Calling all USS Enterprise CV-6 fans

[irishgreek]

FYI, I have recently gotten a few new Yorktown class kits. I have a Tom's replacement hull for the Hornet. In matching it against a couple trumpeter hulls, the 5727 Hornet and the 6706 Yorktown, it looks like they changed the hull waterline dramatically. It basically matches (or pretty close) to the Yorktown hull now.

If this is redundant, I apologize, but hope this helps someone.

[Captain Morgan]

I've probably just overlooked it, but what was the Yorktown/Enterprise flight deck length. I have many references, but I find no definitive answer. I can't find my plans for Yorktown, so until I gent new ones, I'm looking for help.

[Charybdis]

Friedman's gives the FD length as 802'. I think this is right because LOA is 824' which accounts for the 10' or so of the bow and 12' for the round downs fore and aft.

[Captain Morgan]

I found my tube of plans and by my measurement and the scale marks the FD appears to be about 816� give or take. The round downs in the drawings appear to total about maybe 10 ft.

[MartinJQuinn]

Enterprise at New York, October 1945. Photographed from Midway. Photos were in the 19LCM record group at the US National Archives, in a folder labeled "deck covering". This is a crop from a much larger photo.

[Charybdis]

Fabulous find. There's colour video footage of the navy day celebration in New York, Oct 45. Its on YouTube, I think. An amazing line up of ww2 warships.

[rotley]

Is this the footage?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6S3RxGFQ0c

[Thomas E. Johnson]

There has been a great debate going on over who makes the best 1/700 CV-6 Enterprise...Tamiya (scales off and bad hull) Trumpeter (bad hull) and the new Academy (good detail and best hull yet)...what about the new trumpeter CV-6 which I understand is a NEW KIT! I got one at the IPMS show in Phoenix and was curious how it compares to the Academy kit? Anyone?

If I read that correct, Trumpeter makes 2 different 1/700 CV-6 kits, and the newest one is the best one out there? What is the product # for it so we make sure we order the correct one? Also, what is the best PE for it, for railings, such, if it doesn�t already come with some?

[Captain Morgan]

There has been a great debate going on over who makes the best 1/700 CV-6 Enterprise...Tamiya (scales off and bad hull) Trumpeter (bad hull) and the new Academy (good detail and best hull yet)...what about the new trumpeter CV-6 which I understand is a NEW KIT! I got one at the IPMS show in Phoenix and was curious how it compares to the Academy kit? Anyone?

If I read that correct, Trumpeter makes 2 different 1/700 CV-6 kits, and the newest one is the best one out there? What is the product # for it so we make sure we order the correct one? Also, what is the best PE for it, for railings, such, if it doesn�t already come with some?

The Trumpeter Hornet kit has the bad hull. Tamiya has a good hull from before Enterpise was bulged, but the hull shape is accurate, but it�s about 1/719 scale.
Trumpeters new Yorktown and Enterprise kits are good, but Enterprise isn�t perfect since it�s supposed to be after Midway from the armaments, but is includes TBD�s which were gone after Midway. But there are plenty of TBF�s in my spare parts drawers from the earlier carrier kits that had no TBD�s but plenty of TBF�s.
Academy has good shape, but details on it are very poor. You can buy new guns for it, but OOB it�s poor, IMHO.

[Timmy C]

If I read that correct, Trumpeter makes 2 different 1/700 CV-6 kits,

They didn't, actually - Trumpeter had molded only Hornet using the old, bad hull. There was no bad-hulled Enterprise or Yorktown. Any discussion of Enterprise and Yorktown using the old, bad hull is based on converting the Hornet kit.

The Enterprise they did make uses the new, good hull, and is item #6708: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10516972

Sadly, the "new" hull is waterline only, so the corrected hull isn't as evident as it would be otherwise.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

If I read that correct, Trumpeter makes 2 different 1/700 CV-6 kits,

They didn't, actually - Trumpeter had molded only Hornet using the old, bad hull. There was no bad-hulled Enterprise or Yorktown. Any discussion of Enterprise and Yorktown using the old, bad hull is based on converting the Hornet kit.

