1/350 Dragon Ticonderoga-class USS Vincennes-1991

[anyahajobuzi]

I meant with preshading like you did with the Nimitz!

But everything goes!

Aaaah! That. Well, I definitely am going to weather this bad boy, but for the most part these smaller vessels manage to stay cleaner longer than the carriers. It's not that I haven't seen parts of certain ships of the class dirty, but Vincennes-especially in her first few years- was a pretty clean ship. This bugs the hell out of me, so I might cheat.
But I did see some very interesting ways of imitating the actual plating ( the welds) on shipmodels. I might give that a try too.

Now the next step will involve working on the hangar, the choppers, and the flightdeck.

AAAAHHH!!!!!! GODZILLA! GODZILLA!! HAHA just kidding. Saw your chameleon photo and it made me laugh.

Thanks Doug! Well, sometimes I need a hand with things, and you guys live far away, and my wife won't set foot in my hobby room, so it's up to any random critters I find in the house to save the ship.

Brilliant!

I have this kit in the stash. Thanks for taking me to school.

Which unit are you going to torture yourself with? Good luck , and hope to see you suffer alongside soon!

[ModelMonkey]

Which unit are you going to torture yourself with? Good luck , and hope to see you suffer alongside soon!

Not sure yet. A friend of mine served on Normandy. I know which ship he'll be building! He's offered advice on the radar fit during the time he served.

Great job. Truly.

[Gator52]

Looking really nice!

I'm working on the same kit right now, I'm building CG-50 USS Valley Forge. It's tempting to shelve it since it's fighting me every step of the way, but I'm determined to finish it, as I think it will make a nice looking model in the end.

Jonah

[gtbred]

Very nice work Laci. Planing on redoing my Orange 1/350 bow section on the Barbey.

[anyahajobuzi]

Hello everyone!!

It took me a bit of time to remove all the cobwebs off this post. It's been 5 years after all!!!! I do feel a bit ashamed, but that quickly fades because
- 1: I was busy building other Navy stuff in the meantime ( helos and jets)
- 2: I am staying thru to my word, and continuing this project until finished

I hope there are other CG fans out there, because based on the number of finished projects found by multiple Google searches doesn't paint a pretty picture. Let's post some more photos everyone.

My take on the project is very complicated (what a shocker) and required numerous adjustments to parts I built 5 years ago... As more pictures of the real vessel come to light, the more I realize how off I was with some stuff. It's not just that these CG-s are almost all different from each other, each ship also goes thru upgrades and changes over its lifetime, so one really has to pay attention to the dates. Now it's decided finally: I am building my Vincennes as she looked in 1991. This move resulted in removing a bunch of platforms, carefully constructed previously....

I was FINALLY able to install the hangar ( one SH-60b is parked inside folded) , the superstructure is almost ready for paint, and got the funnels prepped for spraying too. Funnels: They looks so much more realistic if one adds more piping into the funnel housing to extend the overall length, and it pays to grind away those thick edges around the top of the stacks.

These ships have very extensive network of pipes, sprinkles and drains, which fact is often overlooked by most modelers. I intend to replicate just about every individual pipe. They add soooo much to the overall appearance!

all right-all right, enough droning on, here are some illustrations

Happy modelling: Laci

[navydavesof]

Amazing build! Keep it up! I look forward to more!

[marijn van gils]

Great work!

Glad to see you back at this!

[Gabor]

Hi

Good too see you on the deck again! I hope the next step won't take 5 years

[anyahajobuzi]

Haha, hope not!! But I may have jumped the gun, and posted too soon... progress is slow, not much to report now.. BUT: there is progress

[anyahajobuzi]

Alright! Here is the reason why I haven't posted anything in a while: I was busy trying to represent all those pipes and sprinklers on the superstructure. It was painful, and it's not even as nice as it could be, but I do want to finish this ship in this lifetime. ( and a few others) I do like the results, but it could always be better.
A lot of the details still can't be installed until the superstructure is secured to the hull, so there is a lot more plumbing coming!
I used different gauges of wire, and trimmed down railings to make the piping.

I also started masking, that's gonna take a lot of time too. But once it's all sprayed grey, I can finally start adding a lot of cool stuff!

Cheers: Laci

[anyahajobuzi]

Finally, some more progress. Not much though. This is a tough ship to model correctly. And this goes for the whole class of course.
I painted the superstructure. After that I thought it's just piling the fun bits on, but no. The White Ensign photo etch set is horribly inaccurate in a lot of ways. The right decals are also hard to find. Either the quality or the content leaves much to be desired...
Some decals will be going on soon though.
I am focusing on the forward section of the starboard for now. I did add some fun stuff. Like that platform extending from the bridge level. It turned out that the "floor" here is NOT perforated, but a solid plate. Something to cover up later....

