Calling all Nimitz-class CVN fans

[Mark McKinnis]

There are differences between the 1/700 scale Nimitz Carriers. The Nimitz 2005 is good for the Nimitz and Ike post RCOH in the early 2000s. I used or will use the following as I build them all:

Nimitz use Nimitz Kit (Original 1975 ish)
Eisenhower use Eisenhower
Carl Vinson use Roosevelt Kit
Roosevelt use Roosevelt Kit
Lincoln use Lincoln Kit
George Washington use Lincoln Kit ( There is a Pit Road GW kit out there based on the Trumpeter Kit)
Stennis use Stennis Kit
Truman use Stennis Kit

No good alternative for Reagan or Busch. I have thought about using the Nimitz 2005 kit as a base for Reagan and scratch build the island.


Good Luck,

Mark

[Kagou]

Thanks Mark

I'm starting the 2005 Nimitz .I read after refit the armament is : 2 Sea sparrow , 2 Rim and 3 Phalanx .I found rim and Sea sparrow location but for the CIWS ???.

One on a platform on rear port , one on the stern but i can't located the third Phalanx .....

Could you help me ?

Best regards

Pierre

[wvtomcat65]

Go to navsource.org. You will find a lot of pics for the different armament layouts for Nimitz over her life. I can tell you in the 80's and maybe into the 90's she did have a CIWS deck on the Starboard side of the Island... When she went through RCOH in the early 2000's, all CIWS was removed. All she had until a refit in 2011, was 2 Sea Sparrow & 2 RIM... After a refit in 2011, she now has 2 Sea Sparrow, 2 RIM, & 2 CIWS... If you don't see what you are looking for on Navsource, I can sent you some pics in a PM...

Thomas

[Jon]

Go to navsource.org. You will find a lot of pics for the different armament layouts for Nimitz over her life. I can tell you in the 80's and maybe into the 90's she did have a CIWS deck on the Starboard side of the Island... When she went through RCOH in the early 2000's, all CIWS was removed. All she had until a refit in 2011, was 2 Sea Sparrow & 2 RIM... After a refit in 2011, she now has 2 Sea Sparrow, 2 RIM, & 2 CIWS... If you don't see what you are looking for on Navsource, I can sent you some pics in a PM...

Thomas

Great input, I'd love to get more specific details about the various refits of Nimitz if you have them and any other modern carriers.

Doesn't RIM use the same launchers as the Sea Sparrows?

[Timmy C]

He may have meant RAM.

[wvtomcat65]

Ooops... Yes I ment RAM. My fault on the typo. Not sure what I was thinking while typing. Lol...

I have some pics of Nimitz's after her most recent yard time. Her armament layout is now identical to the USS Reagan CVN-76. & I'd have to check, but I think the IKE CVN-69 just came out of an extended yard time with the same armament layout as Nimitz & Reagan. Plus, I was told USS GW Bush CVN-77 will get 2 CIWS added in her current yard time... As for any of the other Super Carriers... I have tons of info for CVN-65. The others I'll have to look through some of my reference photos & some research. I'll PM you Jon with some pics and info in next few days...

Thomas

[Kagou]

Thx for your help

I choose a nimitz in 2005 because i think Trumpeter's kit considered the Nimitz after 2004-2005 refit .The kit must have some scratchbuilding for the armament . I've the CVW 11 2005 decals from Starfighter too.

I found this picture in the Squadron Signal :



Are you agree with this photo ? the RIM 116 and sea sparrow location ?

I've a lot of photos from this forum , Navsource etc etc but lot of them are undated.

I'm looking for the CIW location in the 2005 version

Nimitz in progress :



Best regards
Pierre

[sgtryan13]

If you are serious about wanting to get a Nimitz class ship correct for a certain period, then you really should get the corresponding photo DVD from Ray Bean here: http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.co ... ographics/

For $20-$25 you will get a DVD with 100s of photos, most are dated and labeled as to their location on the ship. Lots of overall shots, as well as detail shots of the masts, radars, catwalks, island changes, pretty much everything you could possibly need.

I swear by these DVDs, having built Several Nimitz's as well as Truman, Bush, Reagan, and Lincoln all from the trumpeter 1/350 Nimitz kit, there is no way I could have done an accurate job on any of them without these DVDs.

[Jon]

Ooops... Yes I ment RAM. My fault on the typo. Not sure what I was thinking while typing. Lol...

I have some pics of Nimitz's after her most recent yard time. Her armament layout is now identical to the USS Reagan CVN-76. & I'd have to check, but I think the IKE CVN-69 just came out of an extended yard time with the same armament layout as Nimitz & Reagan. Plus, I was told USS GW Bush CVN-77 will get 2 CIWS added in her current yard time... As for any of the other Super Carriers... I have tons of info for CVN-65. The others I'll have to look through some of my reference photos & some research. I'll PM you Jon with some pics and info in next few days...

Thomas

Looking forward to the update(s). I created the posts earlier in this thread and have been wanting to update them so we can log the various updates/fittings over the years to all the Nimitz Class just like I did for CVN-65.

Funny that RIM and RAM, with RIM-162 that uses the Sea Sparrow launchers.

