1/350 CVL-23 USS Princeton

[Ian Roberts]

Funnily enough, I'm actually working on a Shipbucket format drawing of Princeton as lost (so I think we're broadly working the same project, only yours is more advanced )

One thing I've noticed when reviewing photos and plans of the ship: the deck parking area amidships between the four funnels looks like it was extended outboard during the January 1944 refit period. The Princeton kit (and even the Princeton plans from Floating Drydock) show a cut-out in this area for the 20mm Oerlikon gallery amidships, with the gun tub at the same level as the rest of the gallery deck-level catwalks. The cut-out in the deck parking area is clearly visible in the photos taken of the ship in May, 1943 (80-G-65974):

But in 1944, you can see the deck parking area has been extended, and the 20mm gallery has been lowered. See photo NH 95650 and NH 95647:

Let me know what you think!

Edit: as a sidenote, are you using the Floating Drydock "TFW" series plans at all for your project? I have been very frustrated with these plans as they have a LOT of errors, which isn't something I expect from the usually-excellent "TFW" plans offered for sale.

[StevenVD]

Hi Ian, I did use this kind of plan only a few times, because it's the plan for a sister ship that has probably some differences. I did try to print one of the deck cross sections on 1/350 with only the help of my printer's preview function. I once had Paint Shop Pro working on this computer to scale such drawings, only to see it crunched by some windows update, but now all my image processing is done with venerable Microsoft Paint, that will probably break in a few years because it is not updated anymore.

This question I treated once in this log, when I had to add the photo etch. I had a scheme of the testimony locations for the book "Carrier Down":



It showed persons 22, 23 and 26 were near or on this location, but it is unclear on which level nr. 23 was. But now that I am watching other pictures in this book, I come across one where I seem to recognize the shape of the platform that would be added, bent upwards probably by the efforts of the destroyer that was lodged under the stacks. It's this picture:



The utter left part of this picture should also show that platform, and it shows no interruption where the aftermost crash barrier support is: http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/022320c.jpg

It could also be a piece of elevator or airplane debris, but it is right at the spot where you would expect it. It may mean that I have to change some things a bit.

[Ian Roberts]

Interesting stuff! I hope that changing it doesn't prove too difficult (if you do decide it's worth changing).

Another interesting thing I've noticed about CVL-23 is a small platform bracketed to the aft part of the SK radar support. You can see the platform in all of the photos I mention in my post above, and it's also visible in your photo above too (of damaged CVL-23). At first I thought it was battle damage, but it's also visible in the Jan 1944 refit photos:

Any idea from anyone here what this might be?

[StevenVD]

I have no clue, it is nowhere on the Independence pictures.

I just primered the North Star figures.



Removing the figures from sprue is a daunting task, necessitating a sharp knife and sometimes a pair of snippers. Often a leg is severed, but this can be glued back on.



Two of them are fixed on a metal rod to prepare them for priming.







All 85 of them are fixed. It took about 3 hours.



You can guess the scale o this picture. I decided to prime them in the light blue shirt color visible in early color photographs from CV-6 Enterprise.





(http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/06.htm) I suppose I can also add some red or yellow shirts.





Now I am going to pencil the deeper blue of the overalls.

[Ian Roberts]

Very nice! I was wondering when we would get to see the small figures join the model Having crew standing around makes the scene so much more realistic. Great stuff.

[StevenVD]

Thanks, Ian. By now they are wearing their uniforms.









At Scaleworld I was considering buying the Fujimi Zuikaku, but it seems a lot more work than Princeton. Now I'm reading the CASF topic here.

[StevenVD]

Most of the pictures of CVL's show a number of hose installations working, evacuating cooling water out of the hull. This is something that can be used to make the diorama even more dynamic.





These Navsource pictures show some of the locations. I mostly used Independence pictures.



You people all know what's going on on this picture. Stretching sprue is mostly done for the thin thread that is produced, but I will use the stunted ends instead.



Clearpart produces stretched sprue easier, because it contains less air bubbles.



I continued until I got enough ends to complete the waterline.



Drilling a hole makes it easier to attach the sprue.



Using enamel dark brown paint, the runoff is applied to the hull. The next pics show the results, that will maybe be painted more white later on.













The Humbrol track color came in handy to touch up the anchors and some other worn areas. The paint is old and sticky, causing realistic rust staining.





With all this clearpart I am reminded of the canopies still waiting to be hollowed out. Let's try first on some clearpart.

[StevenVD]

I just prepared another bunch of figures, now L'Arsenal. Some had to be repaired, but I would dare to mix them under the North Star ones.

[StevenVD]

Now the L'Arsenal figures are painted too.













Shoes and caps are painted and washed. These resin figures all have the shipmate's cap and can not be used for pilots or officers.

[StevenVD]

A brown acrylic wash is used on the panellines for the planes.



