1/700 USS Bunker Hill CV-17 (1944)

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Well, I have started the Dragon Essex kit. After installing the hangar deck, the hull has a nice twist to it. Plus, the height of the startboard side of the hull seems to be taller than the port side. What the ?
I decided to add the hull bottom next, as I hope this will get rid of the "twist". I want a flat flight deck...from one end to the other!! Is this asking too much?
So far, I have not determined the Jan-November 44 configs...in all.
Tracy, you are a great help to everyone!.....I've been under oveur and oveur's been under dunn"...
Trumpeter next time?
faithfully submitted, Tony Bunch

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Tracy,
I cut one of the hull braces at first, and then cut them all.
"Yep, it's tweaked". I have taken a very close look at Cristoph Mentzels' CV-17, and will use her as my guide. I don't want to hammer you too much but....
1)Hangar deck color(s)?
2)Should I camouflage the hull before adding on the flight deck?
This will be my first full hull build since I was a kid! BTW..."what's our vector, Victor?"
onward!
Tony Bunch

[Tracy White]

1)Hangar deck color(s)?
2)Should I camouflage the hull before adding on the flight deck?

Really quick:
1) deck gray, white bulkheads and overheads. Exterior color carried down into the elevator wells.
2) You might find it easier to but I think it's more a matter of personal preferance and your system for building.

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Tracy,
Thanks a bunch!
Between the link I got from Chad and all of the info from you. I am underway. Still, I wish I could confirm the radar suite. Best I can tell, CV17 had the SC-2, SG, SM and SK in 1944. It sucks not being absolutely positive about something..... ...well, not quite this bad. Plus, the guy I'm building her for probably won't even care. I do though. Some fool-hearted ship modeler's ethics code.
Later and thanks again, Tony

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Okay I have seen the link to steelnavy, and I have revceiwed the CV17 info. Did this ship have two catapults? From the start?
Thanks, Tony

[Tracy White]

I should preface this by saying that CV-17 is a ship I don't have a lot of good information on.

Friedman's Carriers book lists her as one of the six ships that had the hangar deck cat. So when she was commissioned she would have had only one catapult (starboard). By the end of the war she had two, but I'm not sure at this point when this would have happened. My *guess* based on her DANFS entry was she had the second cat installed at the end of 1944 when she hit Bremerton from November until January.

[Werner]

Wasn't she (Bunker Hill) the third to commission? She would be representative of the General Board plans and not operational experience.

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Tracy,
Okee dokee! Thanks for that. I can build the Dragon Essex out of the box, and the Essex flight deck and hangar deck cats will be used. From what I've read, the CV-17 went in for her first o-haul after the turn of 1945. I still think I'll go with the "Later" radar suite, as Christof's CV17 was in her early Ms32 and she's got all of the "later" radar stuff...SC-2, SG, SK and SM. I am guessing here, but it looks like the Bunker Hill was originally equipped with a radar suite that Essex got, "later". Sound about right?
More will be revealed, Tony
ps "Joey, have you ever been in the cockpit before...?"
"I've never been in a plane before..."
....."Listen kid, tell your old man to drag Walton and Lenier up and down the court for 45 mins!!"

[Tracy White]

Wasn't she (Bunker Hill) the third to commission? She would be representative of the General Board plans and not operational experience.

Fourth; Yorktown was third. But even amongst the first three there was variation. It might provide a "best guess" but my goal is to KNOW. Sounds like I won't know in time to help Tony but we'll try.

Commissioning Dates:
CV-9 Dec 31, 1942
CV-16 Mar 17 1943
CV-10 Apr 15, 1943
CV-17 May 24, 1943

[Werner]

Ah, the problem with age. The memory fades.

Like Admiral Crowe said, "Now that I'm retired, I have increasingly vivid recollections of events which never happened".

[Tracy White]

Hey, I have that problem and I'm only 34!

It's one reason I hate to operate off of memory... I actually carry my text notes around with me on a thumb drive so I've got them wherever... not enough room on them for my scans or books though

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Tracy,
I am not moving that fast...really. Yesterday, I had time to start on the island....and then I went back and looked at the hull... !
I spent an hour wet sanding the sides of the hull till the upper and lower halves were even. The "ties" on the ships' sides are still there...fortunately. So, I have not even touched the island. Just trying to get the information, "up front", so to speak. If all goes well, I'll finish this model within the next 60 days. I still have to finish my modern BB62/DDG-14 display for the Nats!
I have decided not to build the Trumpeter kit instead, (and I was tempted..could'nt be any worse),as my time spent on the Dragon kit has exceeded the invisible, "go-no-go", limit.
onward!
Thanks Guys, Tony

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
This is one of my more lame questions but.....on Dragon's 1/700 Essex:
Do I paint the boot topping above the lower hull half partition? Do I split it? Do I paint it entirely at and below the bottom hull half attach point?
TIA
Tony
ps .."don't give me that white zone again, you want me to have an abortion.."

