Calling all USS Enterprise CVN-65 fans

[Guest]

Charles/Jon, it's certainly not easy trying to get an accurate version of the big E due to all the refits and not being sure about the dates on the pictures on the computamabob, so it is a modelers dream having two gents sharing the knowledge that you have and creating the timelines that you have! As a result, I realise that not only do I have to junk my drop down sterndock but also my beautifully created. Latticework spn-41 tower! Bugger!

[Jon C Ryckert]

Okay, here it is. It is in 350th scale and shows the three main deck levels of the hangar as well as the underside of the gallery deck, which happens to be the roof of the hangar. It isn't exactly the highest quality, but I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to stuff I am not getting paid for these days.

Take it to FedEx Office (Kinko's) or whatever you have locally and they can print it for a couple dollars. Make sure and tell them to print it full size without scaling.

Hit the download button below the image:
http://min.us/mdFyb4c

Rob,
Are those hanger deck drawings made to fit inside the 1/350 tamiya kit or will they have to be trimmed ?

[Jon C Ryckert]

Does anyone have a good photo of the anchor hawse pipes on the outer hull? The 1/350 Tamiya kit has them wrong and I would like to corrcet them when I finally do get to start this kit.

[Jockster]

Jon C, I'm using those plans from Rob at the moment to build my Enterprise and Robs deck fits in very nicely with the Tamiya hull. I have also built the JES using both these plans and his Cad drawings a few pages later. Good fortune with your build!
Jockster

[rtwpsom2]

They are not designed for a kit at all, they are scaled down drawings of the actual hangar deck. If the Tamiya hull is accurate then they should be fine.

[Jockster]

Ok gents, I mapped the inside of the Tamiya hull using a pair of inside calipers and made a 2mm thick styrene floor stretching from the stern through to the forward bulkhead of the kit, this floor completely covers the inside of the hull, using Robs plans I have built the walls according to scale and this gives me a 6mm/1/4" gap between the hangar walls and the Tamiya hull which, to me, looks right! Using Robs cad drawings as well as the hangar plans, I have built the JES too, all this has fitted in nicely. I am not using the fantail floor and rear bulkhead from the kit either, it is easier to scratchbuild than modify the kit parts and also gives a continous deck from hangar to fantail.
Now I shall make the ordnance elevators on the starboard side of the hangar and the blast doors.
Rob, if you are reading this, am I right in thinking that there is an ordnance elevator on the port side of the hangar near the No.4 elevator doors? if so, do you have any info on it's position.
Warmest regards,
Jockster.

[rtwpsom2]

There is one ahead of ACEL 4. It starts at 8800 inches from FP (or 5826 inches from the front hangar bulkhead) and is 192 inches long. It is 276 inches from CL and is 86 inches wide. I'll let you do the math conversions on all that. That is the furthest aft one on the port side.

[Jockster]

Very much obliged to you Rob, thanks for your time.
Jockster.

[a1adin]

As near as I can tell the tie downs are 6 inches in diameter and are on a grid approximately 96in x 96in apart with an interstitial tie down in the center of each grid box (i.e. offset 48in x 48in from the corner). That pattern repeats almost the complete surface of the deck. However near the edges, the equipment, and the elevators it gets cockeyed in order to fit tie downs in.

Can anyone please confirm is this tie-down diameter correct or not?

If 6 inches is correct, then the tie downs in the 1/350 tamiya kit are far too big.
I measure the tie downs diameter in the kit, and it is around 1.5mm.
It should be 0.43mm, if the real one is 6 inches.
6 x 2.54 / 350 = 0.043cm = 0.43mm

Is this correct?

[rtwpsom2]

Yes, roughly half a mm. The problem for Tamiya was that their molds at the time weren't capable of a resolution that small. Modern molding practices are capable of that level of detail, but the mold for this kit was made in the 80's and they just couldn't cut that small.

[a1adin]

thanks Rob for the reply.
I really appreciate it.

How about the new trumpeter 1/350 nimitz.
Do they get the tie down correctly?

[rtwpsom2]

I am not certain, I have only ever seen the Tamiya kit in person.

[sgtryan13]

thanks Rob for the reply.
I really appreciate it.

How about the new trumpeter 1/350 nimitz.
Do they get the tie down correctly?

In a word, no. the tie downs in the Nimitz kit are still too big, but I like them actually. With the right paint job and weathering they look really nice. the tie donws have the * pattern in the middle, whcih is cool even though it is overscale. the Nimitz kit does not have the lip over each tie down like the enterprise kit though, so they are at least not sticking above the deck surface.

[gtbred]

good bye old girl!

[Korras]

The Secretary of the Navy at the inactivation cermony announced that CVN-80 would be the next USS Enterprise. The legacy of the Big E lives on!

[P-J]

BREAKING NEWS...Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Ray Mabus has just announced that the next Ford Class Carrier, CVN-80 will be named USS Enterprise during his speech at the inactivation ceremony for CVN-65. Long live the name Enterprise!

[Robin]

BREAKING NEWS...Secretary of the Navy, the Honorable Ray Mabus has just announced that the next Ford Class Carrier, CVN-80 will be named USS Enterprise during his speech at the inactivation ceremony for CVN-65. Long live the name Enterprise!

Great move!

[griZouw]

Hello everyone,

I've got one question for the tamiya cvn 65 builder

How did you cut the 4th elevator from the deck ?

This one :

[rtwpsom2]

Score into the groove around it a number of times with an xacto knife. It's the hard way but the only non-destructive way.

[MightyJJK]

I�m building the 1/720 Revell kit # 5046 USS Enterprise CVAN-65 as she appeared on her 1968 Tonkin Gulf deployment. I know this kit requires a lot of work and additions to make a decent representation so....

Below is a list of the changes/additions I am/will be doing. I�m looking for feedback/advise on what I may have missed�?

Also below are some WIP pictures, and I�d appreciate opinions on the crane area aft of elevator #3. Does that look correct? The kit has this entire area open, but Kinzey�s book shows it closed/solid up to the deck with a support at the top jutting forward to support the small deck area aft of elevator 3..�?

And finally, I use Testor enamels� while there�s a ton on this site about the deck colors, but what about the hull and superstructure�.what red is that? What grays are those on the SS? FS#s or Testor MM #s ?

Anyway, any feedback to help me improve the build is greatly appreciated.

Thanks (This site has already been so incredibly helpful!!!)

-JJK

Corrections / Additions (anything I missed?):
1. Build with the hull; not waterline, (on top of lamp finials, on oak base)
2. Add mooring line openings in bow
3. Open 2 hangar deck doors below elevators 3 & 4
4. Add styrene hangar deck floor between open doors
5. Remove kit molded-in anchors � add PE anchors
6. Drill out mooring line openings on various decks.
7. Correct the bow below the �horns�; add the 5 holes/openings (not sure what they�re called)
8. Correct the crane base area
9. Add antennae (pinched from Italieri USS Independence kit)
10. Add Fresnal Lens and Platform (also from Indy kit)
11. Add Mk. 25 Launchers (thanks CliffyB on this site for trading with me for these!)
12. Add LSO platform (pinched from Dragon USS Princeton kit)
13. Note: I have all the applicable GMM PE kits: railings, antennae, anchors, figures, etc