This is most obvious on the light side of the wings.



Using a fine drill, the Avenger canopies are hollowed out carefully.



These parts are done with the Dremel, therefore they still have the sprue for holding.



When that is cut off, the glass can be filed thinner.



After that, some Tamiya Extra Thin evens out the creases and it's transparent again.



The Trumpeter Hellcats had the windshields sheared off the canopies. Then, a chunk needed to be removed from the fuselage to make the canopy fit in open position.



The Avengers also get their windshields, but they get the spare canopies from Dragon. These have an open option and have more detail.





Almost done with that glass. I forgot to mention that I once dropped the entire filed glass tray on the ground and had to dust them up again. I even knew I was going to drop them at least once.

[Guest]

Hi Steve' I'm new here and I've been following your thread over the last few weeks, catching up on your excellent work here on the Princeton, I've one in the stash and have been building up AM for the future project, which I'll be using your build as my prime reference, borrowing your methods and procedures, love your work certainly awe inspiring .

[StevenVD]

You're welcome, you made a great choice. Will it be a waterliner or a full hull?

[StevenVD]

Yesterday I attached the wings.











Two of the planes already have a pilot, some have the canopy closed down but the one with the stretched out wings has a makeshift pilot head glued in the canopy.

One other thing, I can announce my next carrier project. It was the carrier that launched the plane to sink the USS Princeton:

[StevenVD]

I fixed the propellers and painted the canopies of the planes.



The props are placed with wire and brass tube. For Trumpeter this was harder, because there was no axle with a hole to place the wire. I had to add one myself. I think I'll add some rockets and droptanks.

[StevenVD]

Yesterday, I decided to line the transverse girders on the Pontos deck with a blue Cont� marker and the Pontos backing plastic as a ruler. This solved the problem of avoiding some obstacles on and near the deck. Blue marker doesn't fade easy in sunlight and the sharp tip is easy to keep in line with the girders.



I'm glad I did this after all, because it makes all the difference on the deck. There is now a distinction between the wooden planks and what should be metal. I also did a dry-fit of the airwing on the deck, I hope this is a logical formation.



















Now I'm going to tackle the rigging.

[RichardAigner]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfzQwAbz9F4
Instructional film on Royal Navy WWII Carriers. At about 3:00 into there film you will find a sequence on spotting planes on deck. Yes it's British...
HTH, Richard

[StevenVD]

Thanks, Richard. I watched it with interest! Just weathered the deck with acrylic washes and dry-brushing.







The Dragon flag stickers are quite nice, but I thought it could be improved by painting them on a piece of aluminium foil.



Like that, they seem to move like a real flag, as in the picture of Independence.



I only had to paint the bare side wite and copy the flags to the foil with a very fine brush.



Now I'll still have to use a thread to get them all in one wind direction.

[Joe Simon]

This is a fantastic project! You should be very proud.

[StevenVD]

Thanks, Joe! I really am...



The Master Models Mk.13's are being placed like on this picture.



I used CA clue to attach the torpedoes to the carts. The props were abundant so you can lose a few.



I put them close to the aft elevator.



Removing the figures from my painting stand took at least an hour. Sometimes, the glue was stronger than their legs.



I used 4 droptanks, but only one will be attached. The other 3 are placed on a cart train pulled by a Clarktor. These PE carts are from the WEM airwing set. I will also add these rockets to the first planes.

For placing the carts and the planes, I prefer contact glue, because this can take more of a beating before it comes loose. I added about 30 figures, but I will add many more this weekend.

[StevenVD]

Yesterday, I finished the model. The first pictures show some stuff that still had to be painted. Two Hellcats received some Holy Moses rockets and a droptank. Because this happened at the last moment, I mounted three HVARs on a piece of metal and glued this under the wing as a whole. Some bombs were also scratched, alas I printed the ref pic badly so I couldn't make out the number of fins. Therefore the bombs have 3 fins and not 4.





I added a lot of figures to the ship over about 3 days.



















I added 4 antennae on the stacks, like the last Princeton pictures show them. The thread is so fine, it is impossible to straighten. Also, the sign flags are tied one way. The name sign is glued to the base with 2-component glue. Some glue marks are treated with Vallejo matte varnish. At last, the definitive pictures could be shot. The background shows some reading I had over the last days, plus some preparatory stuff for my next 1/350 project, which isn't going to take off for about half a year, I guess.































































































It's hard to lift everything by the tapered edges. I have to shove it to the edge of the table. I have to find a cure for this on the contest tables.

Here, you get some detail shots near the relevant reference pics I used.



https://www.navy.mil/navydata/nav_legacy.asp?id=43





















https://www.worldwarphotos.info/gallery ... rafts-2-3/



https://www.ww2online.org/image/bofors- ... -shakedown