mounts replaces the sponson for the hangar catapult and the two additional gallery deck port outboard 40mm mounts are included.
All in all, it is more accurate for a late war short hull ship. Some of the outboard mounts require drilling holes or slots in the hangar deck walls, so you could leave off the mounts to make a specific ship. The early war parts are not included, so making a sip that had not received all the modifications at once would be difficult. The decal sheet has the later war aircraft markings and flight deck markings. Aircraft also reflect what was on Franklin in 1945, SB2C, F6F, F4U and TBFs

[Adaks]

Hull has been retooled

Mike, you are talking about early issue of Trumpeter Essex. Late editions have the same hull as Franklin and Yorktown (with armor belt) and correct round downs (flight deck).

3. Island inculdes the enlarged flag bridge modification, extended radar platform, SM and SK 2 radars. Flag and Navigation bridge platforms are also different. Larger 20mm gun galleries provided for island..

This new late bridge is not totally correct for mid 1944-end 1944 period (when she was in dazzle) as well as 1945 period (MS21).

Hope it helps

[Mike Pajewski]

I have two Essex kits, and they must both be early production kits then, since they have the same flaws. One is being built as the Lexington in 1943, the other may become the Hornet or Wasp, not sure which. As far as the Franklin kit island, I haven't researched that ship enough to determine what is and isn't correct, I just was describing the differences. It does have the larger flag plot, with one less 40mm mount and SK-2 radar, not the SK bed spring. It also has the larger 20mm gun galleries, which may or not be correct. The box art depicts MS-21, yet the color sheet has her in dazzle camo, which is before the Kamikaze hit. The kit appears to be closer to the March 1945 fit. The other other thing is the kit has 5 radio masts, Franklin only had 4 when built and two after the January 45 refit.

[Adaks]

I just was describing the differences.

Your comparison is very good. I just wanted to add my two cents about some inaccuracies of the Franklin kit. New late bridge provided by Trumpeter is good starting point, but needs some correction. Fortunately there is quite good photographic documentation.

I'll be painting my 1/350 CV-12 5N/5H/5P.

If I built CV-12 I would do the same.

[Jeffcsr]

I stumble across a review on the Dragon CV-16 Lexington, trying to find out the differences in all their kits. The Lexington was armed with "Army" 50cal quads? Was this a temporary armament that Dragon caught or were these part of the ships weaponry all along?

http://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10046058

[Tracy White]

Read this.
Probably more than you ever wanted to know

Wasp had them too.

[Hippy Ed]

Read this.
Probably more than you ever wanted to know

Wasp had them too.

WoW!! Thanks Tracy!!

[Tracy White]

One of the questions that has been brought up before is that of the color of the elevator wells. Pre-war, they were white, like the rest of the interior bulkheads. You can clearly see that in this photo of CV-2 Lexington in October 1941. Obviously, this really broke the camouflage, spotlighting the ship, and the Navy started painting the bulkheads a darker color at some point. As far as I know, no one's found or posted any directives in the matter, and I've been keeping my eyes open as I research the essex class and other ships.

To date, I've found two official documents that help, but nothing definite. One covers light lockers, and the other bomb elevators; both talk about painting the areas inside dull black, but the surfaces of the airplane elevators themselves don't look black to me, even in black and white.

So I've been going through some 80-G-K images here (80-G-K is a group of color photos from the US Navy roughly WWII time frame) and noticed two photos from different classes that have the same pattern.

I am reasonably certain this picture is of CV-6 Enterprise:
http://www.historylink101.com/ww2_navy/ ... /6353.html

And this one is a CVL:
http://www.historylink101.com/ww2_navy/ ... 9/279.html

Note in both of them there is a band of black paint near the top.. perhaps 6-8' thick, with a dark blue beneath. Still no idea what color of blue it is, be it Deck Blue or 5-N Navy blue, but because we see the same pattern on two classes I think we can say this was possibly painted in accordance with a directive.

*Edit* This CVL document I found lists a six-foot black band in paragraph 6 on the second page.

[Jeffcsr]

Can someone vouch this photo is time correct?
Yorktown Sept. 1944 location unknown
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/021038.jpg

So were the tail port side flight deck quad 40 mounts installed before the 1944/1945 refit? Were these on the Yorktown when her planes took out the Yamato?

