Calling all USS Wasp CV-7 fans

[ah3000mk1]

Ditto. Just got a shipping notice.

[Frank Fowler]

I received the Wasp yesterday along with the PE set for the ship from HLJ. My first impression if the kit is very good. However, there are the usual issues with the small weapons, the 20 mm guns are as bad as some of the Trumpeter efforts having no shields and being overly large, but there are great replacements available for these. The splinter shields for the 5" positions seem a little short. Detail is good on the hull, deck and island. All the roll up side doors are molded closed and there is no hanger deck. The kit comes with all the ships boats that are seen on prewar photos of Wasp as well as life rafts.

The real short fall is in the aircraft. The kit contains 8 Wild Cats that look very nice, but none have folding wings. There are 4 Avengers, also very nice, but none with folding wings. There are 4 Hell Cats all with separate wings to fold, never served on Wasp. The big disappointment is the SBDs. There are 4 in the kit all with separate wings for folding. Very strange since the SBD did not have folding wings. They also have a very strange V shaped tail and large engine covers that are over scale. Plenty of replacement AC are available so no big deal.

The separate PE set is very nice and has the cranes, railings, radar, aircraft details, and the under deck supports for the overhangs of the flight deck. It also contains the arrester wires in PE for the deck. The real treat here is the funky side elevator that Wasp had done in PE. The instructions for the PE also show what to remove in the way of splinter shields and replace with railing for earlier versions of the ship. The set is worth picking up with the kit.

I have not had time to check the measurements or details with photos and plans. I also plan to compare it with the Corsair Armada resin kit I have of Wasp.

Based on what I have seen in this kit so far I am very happy with it and may buy the Malta version or a second one to do a prewar Wasp.

[ah3000mk1]

Question: Does anyone know which mark/mod of 5"/38 gun Wasp had? Campbell's "Naval Weapons of World War II" refers to a single, open, HA base-ring mount, so I'm assuming it's one of the Mk 30's. Anybody got a pic?

[Elvis965]

Most likely the Mark 24:

http://archive.hnsa.org/doc/guncat/cat-0236.htm

Bob

[Haijun watcher]

Thanks to Dick J and TF48 on sharing their efforts on the Aoshima Wasp thread about that Aoshima kit's actual measurements.

I for one won't be buying a kit that's closer to 1/731 scale than 1/700.

[gtbred]

Okay, just asking. Is the ISW Wasp in 1:350 the correct shape and size?

[taskforce48]

The ISW Wasp measures out at 23.60 at the waterline, using previously posted dimensions of the Wasp of 688' at the waterline this should be 23.58". Not bad for a resin kit. The waterline beam is a little further off at 2.85" where at 80.75 it should be 2.76" in 1/350. Overall the kit is ok so far as I can tell, couple of things missed like the shape of the Hangar bulkhead on the Port aft side, looks like she is missing the angular slant on the aft side of the funnel(omitted in Profile Morskie volume also), to name the 2 biggest things in looking at the kit. The pattern maker really relied on the General Plans booklet for the Wasp as even though it's an official drawing for the ship, these details are omitted on the plans or not very clear. Another area that is not right is the area around the funnel uptake in the hangar, again using the GP's this area is squared off where at the Wasp had a slanted bulkhead being widest at the deck and narrower at the top. I also noted that they took the trolley tracks on the hangar deck plan to be in the deck and not overhead as in the real ship. The other interesting omission in the Hangar is no sign of the Hangar catapults. There is nothing etched into the deck nor is the noticeable hump there. Overall should build into a nice looking kit, but like any other ISW build its all in the hands of the modeler.

HTH

Matt

[gtbred]

Thank You Matt. I have five 1/350 ISW models. The LPH gave me a headache,but I think it came okay. The portside aft I will rebuild. Not really concern about the hangar deck. I will open the roller doors as many as I can. The Wasp is a pretty good size ship compare to other ISW models. Mardis(gtbred)

[Mike W]

Is there any clear pics or diagrams showing Wasp's deck edge lift?

Having recently got the Aoshima Wasp (yes I know it's faults and don't care) and matching etch but the deck edge lift is nothing like I imagined! I want to model it folded up (if indeed it folded) as it will otherwise be too easily snapped off.

thanks
Mike

[Elvis965]

There are several pics on Navsource:

In use:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020731.jpg
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020731a.jpg
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020731b.jpg

Stowed:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020702.jpg

There's a drawing of it in the Profile Morskie book on Wasp that I can scan when I get home.

Bob

[Mike W]

Thanks Bob

They are very useful pics that give you an idea of how the thing worked. It looks very precarious, I bet the aircrew and sailors were glad that later flight deck edge lifts, were much bigger and more solid things!

thanks
Mike

[Elvis965]

No problem, Mike.

Here's a scan of the drawing in the Profile Morskie Wasp book:

Between the 600 DPI scan and shrinking it to get it to make the size requirements, that drawing is no longer to scale.

It's also rather simplified over what you see in the Navsource pics.

HTH

Bob

[MartinJQuinn]

Here is what the new Aoshima Wasp looks like built up, albeit still "in progress". Model by Bob Morales

[ArizonaBB39]

Here is what the new Aoshima Wasp looks like built up, albeit still "in progress". Model by Bob Morales

That Wasp looks great! Who's building the Tennessee and Nevada class ships in the background? I'd love to see the in-progress shots on those too.

[WI_Chris]

What modifications are needed on the Aoshima kit to backdate WASP so that I can paint her in pre-war colors? I love the ms.12 and will probably do another in that scheme, but I love the elegance of the pre-war grey


~Chris

[gtbred]

I thought about prewar this build. But my mind said no. Just getting the name WASP on the flight deck would be a pain let alone the deck color.

[taskforce48]

I can not seem to find the discussion anywhere. When was Wasp supposedly painted in Ms 4 All black? I am thinking about doing some backdating on my Aoshima Wasp.

Thanks,

Matt

[Vlad]

So Aoshima's new kit just landed on my doorstep this morning looks very nice, I got the Malta transport version because I thought the Spitfires would make a nice touch of colour on deck.

Anyway, a few questions about the camouflage. Was the darkest colour (the waves on the hull) still 5-S Sea Blue when she was in the Med or was it already repainted using 5-N Navy Blue? Is there a definitive pattern for her at this time? I ask because some pictures have a light patch at the bow (possibly in 5-H Haze Grey) while others don't.

As a side note, I'm doing this as a relaxing OOB project but are there any really glaring inaccuracies in the kit?

Thanks!

[Tracy White]

I ask because some pictures have a light patch at the bow (possibly in 5-H Haze Grey) while others don't.

I don't have the time to do the full research on this tonight, but I will say it is more likely the light patch is primer showing through chipped paint. Does the light patch look like it would follow heavy action from waves?

[Vlad]

No rush Tracy, the parts are still bagged I always appreciate your well researched insights.

Here's the patch I'm talking about:

http://www.worldwarphotos.info/wp-conte ... e_1942.jpg

Now that's a June photo and she looks freshly painted. There's a panel on the bow flare that contrasts with both the other camouflage colours and looks deliberately painted, almost as if to give the illusion of a reverse rake on the bow. I'm curious if this is 5H and if it was added in the Pacific or if it was already there in the Med.