Not much to say for now, hopefully the pictures tell more...

Laci

[anyahajobuzi]

Well, This ship is a little cursed... Can't move ahead with just pure progress, there just HAS to be some destruction as well, for some reason. I think it is just getting too delicate to handle. Which is too bad, since there is soo much to go yet!

But it is taking shape, and it will look like a decent Missile Cruiser!

I feel like this class is not getting enough publicity, or drawing much interest. Maybe it's just me?! So I won't be listing every-single-thing I found with the kit and accessories to be out of shape , or inaccurate or missing entirely, like I did it with my other ship, because that's a lot of work, and I'd like the ship to eat up that time then. But I hope the pictures will get more people building these CGs, AND posting their work.

Happy modelling , and don't feed the " carpet-monster", like I have been.....

[Devin]

I feel like this class is not getting enough publicity, or drawing much interest. Maybe it's just me?!

It can feel like people aren't paying attention here as of late. The last build I posted on the site got very little feedback in the comments, but I hear from people in other ways that they followed it. So, hang in there!

I'm watching this with interest. I have this kit to build as the ship I served on, USS Normandy, CG-60. I haven't started it yet, as I built this model back in AEGIS school for a classmate, as Bunker Hill, and I remember how much of a beast it was to assemble. I'm particularly interested in seeing how you mate the superstructure to the hull, as that was the biggest challenge as I remember.

[ModelMonkey]

Brilliant.

Love all the detail you've added and the corrections you are making. Thanks for taking us to school!

[anyahajobuzi]

It can feel like people aren't paying attention here as of late. The last build I posted on the site got very little feedback in the comments, but I hear from people in other ways that they followed it. So, hang in there!

Hi Devin! That's strange. You'd think that with all this COVID stuff, lockdowns, unemployment and horses eating each other everyone and their dog would just go home, lock their doors and focus on their hobbies! But you are right, people are watching and people are building, it's just a lot more anonymous these days . Oh well. As long as we still enjoy the building. Thanks for saying something.

You served on one of these amazing vessels? You shouldn't have said that... I have so many questions about the actual ships! I'll bug you with a PM later on if you are up to it

Yeah, it's definitely one of the worst kits out there, but I feel like that about most ship models. Especially compared model airplanes....
Oh yes, the dreaded moment of joining the superstructure to the hull.... I am prepared for it! It doesn't seem like a big deal now , but I spent a lot of time planning it. Long ways to get there though: I want to add as much detail as possible before joining the 2 major components. Or maybe not? Now I have to reconsider..... Lots of stuff is getting installed in the next 6-7 days!

I can't wait to see your approach on this kit !

Cheers! Laci

[anyahajobuzi]

Thank you Steve! I am not correcting nearly as much as this kit screams for..... But what human could? SOOOO much room for improvement. Thank you for watching. Now I will have to correct more of my own mistakes. Nothing more motivating than other ship enthusiasts looking at your work. (And your mistakes...)

Cheers: Laci

[Devin]

You served on one of these amazing vessels? You shouldn't have said that... I have so many questions about the actual ships! I'll bug you with a PM later on if you are up to it

Sure, ask away. I'm not sure how much I'll remember of specifics, it was 25 years ago! I didn't even take that many photos of her while aboard, unlike my first ship. When I reported to Normandy I was 3 years into a 6 year enlistment, and I was OVER being in the Navy at that point, so I didn't go out of my way to document the experience with photos.

[NWarty]

Magnificent work as always Laci!

It's been a very long time since I logged in here also. Finished several other model projects (non-naval), retired from the Army, multiple job changes, had a major life-altering event, and busy with a family as my kiddos near graduation.

Hope you're well up in Whitehorse and wishing you the best

- Blake

[reigels]

Reminds me of the time I saw the axe that George Washington used to chop down the cherry tree in a museum.

It was the original! Aside from the blade which had been replaced twice, and the handle three times. Much the same as this "Dragon" model.

[Willie]

Hi there, Laci, Devin and all,

I have been following this construction with interest. Tico�s have a really special place in my heart, and as for now, your construction looks really excellent.

(...) I built this model back in AEGIS school for a classmate, as Bunker Hill, and I remember how much of a beast it was to assemble. I'm particularly interested in seeing how you mate the superstructure to the hull, as that was the biggest challenge as I remember.

Devin, you have made the point of these shoebox-like structures, but this Dragon-or-whatever model should not be a problem, or at least not a bigger problem than Lee�s Perry-class FFG. I built one in the past, and I solved the problem attaching one bulkhead at a time, using square blocks to reinforce the welding. This:

Something I would never do is detailing before the superstructures are definitely in place, but I presume this is a personal option.

Nice going from across the seas,

Willie.