Calling all USS Enterprise CV-6 fans

[cope]

I am building a model of the Enterprise from the naval Yorktown plans (CV-5). Something was mentioned about an additional primary flight control somewhere on the forums, it may have even been this post. Are there any good pictures or diagrams I can use to figure out the location of it? Also, was this on the Enterprise as she was laid down or added later? I'm actually building the original 1936 model, so if it was added later it may be a non-issue. Are there any other considerations that anyone knows of that vary from the plans?

Thanks!

[Michael Vorrasi]

I am building a model of the Enterprise from the naval Yorktown plans (CV-5). Something was mentioned about an additional primary flight control somewhere on the forums, it may have even been this post. Are there any good pictures or diagrams I can use to figure out the location of it? Also, was this on the Enterprise as she was laid down or added later? I'm actually building the original 1936 model, so if it was added later it may be a non-issue. Are there any other considerations that anyone knows of that vary from the plans?

Thanks!

You are referring to the Secondary Flight Control station, which is located at the aft end of the port side island catwalk, just below and behind the big searchlight platform on the funnel. It is a wider section at the aft end, and was an open station on all three ships, as built. Enterprise had the location windowed and closed in a few years after commissioning, during 1940 sometime, so if "as built" 1938 appearance is what you need, no worries. Follow Yorktown. As built, CV-5 and CV-6 were so close their captains could have trouble telling them apart in the first few years after commissioning. (There is an official photo floating about that labels this windowed in Secondary Fly station as being on CV-5 as well, however, it is a mis-caption on the original photo. It was really CV-6 in the photo.)

Here is a Oct., 1939 shot showing the secondary flight control on CV-6 was still open:

And this shot, three years later in Oct 1942, shows the enclosed Sec-Fly:

[cope]

Thanks, that's very helpful. I need the deck to be natural wood color because I am working in Minecraft (a video game) and I have a wood textured block that I'd like to use for the flight deck. So, I need to build the Enterprise before the flight deck was stained. In 1938 though it seems it was still a natural wood color so that would be doable too. Also it seems the longer she was in service the more guns were added, and in minecraft it will be hard to get that detailed, so probably the less guns the better. Thanks again for your help.

[Tracy White]

It was mahogany stained, but that's a more wood color than blue.....

[cope]

Actually in the latest patch we got three seperate wood colors, one being almost mahogany. I was wondering about that actually so you must have some sort of ESP. Thanks for the input! One question about the flight deck though. I don't think the enterprise would have had YKTN written on the deck, are there any images of the deck as it was launched? I've seen some that say EN, and some that have the number 6.

[Michael Vorrasi]

Actually in the latest patch we got three seperate wood colors, one being almost mahogany. I was wondering about that actually so you must have some sort of ESP. Thanks for the input! One question about the flight deck though. I don't think the enterprise would have had YKTN written on the deck, are there any images of the deck as it was launched? I've seen some that say EN, and some that have the number 6.

It was EN in yellow letters, fore and aft on the flight deck. The numeral 6 was used from Mid-WW2 on blue stained deck.

[Tracy White]

EN was pre-war, 6 was after the war had been going for a little bit. I don't know the exact dates for either off the top of my head. Some color photos of Enterprise pre-war:

http://images.google.com/hosted/life/d9 ... 44d42.html
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/l? ... 6559b16bd0
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/2c ... ac534.html
http://images.google.com/hosted/life/28 ... 1a27d.html

[cope]

Hi all, I have a question about the life boats. What material were they made from and what color were they? I've looked through all of the color pictures that I can find and I don't see any pictures with them in them. Were they also the same color grey as the hull? Thanks a lot for all of your help so far! You've been an invaluable resource in getting this model accurate.

[Tracy White]

Boats & rafts painted to match.

[Michael Vorrasi]

Boats & rafts painted to match.

Tracy, agreed, but what about the boat bottoms? Were they painted black? Anti-fouling red would be a bit counterproductive for a boat stored on deck, but none of the camo painting instructions seem to cover ship's boat bottoms specifically.

[Tracy White]

Prewar the hulls below the waterline were black (same reason for boot topping I presume). Photos by 1943 show both black and camouflage color, but in 1944 they're more often than not completely painted to match the camouflage, including the area below the waterline. I haven't managed to come across any specific directives yet.

[pbudzik]

Found this if it helps


Paul

http://paulbudzik.com/current-projects/ ... ratch.html

[pbudzik]

Anyone have good photos of the rudder and shaft area?

Paul

http://paulbudzik.com/current-projects/ ... ratch.html

[Devin]

Another color question: In early 1941, is it safe to assume that Enterprise still had the mahogany deck and the aircraft were still in the "yellow wings" scheme? Someone who's scratch-building E in 1/192nd scale asked me how late he could go and still keep all of the pre-war colors, and I honestly don't know what the cutoff date was.

