Calling all USS New York BB-34 and USS Texas BB-35 fans

[prowler0000]

How different are the 2 1/350 trumpeter kits? Are there any differences in the 2 boxings, or are they both the same?

(I assume they never altered the hull, so i'm aware of he shortcomings of this.)

I know virtually nothing about these ships, but i quite fancy one of them.....

[Tracy White]

How different are the 2 1/350 trumpeter kits? Are there any differences in the 2 boxings, or are they both the same?

Lots of superstructure differences. I don't have the New York kit, but looking over the Pontos detail set I see significant differences in the structure aft and around the armored conning tower and above. Texas had extra Quad 40mms in place of 3" guns on the forward superstructure tubs. I don't think you could realistically slap a "34" on the Texas kit and call it New York or vice versa.

[Tracy White]

OK, a couple of points to keep in mind on Trumpeter's 1/350 BB-35 Texas kit, or at least my copy. There have been a couple of pieces that had some minor warping - the two hull halves were two. Because the bilge keels are separate there wasn't really anything good to grab on to, so I wound up clamping the sides for the "gross" press and then using my fingers for the more fine pressing and alignment of the joint on the bottom. Trumpeter actually molded on some docking keels, so unless your model is mounted on stilts, most people won't even be able to tell if there's a miss-alignment or gap. The other major piece with warping was the Air Castle F1, and that's the port aft side, visible in this picture:

Port side view

It doesn't fight being pressed down at all and should be trivially easy to fix. Note that I have been removing the raised blister plating - it's grossly over scale and just looks wrong to me, especially since the blisters are the only part of the hull to actually have the plating effect and the rest is perfectly smooth. I'm leaving the bumpers and pipe protectors and have been using an XActo #11 to carve off the raised lines, sand off the stuff that I don't quite get off all the way, and Mr. Surfacer in a couple of small divots where I cut or knicked into the plastic too far. There's a couple of areas wher the molded on rung ladders extended below a line and I just said "heck with it" and cut away the molded on detail and didn't bother to save the rungs BELOW that point. I only lost 2-3 rungs when it happened, so it's pretty possible to save most of the detail fairly easily. Next photo is looking down on the superstructure deck and some of the superstructure I played with building up:

Superstructure deck

MIght be hard to tell in this photo without looking, but there were mold seams on the deck around the open backs to the gun tubs. If you want to fix them, you obviously want to do this BEFORE you start gluing down superstructure pieces. I got a little ahead of myself and did this to the piece above the superstructure deck (the Signal Bridge level) in a fit of exuberance and joy and wound up having to deal with this with the piece M27 in the way of an easy sanding stick job. The pilot house level (pieces M3 & M23) sits above the armored conning tower and CIC space (piece M27 again) and rests on a single support on the conning tower, four legs to the signal bridge, and front leg of the tripod. There is an air gap and the pilot house level doesn't actually touch any other major block of the superstructure below, so these pieces must be well aligned. Trumpeter's instructions for the four legs (step 8.) makes it look like the builder is supposed to blue them together and then onto the bottom of the pilot house level, but they actually stand separate of each other by a couple of millimeters. Trumpeter would have you glue this together, attach it to the pieces below, and then run the tripod legs through everything.

My experimentation has revealed that running the front, purely vertical tripod leg first (not really gluing it in, just setting it in for alignment) made adding the legs much easier in that I knew they were straight because the front support (to the armored conning station) and tripod leg were lined up. Because of the complexity of the area, I am planning on gluing the aft vertical legs in, painting the deck and superstructure in this area, and then attaching the rest of the legs to get a good, straight alignment and nice paint demarcation. There is a lot of overhangs and interlaced pieces, so I don't think that assembling everything, then painting everything, and THEN applying photo-etch is going to be a very happy experience. I think a paint as you go and sub-assembly style is a little more suited for this kit.

[Haijun watcher]

I want to be clear, so the 1/350 Trumpeter New York is from the 1944-45 time period, while the Trumpeter 1/350 Texas is an earlier fit, say 1942? Or was it her fit during the 1944 Normandy landings?

Just wanted to make sure.

