What-If USN Strike Cruiser (CSG or CSGN)

[zirconic]

I'd still love to find out more about those earlier images, like if it is possible to get quality high-res scans. Here's another image of Long Beach.

[Seasick]

Had Long Beach started her mid-life refit in 1982 it might have been different with the Reagan Administration budgets. The aft superstructure where the Talos and its radars were being torn down and a new aft superstructure being built. The new superstructure would be modeled after the stern portion of the USS Hayler's. A flight deck for SH-60B, RAST system, hanger for two SH-60B, all the necessary workshops, a magazine for lightweight torpedoes to supply them to the SH-60B and move the Mk32 tubes further aft so they could reload easily from the same magazine. The Armored box launchers and the Mk141 launch tubes for Harpoon could be moved inboard of the hanger where they would not interfear with air ops. The Phalanx guns could be placed atop of the hanger structure with wider firing arcs that could reach further forward. Ditch the ASROC launcher and place the ABL there.

[Bill Liebold]

Zirconic,

Check your pm, I sent you a message there. The paintings done at RCA, now Lockheed Martin were painted by Vince Piecyk, who sadly is no longer with us. The strike cruiser CSGN-1 is the oldest being painted in May of 1976. The Long Beach was painted in 1977 and the CGN-42 was painted in 1978. All of them are 18"x 24" but the matte openings are only 17"x23".

Bill

[GMG4RWF]

If your going for 700th scale, I would suggest a 450-600 scale USS California CGN-36 depending on what you can find & the overall size you want. This would also include a larger scale Mk45 which could be mod into a Mk71 8" auto. The rest KBed from a 700 scale Ticonderoga class with Mk26/143s or replace with Mk41 VLS.