Calling all Iowa-class (BB-61) fans

[Fliger747]

Randy

The bridge bulwark has a rather large outward curve so the height of the bulwark at the junction of the bridge windows isn't so apparent. Will see if I have some photos of this area. The wt door leading to the enclosed flag bridge is full height. Also have some photos of this area.

Regards. Tom

[Fliger747]

Door to Admirals bridge is somewhat shorter than I remember!

Hope these help:

Tom

[BB62vet]

Tom,

I, for one, appreciate the photos - it will help my construction when I get to the bridge area. Hope to be back to my shop tomorrow evening!!

Hank

[RandyM]

Tom: outstanding photos - THANK YOU. By the way, is that actual SNOW in the first image?

That flared bulwark is modeled - it just doesn't show well in these views. I'm up in Davis at the moment (moving my daughter in for sophomore year) so I can't show you what I'm talking about. Both these photos are excellent - thanks again.

[Fliger747]

No snow, just a canvas awning, is at Pearl Harbor, snowballs chance there!

Tom

[RandyM]

duh. Don't know why I assumed that might not be a pic of Missouri.

[Fliger747]

Not the greatest photo tone wise due to the great range difference between sun and shade. Interesting finding small mistakes in detail in my ship at this point.

Perhaps some day you can just hit the print button from your virtual ship files!

Cheers. Tom

[RandyM]

Here (finally) is a photo of that area of the flag bridge. I was concerned about the (lack of the) height of the WTD leading inside, but your picture shows this is actually pretty accurate. Notice also that I have work to do at the upper limit of the flag bridge windows.

[Fliger747]

Randy:

I do believe that the w/t door to the flag bridge is a bit taller. I do have a close up photo of this door, somewhere. Yes there is an armored tube below the awarthships M37 directors, however the diameter is somewhat smaller (in my recollection) and it slopes at an angle in the lower section. I have a photo showing this area, at least the lower section as the upper section is now plated in. Will try to find them.

Regards: Tom

[Fliger747]

Note the top of the flag bridge windows are lower with a lower overhang lip continuing aft. Not a great photo of the armored director tube but you can see it is about 3' diameter and slants outboard. I believe that the stbd admirals bridge wing has been modified and the port is a more original configuration.

Photo in the flag bag area showing the passage opening in the tower support.

Cheers: Tom

[RandyM]

Excellent Tom - thanks. I did those windows back when I was a complete SW neophyte (as opposed to the semi-neophyte that I am now) and I've never gotten round to going back and correcting them: this helps a lot.

That armored tube has me puzzled. The FDD plans show it moving not only outboard (as you can plainly see in your photo - call that the y-axis) but also fore/aft (x-axis) as it moves from the director downward (z-axis, just to make sure you have a headache). However, photos I have of this area don't show that configuration - they all appear to show that the tube is constant in the y-axis.

More questions: does anyone know the purpose of the strange bulwark just inboard of the flag bags? It has a pass-thru similar to the ones in the director support structure (note I have yet to install the knife edges in these openings). The only thing I can come up with is that it is some sort of support for the forward mast (?).

Also, the FDD plans indicate the bottom of the flag bag is 36-inches below deck level - ie., it extends down into the compartment below. Is this correct?

[Fliger747]

I would be surprised if the flag bags extended below the deck level, but as this was covered I have no way to tell. Perhaps Cliffy B could illuminate us on this. Vibration was always an issue in optical fire control so I expect some stiffening was desirable. The tube may also slant in a forward direction, have to search a bit more to find a photo of this.

Cheers. Tom.

[Cliffy B]

They do indeed extend below the deck and that frame does exist as well with an opening cut to allow fore and aft access. I'll take some shots of it tomorrow.

[RandyM]

Cliff...

I ate lunch in my office today and actually spent some time browsing for photos. Google led me to modelwarships, then to a thread in which you had posted links to many photos you have posted on photobucket (or whatever it is).

I'm probably a bit behind the times, but T H A N K Y O U for providing these great photos to this community.

Randy

[Fliger747]

Found it!

Tom

[RandyM]

Perfect. And there's an outstanding view of that bulwark inboard of the flag bag too. These photos are great.

[RandyM]

Corrected director tube. It needs to be refined somewhat - for now this is just two straight lines with a fillet in between. If you come across any other photos, please share.

Ignore those ladders, this is the area I'm using to experiment with different incline angles.

[BB62vet]

Randy,

Nice progress on the 3D IOWA! I have a photo in my NJ cruise book looking forward at the fwd. stack that shows the various levels & ladders - I will scan it Monday and post it - the ladders on both levels appear to be at the same angle, etc. I've just worked on those levels installing the railings, etc. on my NEW JERSEY project. The time period of this photo is 1969, but the ladders didn't change, only the removal of some of the older equipment from WWII & Korean War eras.

Hank

[Fliger747]

I also have some photos looking fwd at the BB63 fwd stack. Indeed the ladders and a few other things have not changed (much)..

[RandyM]

Tom:

More fantastic photos - thank you. Tons of excellent detail.

Question... in the first two photos in the series of four, the upper-most deck visible (which I believe is the 05 deck) has a sill/coaming/whatever which includes a return on the bottom edge - basically forming a squared "C" facing inboard. My interpretation of photos from her early days is that this sill has no lower return. Do you know if this is how the ship was built - or was that return added/updated during a refit?