Other posters have mentioned both in other threads such as this one titled "Trumpeter 1/350 New York vs Texas", but don't explicitly say which year each are depicted as, which won't help those who aren't as familiar with the history of the paint schemes of both vessels.

I just assumed both vessels always had MS22 before 1944.

[Tracy White]

Texas is in her 1945 / present-ish fit (minus the #3 turret catapult and some other details). She was in MS 12 Mod in 1942, then went into MS 22 until after Normandy. She was in Dazzle briefly after that, and then in MS21 during her time in the pacific. I'm not sure yet of the changes that would be necessary to backdate her to her Normandy fit, if any.

[tegunn]

A lot of changes were made on her following D-Day/SFrance in New York prior to going to the Pacific; mainly on her mainmast(aft) with additional platforms and both MK50 directors added fore and aft.

[Tracy White]

Could we see some test printings?

[ModelMonkey]

Not yet printed, the computer designs were completed yesterday. Samples in hand soon, though.

I do appreciate that seeing only a computer-generated rendering does not inspire much confidence that the product will actually look as intended, especially with a new technology experiencing some growing pains where both designer and 3D-printer are learning much for the very first time. Having said that, here are some links to products I designed in various scales, Shapeways produced, customers purchased and installed on their models:

1/192 Mk.32 Twin 5-inch Mounts and Mk. 37 Directors: viewtopic.php?f=13&t=159734&start=40

1/200 Mk. 56 Directors (about halfway down the page): viewtopic.php?f=59&t=154697&start=400

1/700 HMS Duke of York Extended Searchlight Platform (see customer's photo and comments bottom of page): http://www.shapeways.com/product/SLNZ8H ... d=57709243

1/700 HMS Duke of York Enlarged Signal Deck and HACS Mk.V Directors (see customer's photo and comments bottom of page): http://www.shapeways.com/product/DZJSBY ... d=57569901

1/700 HMS Anson Enlarged Signal Deck and HACS Mk.VI Directors (see customer's photo and comments bottom of page): http://www.shapeways.com/product/MRZZSC ... d=57570067

Some thoughts (please pardon my ramblings): there are several critical steps that have to happen well in order for you, the customer, to receive a quality 3D-printed product, and the good news is that despite initial difficulties and disappointment, designers and printers and software developers are just now gaining needed experience and becoming very good, predictably so, at these steps:
1) accurate, well-researched design by the designer using quality software
2) the printer's software "sees" the design just like the designer's software does
3) the 3D printing machine prints a product that matches the design
4) the product is handled, packaged and shipped without damage

The renderings shown in the post above are how Shapeways' printing software sees the design. To show you how the designer's software sees the design, in other words, what the product is originally intended to look like, here below are some screen captures of the New York and Texas turret Nos. 2 and 4 as rendered by the design software I used for this project.

Hope this helps!

[Tracy White]

My point is that the "Calling All Ship Fans" threads should have *one* post of the finished product and should not serve as a string of work. This is consistent with moving the Works in Progress photos and posts into their own sections; with as large as some of these threads can get (CASF Essex is at 109 currently) we need to think long-term for the community. The renders aren't bad, but they're not the final product. It would be analogous to posting photos of the master of a resin kit - while the work may be exceptional, it doesn't show if the resin casting process lived up to the master work or is shot with bubbles and warped, etc.. I want to actually see that subcaliber training mount to see if I consider it a worthwhile feature of just a low-resolution blob that I have to cut off and replace, for example.

[Haijun watcher]

Thank you Tracy and tegunn for the past replies to my questions.

Still, when it comes to USS New York, I'm just confused what her paint scheme was after V-J Day.

It says on the USN Ship camouflage database site that she sported MS31/8B for the duration of 1945.

However, this picture (please click left link to wikipedia article) shows her at the Navy Day celebrations in October in New York sporting a colour that seems to be either dark grey, or faded MS21 or maybe even faded MS31/8B. So which is it?

I'm assuming she sported this until she went to Operation Crossroads and her demise.

[tegunn]

Thank you Tracy and tegunn for the past replies to my questions.

Still, when it comes to USS New York, I'm just confused what her paint scheme was after V-J Day.

It says on the USN Ship camouflage database site that she sported MS31/8B for the duration of 1945.