Tell me how screwed up I am on my kit... I'm doing the dazzle camoflauge and now I read Steve Larsen's work on the Yorktown.

I have the round bridge, the 2 port side tail guns, no hanger deck catapult, and no 2nd forward quad 40 on the Island. If I read everything right my ship is incorrect for any time period.

Please help so I can move onto another ship

[Tracy White]

That photo is dated September 30th, at the conclusion of her overhaul at Puget Sound.
I'm not sure what you mean by "tail guns"
She did have the dual quad 40mms on the stern during her April action. No hangar cat, two flight deck cats, quad 40mm forward of the bridge removed so the flag bridge could be enlarged.

[Jeffcsr]

That photo is dated September 30th, at the conclusion of her overhaul at Puget Sound.
I'm not sure what you mean by "tail guns"
She did have the dual quad 40mms on the stern during her April action. No hangar cat, two flight deck cats, quad 40mm forward of the bridge removed so the flag bridge could be enlarged.

Thanks for the reply... I feel like a pest

Here's the mounts I mean:

[Adaks]

Here's the mounts I mean:

These two 40mm quads were on Yorktown from September 1944 refit to 1947 ((?) All the same, to the end of WW2 for sure ).

CV-10 was 'in dazzle' in two different configurations:

1\May 1944-August 1944 - hangar cat, one flight deck cat, early island, 10 40mm quads.

2\September 1944-May 1945 (?) - no hangar cat, two flight deck cats, late island, 17 40mm quads total.

Radar fit was also different in these two periods.

If you built Yorktown in configuration from picture (2) you should also use only two first radio masts.

[Jeffcsr]

Thanks! I'll scratch build the late bridge and make sure I have the Aerials & radar right...

You guys have been a big help!

[Tracy White]

Thanks for the reply... I feel like a pest

That's what this section is for... if you have the question, odds are someone else will, and we'd rather only answer it ONCE!

Those quad mounts were added in the fall '44 overhaul and are good to go for a 1945 Yorktown.

[keith hufnagel]

Hello Tracy, I noticed a question about the port side aft 40mm mounts (not the stern)on late war Yorktown (CV-10). I have always wanted to confirm or correct with you the actual configuration of these two mounts with you, and now seems like good time to ask since you are focused on this area for the previous fellows post. In building my Yorktown several years ago I came across several pictures and an illustration of late war Yorktown (CV-10) (Oct 8 /44') (and her near twin Lexington CV-16) that seemed to indicate that these mounts were a level lower with a break in the catwalk level above. I assumed it to be plausible for saving topweight, supportability, and flightdeck obstructions. The photographic evidence seemed convincing to me at the time. However I have seen many beautifully rendered models of late war Yorktown (CV-10) that show catwalks overhead of this obviously lowered 40mm battery. Do you know which configuration is correct? This is just one of those little deals that has always bugged me. What does your research show. Thanks for your time. Sincerely Keith Hufnagel

[Tracy White]

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0574504.jpg
That cut in the flight deck is there, as you surmised. The catwalks in general are extremely over-simplified, but as you might guess it can be hard finding good photos of the details since you're always looking through railings. Even the GMM and WEM catwalks are grossly oversimplified, but honestly, anyone who wanted to accurately represent this area would have to completely scratchbuild a ton of structure, with or without PE. I can't fault either company for not wanting to tackle that project.

[Cliffy B]

Question guys; I was looking through the gallery and found this new submission for CV-38 and noticed something weird (at least to me). What are the vertical strips along both sides, mostly beneath the island? I recognize the hanger deck vents along the starboard side but the almost teardrop strips have me stumped. They look like they're welded onto the hull so maybe they're reinforcement strips? Anyone know?






http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

[Capt652]

Hi Cliffy,

The items you ask about are called 'butt straps', steel plates welded to tie the hull sides and main deck to the upper structure. While I don't know what thickness of steel they really are, in 1:350 scale they probably would be close to the thickness of a coat of paint. I made mine out of the thinnest sheet styrene I could find, I think it is .010". I know it's way over scale. I tried a little sanding too. I got the idea from Steve Larsen and after looking closely at pictures of the real ships I followed suite. Like i said, I know it's over scale, but I like the look.

Timm