Calling all USS North Carolina BB-55 & USS Washington BB-56 fans

[Daytona675R]

...i cannot find the assembly guide in http://www.1999.co.jp/ and http://www.trumpeter-china.com/
hoping anybody here can share theirs.

thanks a bunch!!!!

Just to be sure, is that Trumpeter's NC (#05734)? If yes, I can make a scan for you.

[jaymz]

...i cannot find the assembly guide in http://www.1999.co.jp/ and http://www.trumpeter-china.com/
hoping anybody here can share theirs.

thanks a bunch!!!!

Just to be sure, is that Trumpeter's NC (#05734)? If yes, I can make a scan for you.

hi david!
yup! it is the 05734
http://www.trumpeter-china.com/index.ph ... =1314&l=en

thank you so much for the offer!
i missed the first page of this thread, it was in front of me the whole time
http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... eview.html

thank you again! cheers!

[MartinJQuinn]

List of gallery entries and available kits added to Page 1.

[MatthewB]

I am repeating this question here and on the USS South Dakota-class thread, because I think there might be slightly different answers for some of these questions.

The overall question has to do with the wooden deck planking, and how it meets the edge of a deck.

Specifically:

1) How was the planking laid out on a deck around the edge of the hull, or of a deck level in the superstructure? Did the linear planking run right up to the edge of the deck, or was there a Framing Plank-line that ran around the perimeter of the deck?

This would be a piece of wood that was cut to match the shape of the curve of the deck (on the Main Deck), or simply outlined a superstructure deck. And in the sides of it, facing the main deck planking, would be cutouts to interlock with the planking.

I wondered about USN ships, because I see something like this on a few IJN ships.

2) On the Superstructure, or the Hull of the ship, how much metal was showing at the edge of the deck?

I see that on the main deck of a ship, the Hull has some "thickness" (whether that of a whole piece of metal, or engineered to be constructed out of thinner plates). But I do not know how "thick" this metal part that runs around the edge of the deck is.

Especially on the Superstructure decks.

Did the wood run right up to the edge of a superstructure deck?

Or did the superstructure decks have that metal "edge" that ran around the Deck like on the hull?

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

I am wondering this, because there are parts of the USS Washington, on the Level 01 Superstructure Deck that looks like the wooden decking runs all the way to the edge of the deck (especially where the cutouts for the 5"/38 guns are located).

MB

[Fliger747]

Generally on the "Modern" US battleships the planking was laid straight and there was a rim piece against the waterway at the deck edge which had zig zags inlet to meet the deck planking.

[MatthewB]

What about the metal edge of the deck?

How wide was it? How was the wooden planking attached?

Etc.

MB

[ModelMonkey]

This is North Carolina. Assuming the decks were completed similarly, you can see that the planking does not extend to the edge of the deck, but to a small vertical plate which acts as a lip protecting the outer edge of the planking. Outboard of the plate, the steel deck is not planked, forming a trough known as a "waterway". This is true on main deck and planked superstructure decks.

The outer edge of the waterway has a vertical plate, too, much like a "kick-plate", flush with the side of the hull. It has a rounded pipe welded to the top of it - no sharp edges. Its height (the top of the pipe) is about even with the top of the planked deck.

Within the waterway, NOT on the wooden planking, are chocks, fireplugs and posts for railings (notice that the posts are fixed on a hinge so that they can swivel fore and aft - laid down during combat), among other features.

The waterway is the width of the chock. Also, notice that there is a tunnel-like opening under the chock, permitting water to pass fore and aft along the waterway under the chock.

Note, too, that in photo "007.jpg" there is a joint running traversely just aft of the "lower decks tour" vestibule. In person, the joint is very subtle but shows up well in this photo due to lighting. It is not certain whether the joint is new or original. North Carolina's planks are replaced as they wear out.

The planks are fixed to the deck by large, countersunk bolts which are laid along the centerline of the plank. The holes in the planks for the bolts are then plugged with wood and finished smoothly with the surface of the plank, thus, they are largely invisible.

Hope this helps.

[Fliger747]

Actually on Missouri, and I presume the others, bolts are not used, but threaded studs welded to the deck with nuts and washers holding the planking down and finished on top with the previously mentioned plugs. Threaded sockets for bolts would be a much more complicated instalation and more likely to seize. Some such areas could be seen aboard BB 63 where deck maintaince was underway. I don't have a waterway measurement, but the width is in the 8" range.

[ModelMonkey]

....bolts are not used, but threaded studs welded to the deck with nuts and washers holding the planking down and finished on top with the previously mentioned plugs...

Same on NC. My bad.

