Calling all USS Hornet CV-8 fans

[John W.]

Like many that post here, periodically I run out of steam for awhile because some of the necessary work - at least from my point of view - takes a lot of effort and concentration. It just requires some time off from that particular project. Since the CV-8 thread slowly fell back from lack of posts, I thought I'd post some 'furthest-on' pictures of my build. I have moved to a couple of other modeling and home projects, but will rejoin the HORNET fray probably later this month.
I was doing two things simultaneously when I put the project aside several weeks ago. The first thing was applying the hull plating strakes using the actual plating diagrams in the Maryland Silver plans. I pretty much completed the Starboard side and applied the armor belt to that side. I have done part of the Port side as well. As that became tedious (since I hate to repeat anything, and the Port side is a duplicate of what I'd already done), I moved on to the flight deck support structures. After staring myself blind looking at plans, blueprints, and photos, I think I have a pretty good sense for what this class of ships looked like in both areas. Still, as I went through the research, I saw several things I'd missed before. For example, there are several 6" diameter metal columns that support transverse girders both under the forward structure and under the stern structure. The columns on the foc'sl deck are right on the ship centerline and support the two transverse girders that are also supported by the much larger vertical columns which have a plus sign (+) cross-section when viewed from above looking downward. There are also several columns that support the deck that supports the crew boat at the very stern of the ship. The attached pictures of my work do not yet show these columns in place, but they will be there. Look carefully in the photos of the three ships (including the bow shot of YORKTOWN I posted above on page 19 of this thread - it can be seen just under the next to last row of vertical stars on the Jack flying from the flagpole at the bow) and you'll see them clearly. Part of the fun of this work is the discovery! Part of the curse of this work is the discovery - 'cause then you have to figure out how to duplicate these features. I apologize in advance for any sleepless nights I may cause for any of you readers . . . .
Here are two shots of the bow and stern flight deck support structures in their pre-primed state. There is still a bit of work to do, but they are close.

In case you are wondering, the small brass tabs are to provide strength and an anchor point for the vertical supports which attach at that point.
Here are two views of the stern with the various support structure pieces placed, but not glued, in their approximately correct locations.

HORNET Flight deck supports 011.jpg (17.94 KiB) Viewed 2633 times

In these two last pictures (above) you can see the armor belt in place. It may or may not be clear from the pictures, but the belt is NOT a constant width along its length. It looks so from the side, but because it wraps under the stern near the prop shaft stuffing tubes it is wider at that point in order to give the same vertical height of the belt as seen from a torpedo's eye view from either Port or Starboard.
Finally, here are two views from the bow:

HORNET Flight deck supports 009.jpg (22.08 KiB) Viewed 2633 times

Not shown in the very first pictures of the support structures above, but shown here are the boxed structures that cover the flight deck catapult mechanisms. Note that there is a notch at the aft end of the boxed structure - this clears the paravanes which are stowed there vertically against the forward wall of the deckhouse. Also note an often missed feature on the Starboard deckhouse outer surface (also on the Port side) - the second row of airports (portholes) above the lower level which are more visible from the side in plans. These are for the compartments on the upper deck inside the deckhouse. The catapult mechanism structures are built up on a deck that is supported by six cylindrical columns, four of which are at the corners of the plated supports with the oblong holes in them (you can see these six columns on my model - the last pair has a transverse plate between them). Trumpeter didn't know what to do with those oblong-holed plates, so they just put them on the focs'l deck by themselves with nothing anywhere near them or on them. On YKTN and ENT, the structures were not initially boxed in, so there is just a deck there supported by the oblong-holed plates and two more columns aft of those plates (which plates, by the way, are thin, parallel, and there is a void between them). The same photo of YKTN on page 19 shows this deck in its unboxed-in state.
Pay no attention to the Blue tape - it's being used to mask a couple of areas while I prime and check a couple of flaws.
There it is for now - warts and all. I am making what I think is good progress, but the intensity of the work requires some 'time-outs' for me not to lose the drive to do it right.
Comments, as always, welcomed.

[Hippy Ed]

Great looking work there John! I don't know if I'm ready to start something like that!!

[John W.]

Ed -
Thanks, man. Staring it ain't the problem, mate. FINISHING it is the problem. I bought the first HORNET kit (BWN) in 1996 . . . . .

[MartinJQuinn]

Gosh John, you are making ashamed that I'm building mine pretty much out of the box!! Fantastic work...

[John W.]

Actually, Martin, I was hoping to show you the way back after seeing your U-Boat posted today. I knew I had to work fast. I like your work! Come back to the carriers. It was just a little slip. It wasn't an I-400 after all. Don't be too hard on yourself. Show us what you're doing . . .
Thanks for the kind words, by the way.

[Hippy Ed]

Ed -
Thanks, man. Staring it ain't the problem, mate. FINISHING it is the problem. I bought the first HORNET kit (BWN) in 1996 . . . . .

How well I know!! I got a 1/48 B-17G that's been in the works for the past 5 yrs.!! Have several Carriers in the works too which I need to get done

Martin, you keep doing as yer doing. Love seeing your work

[Michael Vorrasi]

Fantastic work John W. You must have X-Acto blisters on your fingers from cutting all that Evergreen plastic!

[John W.]