[Mark McKinnis]

Tagging onto what Ryan put out, this is a pretty good DVD for what you are trying to do with the Nimitz 2001+ look.

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.co ... ID=9694865

This is another set that looks like it will give you some help.

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.co ... D=13566367


Good Luck,

Mark

[gjholmes77]

Dear fellow supercarrier fans:


Another excellent USS Ronald Reagan picture set found on Flickr:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/95845089@N06/albums/72157659338180118

Happy modeling!

~Greg

[Kagou]

Hi

Received yesterday Ryan's DVD : Awesome pictures ......and no CIWS in 2005 but lot of new idea to upgrade my 1/700 Nimitz

Thx Guys

Pierre

[MAJOR-B]

Ryan,
Is the subject matter expert on these ships. those DVD's are great. I have a questions regarding the 2005 1/700 nimitz kit. Does it have hanger deck details ?
Secondly a general question on the nimitz 2001-2003 time frame did she lose all her CIWS? because all the photos I have seen only have RAMS and NATO Sea Sparrow.
Thanks

[simon b]

Not sure if these photo sets are listed here yet.

Nimitz 2004 http://www.resinshipyard.com/pictures/n ... san_diego/
Nimitz 2001 (After major refit) http://www.resinshipyard.com/pictures/j ... rom_refit/

I think all CIWS went during the 2001 refit

[Kagou]

Ryan,
Is the subject matter expert on these ships. those DVD's are great. I have a questions regarding the 2005 1/700 nimitz kit. Does it have hanger deck details ?

Hi Major-B

You can find a complete review http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... eview.html

Look at the sprue C .Hangar's walls are fine but if you add some scrathbuild and photoetch there are perfect.

Pierre

[Sunsanvil]

[ship noob warning]

Hello everyone. I'm flirting with the idea of turning the 1/350 '75 kit into a '05 and maybe my google skills are poor but I haven't found anyone who has done a rundown of what would be required (other than newer flight-wing of course). Not looking for every single nut and bolt, but just a rundown of the most obtuse modifications/additions/subtraction. Mainly just trying to figure out how much of a commitment this will be before I start dropping coin.

I've actually thought that maybe grabbing the 1/700 2005 for $50 might be a good guide but I suspect it has, as all kits do, inaccuracies of its own and might not be reliable as such. Thoughts?

[sgtryan13]

Have a look at the carriers in my gallery, link is in my signature line. I have done numerous modernizations of the Nimitz kit. Each one of those builds in my gallery has a link to a work in progress thread for the ship, and will show you everything I had to do start-to finish.

Also I have a build of the Lincoln going on here: viewtopic.php?f=59&t=153354

It is a conversion that is certainly doable, but it is far from easy, and if you are a noob to modeling, or just a noob to ships, you may want to tackle something a little easier for a starter project.

[Peter H]

Hi Guys
Thought this would be the best place to ask my question (apologies if its been asked before)

Based on the recent release of the 1/350 Kitty Hawk, Constellation & JFK, I have a pre-made perspex display case (the last I can get here in Sydney) for a 1/350 super carrier.

What I am hoping for is IF a USS Ronald Reagan (or any of the class) were released.
SgtRyan has helped me on other issues before as well as making some of the best 1/350 Nimitz Class I have ever seen.
But I can never scratch build like he or others can. (Yes, I have several of Ray's DVD's which are great, but I don't have the skill)

SO Q: Does anyone think that Trumpeter / Merit / "MAY" be thinking of releasing a New version of Any Nimitz Class within the next say 2 years???

I know its a big, big ask, but thanks in advance for any assistance, much appreciated.

Peter Hoskins
Sydney, AU

[Mark McKinnis]

Hi Peter,

I think it unlikely that Trumpeter would release another 1/350 Nimitz Class kit. They have had the research completed for many of the Nimitz Class Carriers for some time now given their 1/700 releases to date but they haven't gone for the 1/350 market. It seems to me to be a no brainer to do some upgrade set for the other ships in the class. They have not released either a 1/700 scale Reagan or Bush and I have heard no rumors to that affect. Hopefully someone else has some info about that but it has been pretty quiet on the "Nimitz" front.


The good news is that there are some 3d print guys out there doing or planning on doing the sponsons needed for those upgrades. You would still have to deal with correcting the mast of the Trumpeter kit to match whichever era Nimitz Class you might want to do.


Good luck,

Mark

[Peter H]

Hi Mark

Thanks for the reply & info, if one of the new A/M companies (Like Shapeways) put together a good update set say 1985+ then I can go with the basic Nimitz and update to any CVN 68 - 77 in a more currently format / year etc.
If, as your thinking and it sounds that Trumpeter has finished with the 1/350 Nimitz Class at 1975 then I might wait 6-9 months & get the 1/350 JFK and then whichever Co produces a good etch set to go with it. Like I mentioned I only have 1 large dust proof display case and only have room for 1 super carrier. (The Kitty Hawk & Constellation I am sure are great kits but waiting on reviews etc of all 3 new releases).

You don't think someone will make a 1/350 USS Ford Class do you?? I guess not.

Thanks & regards
Peter Hoskins
Sydney, AU