Thanks!

[Michael Vorrasi]

Another color question: In early 1941, is it safe to assume that Enterprise still had the mahogany deck and the aircraft were still in the "yellow wings" scheme? Someone who's scratch-building E in 1/192nd scale asked me how late he could go and still keep all of the pre-war colors, and I honestly don't know what the cutoff date was.

Thanks!

Based on the data for photo K14254 at the NHC, she was in Measure 1, still with mahogany deck, by June 1941, and her flight deck was in blue stain by July 1941. I'm not sure when, prior to June 1941, that she painted out of prewar gray, but you can't go later than that as photo proof is available to date it. Since Measure 1 was called for in Ships-2 of January 1941, your window of opportunity in 1941 is very slim. As for yellow perils, everything ship based was to be in the overall light gray scheme per Dec 30, 1940 orders, with patrol aircraft in the blue gray top/light gray bottom scheme. As of August 20, 1941, all aircraft were to be in the in the blue gray upper/light gray lower scheme, with exception of wing bottoms of folding wing aircraft visible from above, these to be in blue gray. 1940 is your real cutoff year for pre-war coloring.

[Tracy White]

Based on the battleships of the period I would say May 1941 as the cut-off. SHIPS-2 was originally issued in January, as Michael says, but there were paint production problems and deliveries were delayed for months afterwards. I know that Dive Bomber was filmed with Enterprise at the end of March 1941 with the ship in the pre-war gray.

[Michael Vorrasi]

Based on the battleships of the period I would say May 1941 as the cut-off. SHIPS-2 was originally issued in January, as Michael says, but there were paint production problems and deliveries were delayed for months afterwards. I know that Dive Bomber was filmed with Enterprise at the end of March 1941 with the ship in the pre-war gray.

All those Life Magazine color shots and "Dive Bomber" were on my mind, but I didn't have the actual filming dates. Amazing that Wikipedia can come up with that date! So, later than March but no later than May 1941 for prewar CV-6 colors. Note the discussion about prewar aircraft colors being held over for the filming and I do recall, just as it says, that some overall light gray planes appear in the film as the changes ordered were already in effect. I never knew Errol Flynn was a licensed pilot. He taxied a dive bomber in the film himself, but the studio forbade him flying in the film due to an unauthorized buzz job on another famous Flynn movie (Robin Hood). Interesting.

[Hippy Ed]

Another color question: In early 1941, is it safe to assume that Enterprise still had the mahogany deck and the aircraft were still in the "yellow wings" scheme? Someone who's scratch-building E in 1/192nd scale asked me how late he could go and still keep all of the pre-war colors, and I honestly don't know what the cutoff date was.

Thanks!

Based on the data for photo K14254 at the NHC, she was in Measure 1, still with mahogany deck, by June 1941, and her flight deck was in blue stain by July 1941. I'm not sure when, prior to June 1941, that she painted out of prewar gray, but you can't go later than that as photo proof is available to date it. Since Measure 1 was called for in Ships-2 of January 1941, your window of opportunity in 1941 is very slim. As for yellow perils, everything ship based was to be in the overall light gray scheme per Dec 30, 1940 orders, with patrol aircraft in the blue gray top/light gray bottom scheme. As of August 20, 1941, all aircraft were to be in the in the blue gray upper/light gray lower scheme, with exception of wing bottoms of folding wing aircraft visible from above, these to be in blue gray. 1940 is your real cutoff year for pre-war coloring.

WoW! Very interesting. Thanks Mike!!

[Starfire]

HELP!
I have been reading through this long post without finding what I need. I still hope some of your might know what I need

I am flying an WWII airsim in which we can fly and make campaigns. Right now I am trying to recreate a historical reinactment of the US navys raid on Wake at the 24 of February 1942.
I am trying to find prof of use of IFFF (Identiication Friend or Foe).

I know that the the CXAM-1 experimental radar system was installed in USS Enterprise CV-6. Date unknown but installation of the CXAM started in october 1940. From that I extrapolate that it was installed by february 1942.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CXAM_RADAR)


What I need to know is if the USN aircraft onboard of Enterprise CV-6 had IFF!?

I know that US Navy had an I.F.F. named ABK (US Army name SCR 595) at the time, but was an IFF build into Enterprise's aircraft!?

[Tracy White]

First off, welcome.
Second, I don't believe any of the aircraft had IFF, but even if they did, a later action report suggests that even if it was, it wasn't a factor for your campaign.

The FD radar cannot pick up the present IFF and that adds greatly to the problem.