1/200 Arizona finally DONE!

[tegunn]

Here's another crop of a picture starboard quarter from post attack. It shows the T perpendicular to the ship's axis whereas the other seems like it's folded forward. I would conclude that it pivots on its base and during the post attack assessment, it was moved manually. It appears that there might be a diagonal brace to one or the arms of the T..

[Jeff Sharp]

It had a horizontal T that extended out from the fighting top. Then it had a vertical T off of the forward end of the horizontal T.

[tegunn]

I think it was a 'still..

I sure wish I knew what it went to.. It's curious that all the arms don't show up in many of the pictures. Perhaps the explosion shook some of it off. Any idea when it was installed?

[Jeff Sharp]

Moving on to the next antenna trunk, I was able to determine that there was another line that had a redirection point. This one was redirected from the searchlight platform up to the birdbath.

Here is a photo of the pully structure extending out from the searchlight platform.


The arrows on this photo show which antenna trunk this line starts at, the pully location, and the final location.


There was one more line that came out of this trunk. This line goes straight up to the fighting top yard arm.

Also, I was able to get a clearer shot of the bow confirming that she still had all three anchors after the refit.

[Mgunns]

Great detective work Jeff: Explains what those were for. I thought they were some sort of davit. I have had them on but somehow they keep getting knocked off. Now I know what they were used for and where the line came from and where it went.
Thanks so much for the posting.

[Mgunns]

Okay, after studying photo's in the Stillwell and Squadron books, this one caught my eye and offered the most detail on the 'antenna's on the aft end of the main top:


This is what I came up with. I am happy with it. I used spare flight deck netting for the netting and a piece of wire for the antenna. I used flat photo etch for the corner bracing and Bob's Buckles eyelets for the eyelets.








The bar across the front is where I am going to place the antenna insulators when I get to that point. For now, I am going to finish rigging the main top, add the bird bath and call it good for now.

Thanks to Jeff and Randy for pointing the way on this one.

[tegunn]

Mgunns you are doing great! Nice to see you have the eyelets already installed.
As far as those six wires on the inner side of the mainmast, they do terminate to the single antenna trunk below the tripod above the vegetable locker, but they need to gather at a point above the trunk and then a single wire feeds into the trunk. I've attached some pictures and diagrams..

[tegunn]

..

[tegunn]

Here's a crop from the 1/'41 refit. I've marked where the lines run..

[tegunn]

From the N. Carolina. Multiple trunks..the bracket is a good detail.

[tegunn]

The jury is still out whether they were on in 12/7/41. Some of the post 12/7 pictures shows what could the remnants of a bracket that would hold the mounting bar for the six insulators. You also can make out the antenna trunk in some of the pics..

[Mgunns]

Hi Randy:

The drawings and Photo's off the North Carolina bring it all into focus. Thanks for posting.

[Jeff Sharp]

Yes, very informative. Thanks for posting.

[tegunn]

Thanks guys...now I'm trying to figure out how the lines(6) are insulated when they take the turn toward the trunk. There seems to be either a line or rod spanning the wings of the lower platform. I have a feeling it was a line running through simple grooved doughnut-type insulators for the antenna wires to rest against.

[tegunn]

Hey Jeff , Happened to see this looking for something else. Referring back to the multi-T antenna, her sister had one too...wish I knew what it went to. Photo crop from Mare Island 2/42~3/42..

[ModelMonkey]

Great build, Jeff! And great discussion!

I hope to put as many as the details and lessons brought forth here to good effect on a more modest 1/350 scale Az as I am able.

Please keep up the good work and the conversation!

[Jeff Sharp]

Agreed! This is a great discussion. I don't think Arizona's rigging has ever been THIS analyzed on any other open forum before.

I've pretty much got all the rigging on the mainmast figured out with one exception.

The second antenna trunk on each side also has two lines coming out them. One of the lines also goes up to the searchlight platform and then redirects to the smaller yardarm on the fighting top. Unlike the other line that has the bracket that extends out from the cloverleaf, this one has a completely different way of redirecting the line. It's just a small housing that the line ran through as seen in this photo.


Here is the path of this line on the kit.


Now, here is my one exception! I cannot find any pics showing how many lines left this antenna trunk or where they went to. The plans don't even give me any clues. I may have to wing this one.

[tegunn]

Jeff,
Looking quite good! Two questions: Are you using EZline for your rigging? What plans are you referencing? Randy

[Jeff Sharp]

I am using .004 wire from www.ngineering.com. This stuff is awesome!
The plans I'm referencing are the ones Tracy has posted on his site.

[MartinJQuinn]

Great work, Jeff. The discussion on the rigging is very interesting, and it brings an extra level of detail to the model.