anj4de wrote:
A more serious post...
I have in my stash a Trumpeter Nimitz 2005 in 1/700, got it cheap about two years gao and so far have not looked at it closer. Now I am working, amongst other "projects" on a 1/720 America. I wanted to compare the aircraft size of Italerie and Trumpeter and opened up the Nimitz. Now...I have serious motivation problems sticking on the America subject which appears toy like against the Trumpeter Nimitz.
Now...Nimitz is a 2005 version, I have red on Wiki that she had a long overhaul/modernisation in 2010. Is there a source, like the old b&w yard pictures of the 40ties, that show what was changed in 2010, or can someone point me into th eright direction? It would be tempting to create a 2017 version...
thanks
Uwe
Hi Uwe,
Nimitz was commissioned in 1975. The first Complex Overhaul was completed in 1984. It was in this period when the sponsons were changed/added. From the late 80's until the refueling complex overhaul was completed in 2001, Nimitz grew the domes on the island and around the flight deck. The sponsons generally stayed the same. After 2001, the sponsons were changed and the mast was changed. The Nimitz 2005 kit is pretty accurate for that time and I don't think that there have been any major external changes since 2005. So to do a 2017 version is just an updated Air Wing but not a lot of work on the ship, if any. I have not done that much research on her after 1991 when I cruised on her. The Nimitz and Ike were always a bit different in sponson layout and now the Mast. The Reagan, Nimitz, and Ike are the only three that got the "3 bar" mast. The follow on refueling overhauls starting with Carl Vinson got the "2 bar" mast similar to the Busch. So when you compare Nimitz Class Ships to each other know that they were a bit different in those respects. To do really good research, you need to get Ray Beanes Nimitz Class CDs. A must have if you are interested in doing an accurate deviation from the kit.
I would recommend using these decals for CVW-11 from Starfighter Decals and building 2005 Nimitz. No research or scratch building required.
http://www.starfighter-decals.com/70047 ... -nimi.htmlThe difference between the size of the Kitty Hawks and Nimitz are pretty big and amplified if you sit a 1/700 scale Nimitz next to a 1/720 America. In fact, sitting a 1/700 Nimitz next to a 1/720 Nimitz is very noticeable. A 1/720 Nimitz is roughly the correct size for a 1/700 scale Kitty Hawk ( Conny, America, JFK)
Hope that helps some. Good Luck,
Mark