The Enterprise they did make uses the new, good hull, and is item #6708: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/10516972

Sadly, the "new" hull is waterline only, so the corrected hull isn't as evident as it would be otherwise.

Ah ok I got it now.

How�s the Merit 1/200 Hornet hull stack up?

[Timmy C]

The 1/200 hull is a midpoint between the terrible old Hornet hull and the optimal new/fixed hull. I think it's good enough to avoid the tanker shape of the old hull, though it perhaps doesn't have quite the same good lines as the Merit 1/350 and Trumpy 1/700 new hulls.


One solution for the 1/700 if you want a full hull would be to get the Trumpy Enterprise and the Academy kit, and use the latter's lower hull. One board member reports that it's nearly a snap-fit: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=167216#p739437

[Thomas E. Johnson]

The 1/200 hull is a midpoint between the terrible old Hornet hull and the optimal new/fixed hull. I think it's good enough to avoid the tanker shape of the old hull, though it perhaps doesn't have quite the same good lines as the Merit 1/350 and Trumpy 1/700 new hulls.


One solution for the 1/700 if you want a full hull would be to get the Trumpy Enterprise and the Academy kit, and use the latter's lower hull. One board member reports that it's nearly a snap-fit: viewtopic.php?f=12&t=167216#p739437

How far off is the 1/200 hull that anyone comparing photos of the real ship to the model will actually notice? Perhaps best to wait for the Trumepter 1/200 kits and order an extra hull from them, and install the Hornet parts from the hanger deck up?

Defoe will get the Trumpeter 1/700 CV-6.

[Timmy C]

It is my understanding that Merit made a decent attempt on fixing the bow and stern, but missed the mark in the centre where it's still vertical rather than flaring out slightly as one goes from from waterline to hangar deck. It's pretty subtle in my opinion, and certainly most people wouldn't know what to look for anyway, so if you're building to meet the approval of folks around you everyday life, go for it. Of course, there are some on here who are more discerning with stronger opinions on this, and other issues (including parts above the hull).

That being said, I wouldn't expect a Trumpeter 1/200 Yorktown/Enterprise to have the fully corrected hull of the 1/350 and 1/700 releases, since they already have the 1/200 molds for the Merit Hornet.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

It is my understanding that Merit made a decent attempt on fixing the bow and stern, but missed the mark in the centre where it's still vertical rather than flaring out slightly as one goes from from waterline to hangar deck. It's pretty subtle in my opinion, and certainly most people wouldn't know what to look for anyway, so if you're building to meet the approval of folks around you everyday life, go for it. Of course, there are some on here who are more discerning with stronger opinions on this, and other issues (including parts above the hull).

That being said, I wouldn't expect a Trumpeter 1/200 Yorktown/Enterprise to have the fully corrected hull of the 1/350 and 1/700 releases, since they already have the 1/200 molds for the Merit Hornet.

I thought Trumpeter said that their 1/200 Yorktown/Enterprise were all new tools? I must have read it wrong if they are just modifying the Merit Hornet kit....

[Timmy C]

Won't know for sure until they're actually released. But for what it's worth, their catalogues never specify "New Tool", only "New", and certainly avoid any mention that they've previously done work for other brands.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Won't know for sure until they're actually released. But for what it's worth, their catalogues never specify "New Tool", only "New", and certainly avoid any mention that they've previously done work for other brands.

Well, if they re-use the Hornet parts, it would make it easier to build them and display them together and have them look consistant, since the same tape and paint method to add hull plating would be used on both hulls.

If they are new tools, then I�d expect the new hulls to have molded on hull plating.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

What are the colors of the hanger deck interior on these vessels? If memory serves, the bulkheads and overheads are white, but the deck was standard deck grey....

[MartinJQuinn]

What are the colors of the hanger deck interior on these vessels? If memory serves, the bulkheads and overheads are white, but the deck was standard deck grey....

Conventional wisdom has always said white, but Mr. White (Tracy, that is), has postulated that, at least pre US involvement in and early in the war, the bulkheads and overheads were a silver or aluminum color. Looking at photos, he may be right.

[Tracy White]

Discussed with some photos about seven pages back.