However, this picture (please click left link to wikipedia article) shows her at the Navy Day celebrations in October in New York sporting a colour that seems to be either dark grey, or faded MS21 or maybe even faded MS31/8B. So which is it?

I'm assuming she sported this until she went to Operation Crossroads and her demise.

I believe she had the MS31/8B a bit longer than the Texas. She was repainted on ABSD-4, some time in early March 1945(Iwo Jima time frame), assuming at that point she went to the MS21.

[Tracy White]

I would concur, as this Navsource image shows the aft tripod to be too light to be Measure 21.

I'm the webmaster of shipcamouflage and there are errors. Also trying to figure out a good way to break down months without making the thing way too wide, so we can show camouflage schemes much more granularly.

[MartinJQuinn]

New York at Norfolk, November 1944. NARA II via James Noblin.

[Haijun watcher]

Gents, Tracy,

In particular, I was looking to confirm what was New York's paint scheme after V-J Day, since this picture below from wikipedia is how she supposedly looked at the October 1945 Navy Day celebrations at New York City harbour. As you can see, the ship looks either a dark grey or a faded MS21, but the ship camo site still states she was in MS31 8b for the duration of 1945. So you can see why I'm confused.

[tegunn]

Gents, Tracy,

In particular, I was looking to confirm what was New York's paint scheme after V-J Day, since this picture below from wikipedia is how she supposedly looked at the October 1945 Navy Day celebrations at New York City harbour. As you can see, the ship looks either a dark grey or a faded MS21, but the ship camo site still states she was in MS31 8b for the duration of 1945. So you can see why I'm confused.

I'm not seeing the MS 31/8b! She would be in MS21 at the end of the war. The caption is wrong.The current museum has her in her last paint configuration(Ms21) as well.

[Haijun watcher]

I'm not seeing the MS 31/8b! She would be in MS21 at the end of the war. The caption is wrong.The current museum has her in her last paint configuration(Ms21) as well.

Museum? I was talking about New York in my last post above, not Texas.

Too bad only one of these two sisters was preserved.

[tegunn]

You're right! I meant to say "as the museum ship USS Texas is today, this being they had the same paint measure at the end of the war and she(Texas) is painted that way"..Sorry for the confusion!
Yes this new fangled weapon called the A-bomb had us curious..
Randy

[Plastic Habit]

After one day of research I have the following notes for those looking to do
USS Texas as she appeared from Feb 1944 - Oct 12, 1944. This is not a complete
list of differences from other fits, but ones I have noticed so far.

1) A complete reworking of the mainmast. Aft conning tower has no platform and
and boxes around the legs. Searchlight platform and air defense platform are
combined: 20mm on port forward and starboard aft with splinter shield; searchlights
on starboard forward and port aft with railing. Tear-drop shaped sky control platform
with radar mast forward topped by SK radar and SG radar lower.

2) Box shape structure attached to the aft part of the midship tower(kit pcs G3 and N4).
Bottom starts just above vent on kit piece N4. Support posts from aft corners to 01 deck.
Tops is just below window openings on kit piece G3.

3) Scratch build as no kit piece is provided for a rectangular structure at the base of the stack starboard side.

4) Foremast: Kit pieces M19 and M21 are correct configuration for this time. However, kit piece N1 only
the lower portion is present during this time period(Edit, I am not so sure about the N1 piece at this time).
There is also a tall antenna on a platform just above the signal yards

Hopefully others interested in this configuration will share their findings.

Those interested in the 1945 layout should check this outhttp://maritime.org/doc/plans/bb35.pdf

[Peter H]

Hi guys

Of all the 1/350 models I have made and that I have in the stash I don't have one (1) single US Battleship. When the Trumpeter USS New York BB34 came out I thought is was ok but now that the USS Texas BB35 is out I am hooked and ready to order.
Question relates to the deck, I know Pontos does a great A/M set for New York but I am happy just to use kit etch & any extras I have in the stash for my Texas.

Would an aftermarket wooden deck for the New York work or fit on the Texas kit deck?

Thanks in advance.
Peter Hoskins
Sydney, AU

[prowler0000]

Peter,

The decks of both ships are very different. So the Pontos deck will only fit the New York....

I have the same issue, so now the wait begins!