Thanks Mike. Sure hope my finishing skills (P/E, paint, etc.) are up to the necessary quality. I do get Evergreen strip nightmares from time to time - think Mickey as the Sorcerer's Apprentice and you get the drift. One does get into a rhythm after awhile. So far I have used exactly two kit parts: the resin 'plug' that was liberally referred to as the 'hull' in the instructions, and the Trumpeter focs'l deck (with all detail sanded off). Be sure to let me know (before it's too late) if you see anything you know to be amiss. As I said above, I'm still seeing some things for the first time even after all this time.

[Mike Sills]

AAAAAGGHH!
As usual John, you are making me jealous! Beautiful work.
I believe I understand what you mean about the "learning process". It keeps one going on projects like this. When you are done, part of the reward will be a far greater understanding of the ship than if you had assembled a more "perfect" kit.

Mike

[John W.]

Mike -
Fine praise indeed considering the fact that I've seen your excellent work. Want to sell me your HORNET island? Nah, didn't think so. That'd be cheating anyway. I'm still expecting to use your work as my standard when I get to that part of the ship. Current estimate is around 2018 - in the Fall.

[MartinJQuinn]

Got a question from a non-modeling friend who had a question:

I need to find some detail about CV-8 and I thought you might have a reference.

Do you know if the Hornet had 4 ready rooms, one for each squadron?

Were they all in the island on the flight deck level? Or did you have to go up/down a ladder to get from the ready room to the flight deck?

I've been looking for a deck plan, but no luck so far.

Anyone know the answer?

[Dan K]

I want to compliment John on his research and attention to detail. I can apprecaite where he's coming from. And, the build looks amazing.

[Michael Vorrasi]

Got a question from a non-modeling friend who had a question:

I need to find some detail about CV-8 and I thought you might have a reference.

Do you know if the Hornet had 4 ready rooms, one for each squadron?

Were they all in the island on the flight deck level? Or did you have to go up/down a ladder to get from the ready room to the flight deck?

I've been looking for a deck plan, but no luck so far.

Anyone know the answer?

Hi Martin,

The ready rooms on the Yorktowns were located on the gallery deck adjacent to the island and just under the flight deck. They were not located in the island itself, so yes, you take a ladder one deck up to reach the flight deck. Unfortunately, the plans only say Squadron Ready Rooms on the assigned spaces without differentiating how they are partitioned or assigned. There are at least three large and three smaller rooms all adjacent to each other. (Two of the big ones are labeled overflow ready rooms on Yorktown's plan.) That was left up to the crew. Normally though, each squadron would have its own ready room. The areas allotted to the ready rooms are from under the forward section of the island to about midpoint under the flight deck (the port side of the gallery deck here had the admiral's and captain's quarters - big plush suites) and the staircases came up into the island for exit out onto the flight deck just in front of the funnel uptakes and directly below flag bridge. The bomb elevators on the flight deck just alongside the port side of the island run right through the ready room spaces.

HTH,

Mike

[MartinJQuinn]

Thanks Mike...appreciate it.

BTW - do you know which TBDs were spotted on the deck and which in the hangar on June 4, 1942. when Hornet launched her air group?

[Michael Vorrasi]

Thanks Mike...appreciate it.

BTW - do you know which TBDs were spotted on the deck and which in the hangar on June 4, 1942. when Hornet launched her air group?

Martin, we know from Lundstrom's First Team, that Ens. Gay was the first plane of the first wave, and I've seen a photo captioned as Waldron's TBD 8-T-16 taking off last, so maybe they took off in reverse order, as Gay was tail-end Charlie, but I doubt the plane numbers were in any order, since Gay's was 8-T-15. I'm guessing though. I had a thought to check Ens. Gay's book, Sole Survivor, and see if he said anything about it in there. I'll dig it out and let you know.
Michael

[pocketpencil]

I would guess that the planes took off in whatever order was convenient to spot them to the deck in. They would then form up once airborne, where he would move the the indicated formation position.

[Michael Vorrasi]

Hi Martin.

Well, Ens. Gay says in his book that the Midway takeoff was in no particular order. He states: "There was no set rule for takeoff order. It just went the way the deck boys spotted you. First come, first served. In this case, I was to be the first to take off, and Whitey Moore was right behind me." A bit further down he continues, "...it was 0915 when the signal man motioned me forward enough so I could unfold my wings, and so I began my takeoff with the tail of my plane still sitting on the No. 3 elevator. I had more than enough room on deck in front of me to take off, and I noticed as I came back by the ship that the planes that were to follow me were being moved further up the deck with the hope of being able to bring the rest of the torpedo planes of Squadron 8 up the elevator from the hangar deck so they could get in takeoff position."

There it is. Random order. Hornet's deck log might have the actual plane number record, but I don't know if anyone has seen it or located it.

[MartinJQuinn]

Thanks Mike, appreciate you taking the time to check this out.

[aercastro82]

Hi,

I was wondering
how many 20mm AA were onboard CV-8 in October, 1942? Was it 28 or 30?
Also, did CV-8 carried the SG radar?

Thanks in advance,
Apollo

[Dick J]

I was wondering how many 20mm AA were onboard CV-8 in October, 1942? Was it 28 or 30?

32. See page 12 of this thread for that discussion.