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Here is the Dragon 1/700 Essex kit as it is today. The guy I'm building it for has given me an earlier deadline to completion...July 15th. I recently ordered the GMM 1/700 WWII USN Carrier decals and a Trumpeter 1/700 a/c set. The pics I have seen of 1944 Bunker Hill, (CV-17), do include the SB2C a/c type, and these are not included with the Essex. I may use only the Trumpeter a/c, if they look better than the Dragon offerings. Any input here???
I have assembled as much of the hull as I dare, before I attempt the Ms32-6a scheme. I have not attached the flight to the hull, nor have I attached the island to the flight deck. My intention is to attach these together after the painting is finished, and then touch up as needed. Attaching the flight deck to the hull before painting is still being considered, as the glue attach points will be quite visible...and I just can't see painting everything a second time in these areas....hmmmmmm....any input???
I painted the hangar deck interior per the instructions given here....
white and deck grey, (well... engine grey by Testors).
Before I continue, I have a question.....what is the color of the flight deck underside that is visible either above the forecastle or anywhere else? Is it white, or is it the surrounding exterior color???
Here are some progress pics...






I must say that the hull bottom to hull attach procedure required some extra work...and extra sanding!!! Still is NOT even close to PERFECT!!!

Next step is to finish a few a/c to install inside before attaching the flight deck. I am really tempted to attach the flight deck before painting.
Thanks for letting me share, Tony Bunch

[Poppop]

Tony:

I'm pretty much a rookie on the Essex carriers also... finished a 1/700 with my grandson and now working on a 1/350 Yorktown in 1944 scheme.

My understanding is that the undersides of the deck and islands were white (something called countershading I believe).

I have painted the hull first and am temporarily stalled while I do some work on the New Jersey (having some decal problems)... only room for one on the workbench at a time. I will have to see how much touch up is required after attaching the deck. I also have to complete some aircraft for the hangar deck and get some lettering complete before attaching the deck.

I'm sure that Tracy and others will have some comments based on more experience and documentation.

Glad to see you're back in the business actively!

Regards,

Charlie

[Tracy White]

Tony: sounds like our kits have a similar fit. I cut one of the lateral supports on my kit to make it fit better so there'd be less sanding. Reminds me why I like to do waterline

Popop: countershading wasn't done all of the time. More often on Dazzle schemes but not always. I don't believe it was on Yorktown but I'll double check for you when I get a chance. It's pretty obvious if you can get good pictures.

[Tony Bunch]

Hi Guys,
Charlie,
Countershading you say...I have been to two county fairs and a goat ropin', but I aint never hoid of that! It will be a retouch job on the white, (after applying the camo), as I painted the entire underside of the flight deck already.
This will be fun. I wasn't planning to paint the hull bottom till I don't know when. Whatever can stand the most masking and be the easiest touch up.
Still waiting on my PacFront order for the decals and Trumpeter planes.
Gonna go run my 1/96 DD at the model yacht basin...see ya!
Thanks Guys, Tony

[Mark Deakin]

Hi Tony,

what this ? can it realy be you are buidling something and its not an iowa ?

As always a pleasure to view your work

Regards,
Mark D.

P.S. my Essex is number 4 or 5 on my to do list.......I am hoping Tracey will have the Essex book out for my build.

[Tracy White]

Countershading you say...I have been to two county fairs and a goat ropin', but I aint never hoid of that! It will be a retouch job on the white, (after applying the camo), as I painted the entire underside of the flight deck already.

I'd leave it. I don't think she was countershaded. Check out NS021723 on Navsource's CV-17 page (seven or so down) and if you look at the areas where the catwalks are in dark colors there's no evidence that the overheads are lighter, or that they tried to make the shadows in such a dark area any lighter.

[Poppop]

Tony:

I agree with Tracy.. leave it as it is!

While the specs apparently called for countershading, Tracy provided me some references awhile back for the Yorktown in 1944 dazzle, and it sure appears that it did not have the countershading. His reference in your case indicates the same!

I'm not applying any countershading to my Yorktown.. big issue now is to figure out what to do with the overhang areas of the deck. I doubt the dazzle pattern was extended under the decks and I may just paint that area 5-L Light Gray. Tracy: any comments?

Thanks again to all of you guys, you do make this hobby more interesting and informative.

Regards,

Charlie