Calling all Iowa-class (BB-61) fans

[chuck]

The Tamiya Missouri is easy to build, but the kit is old, and contain relatively obvious and difficult to correct inaccuracies in hull shape and proportion of superstructure and main turrets. Very Fire Iowa class kits came on the market in the last year or two. They are harder to build than tamiya but much more accurate.

[KevinD]

Haven't read through this whole thread so this may have already been posted, but if not..............some 3D eye candy for you Iowa fans.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IN09Tf0i3PI

[KevinD]

Here's a drawing I did of the roller bearing assembly. This sits on top of the fixed turret support. The revolving part of the turret sits on this. This revolves when the turret revolves but more slowly.

The surfaces of the bearings are cones The bearings are in groups of six. However, they are not evenly spaced within the groups and the groups have different spacings. The lack of an even spacing was supposed to reduce wear.

The attachment Roller Bearings.jpg is no longer available

While from a much smaller turret (5.25" from HMS Prince of Wales), the below shows similar roller bearings from below as it were, that is here the 'ring' lays upside down on the sea floor.

[bigjimslade]

Here is an area that a lot of plans get wrong: the rangefinder hoods. For some reason they are usually depicted as having a straight front and back. If they were cast that way, there would have been no way to fit them into the mounting plate. In fact, the front and back turn normal to the center line at different points.

The drawings here are idealized. Because of vagarities of casting the hoods show a lot of variation and deviation from the planned ideal.

[chuck]

The side range find hoods on many battleships are in fact fan shaped like on the Iowa. This is because the range finder inside can all traverse a few degrees to either side of the center line of the turret to enable the range finder to track the target while the turret itself aim to lead the target. So the hood is fan shaped to accommodate the relative movements of the ends of the range finder.

[bigjimslade]

The hoods are not fan shaped---at least not at the base. They go straight out for a while (different amounts on front and back) then fan out.

If they were not straight at the end, they would not fit in the opening.

[James M]

Here's the real thing:

[bigjimslade]

Here's the real thing:

Thanks, the bends to straighten out the sides are visible. The corners get washed out through the casting process.

[chuck]

WIP photos. 95% complete

[Timmy C]

It won't show because the link Dropbox gives you takes you to the page that contains the image, rather than the image itself. To get the "true" link to the image that works with our

[SIBIRIAK-66]

Guys, Hello from Russia! In our country too there are modelers. But we build models mostly out of wood with axes....

[SIBIRIAK-66]

On my model in 350 scale, I tried to make a waterweiss..

[SIBIRIAK-66]

A strip of brass is glued on the cyacrin...

[SIBIRIAK-66]

Many thanks to everyone! Guys, your knowledge is very helpful in work!

[bigjimslade]

Many thanks to everyone! Guys, your knowledge is very helpful in work!

I cannot wait to see how the waterway turns out.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

You model looks fantastic Chuck!

[SIBIRIAK-66]

bigjimslade! From the inside, it looks like this. I will try to open my topik on Works in Progress.

[wojtekp90]

Hello, I have some questions

Were there big differences between Missouri and New Jersey from 1990?
How many searchlights 36 In had Missouri in 1945 and How many searchlights 24 In had Missouri in 1945.?
How many 12 In signaling lamps and target designator had in 1945?
It is worth buying this book, which includes:
USS Missouri (Bb-63): America's Last Battleship by David Doyle?

[chuck]

In 1945, the Missouri carried 5 36" search lights, 2 24" signal/search lights, 9 12" signal lights.

If by target designators, you means the pedestal mounted bearing transmitters with binoculars, then there were 8 of them.

[bigjimslade]

Were there big differences between Missouri and New Jersey from 1990?

A few:

By the 1990's there were number differences. The forward director tower on the New Jersey is completely different from those of the other ships. The NJ has "ears" while the others have a wrap around structure.

The Missouri has a mess for the main mast deck. It is solid on the other ships.

The forward support of the main mast ends at a support on the NJ. It extends down to the secondary conn level on the other ships.

The NJ and IA have different MK.38 directors from the other ships. The WI and MO have black backs (giving more room) while the NJ and IA have sloped backs.

The Missouri has MK.37 directors with commander cupolas. The NJ's directors lack these.

The forward turret on the MO has ventilators at the side. The NJ lacks these.

The NJ has lockers behind the bridge doors. The ships lack these.

The light lock in the open air tunnel behind the flag bridge (03 level) is different on all four ships.

The vents on top of the 20mm clipping room forward of turret 2 are different.

NJ has a large vent at the O1 level next to the FAS control platform. MO has a vent with a different shape.

The supports under the chaff platform are different both forward and under the side Mk.37 directors.

The two forward tomahawk launchers are slightly different on the NJ than from the MO.

The 04 extensions below the Phalanx launcher go all the way to the end of the deck on the MO but jut back in on the NJ>