[Tracy White]

The edge plank that is the interface between the regular planks and the waterway or structure they are butting up against is known as a margin plank, for what it's worth.

[MatthewB]

This is North Carolina. Assuming the decks were completed similarly, you can see that the planking does not extend to the edge of the deck, but to a small vertical plate which acts as a lip protecting the outer edge of the planking. Outboard of the plate, the steel deck is not planked, forming a trough known as a "waterway". This is true on main deck and planked superstructure decks.

The outer edge of the waterway has a vertical plate, too, much like a "kick-plate", flush with the side of the hull. It has a rounded pipe welded to the top of it - no sharp edges. Its height (the top of the pipe) is about even with the top of the planked deck.

Within the waterway, NOT on the wooden planking, are chocks, fireplugs and posts for railings (notice that the posts are fixed on a hinge so that they can swivel fore and aft - laid down during combat), among other features.

The waterway is the width of the chock. Also, notice that there is a tunnel-like opening under the chock, permitting water to pass fore and aft along the waterway under the chock.

Note, too, that in photo "007.jpg" there is a joint running traversely just aft of the "lower decks tour" vestibule. In person, the joint is very subtle but shows up well in this photo due to lighting. It is not certain whether the joint is new or original. North Carolina's planks are replaced as they wear out.

The planks are fixed to the deck by large, countersunk bolts which are laid along the centerline of the plank. The holes in the planks for the bolts are then plugged with wood and finished smoothly with the surface of the plank, thus, they are largely invisible.

Hope this helps.

Thank you (THANK YOU), this is AWESOME and exactly what I was looking for (obviously I need to go visit a few ships on my next trip East, and take some photos with my new 24.3MP camera: Nikon D750).

I am trying to get the edges of the decking to look correct for a Photo-etched insert for the wooden planking.

Now I need to find out how thick the Wooden Planks for the decking are, as I need to arrange for the Photo Etched Insert (which will be between .125" and .18" thick) to lay on the deck and superstructure at the right height so that it has the correct rim/lip next to the Waterway edge of the decks.

I thought about using a laser-cut wooden insert, and I suppose that the drawings for the deck inserts could be used to create wooden laser cut/etched inserts, but I prefer to paint the deck, rather than depend upon the wood for coloration and texture.

But thank you.

The USS Washington seems to have plenty of PE options covered for the fall of 1942 (Five Star's PE kit for the Washington covers both ships in the class for most of their careers - I wish that ALL of their PE kits were thus).

It is the USS South Dakota 1942 Guadalcanal conversion parts that I need to create that were giving me problems, AND I wanted to make sure that I got the Level 01 Superstructure decks of both kits correct (As that is really the only deck on the Washington that has a noticeable edge).

MB

[Tracy White]

Iowa is near to you, if your profile location is correct. Her main deck's a mess, but she should have plenty of knowledgeable people and other details you can photograph that might be of use.

[MatthewB]

Both the Iowa and Texas are near me, depending upon where I am.

MB

[blacman]

Hello mates
I am looking for precise drawings of 127mm shells loading device. Or pictures from side and top view... any suggestions for source?
thank you
Greg

[MartinJQuinn]

USS Washington with Iowa (background right) and an unidentified South Dakota class battleships (background left), somewhere in the Pacific, 1944. Photo from the US National Archives via Roger Torgeson.

[Dick J]

The config of the unidentified South Dakota class BB is consistent with the Alabama.

[pascalemod]

Few questions as I just purchased Trumpeters Washington.

1) Can I build the 1942 Pacific version that fought Kirishima out of the box?
2) Which ABER barrels to buy - short or long version? (I assume long ones are used if blast bags are skipped, but did it have blast bags during battle of Guadalcanal?)
3) Is the wooden deck worth it or would it be better to avoid this as its out of scale?
4) Measure 22 paint scheme applied after Atlantic duties in late 1942 looks to be off, like it tapers down at the bow too much. Is that correct? Or am I seeing things?

[phlevels]

Can anybody definitively confirm or deny the existence of 1.1 quads on the fantail in November 1942, when she sank Kirishima? Opinion seems to be a bit divided, although I am definitely leaning towards non-existence.

[task force 58]

Can the 1/350 trumpeter North Carolina kit be built as the USS Washington during her Atlantic war period without heavy modification?

[Dick J]

Can the 1/350 trumpeter North Carolina kit be built as the USS Washington during her Atlantic war period without heavy modification?

It depends on your definition of "heavy modification". The biggest difference was the layout of the 20MM and .50cal guns. I can give you my best guess about the differences. Contact me off line dick_jensen_44@msn.com