Calling all USS Enterprise CV-6 fans

[MartinJQuinn]

Hi Martin,

As mentioned a page back, I used plastic rod for the degaussing cables on my 1/350 Enterprise. Something to consider. It wasn't hard to do.

I was wondering was it rod or rectangular strip stock?

Thanks in advance and wishing you a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Mark B.

Mark -

Plastic rod by Evergreen. I believe it was .20, but it may have been .30. I'd have to go back and look if I kept any notes.

[Brocky]

Mark -

Plastic rod by Evergreen. I believe it was .20, but it may have been .30. I'd have to go back and look if I kept any notes.

Thanks Martin. Don't worry about looking it up, I would probably have to use .20 or maybe even .15 in 1/487.

[Brocky]

Hi John,

Expensive super detailing sets are beyond my budget, and I prefer to build from the box as much as possible, although I�ll substitute 3D printed parts if it will make the build easier and less stressful.

I did not realize the depth and breadth of the Infini/Pontos sets. I think if you used every part in them you would replace 75% of the kit with brass. Even if I could justify the cost, I'm not sure my skills are up to that so most likely I would stick to rails, ladders, cranes and radars. I was able to secure two GMM Yorktown and Enterprise sets for $25 each but that was a few years ago. As for 3D printed parts I agree that they can really improve a model especially in the light weapons department.

The Trumpeter 1/200 kit does include several sizes of brass wire to use for the degaussing cables, as well as a diagram of how to place them.

Is that listed as "Pipe Assembly" in the Trumpeter instructions?

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Hi John,

Expensive super detailing sets are beyond my budget, and I prefer to build from the box as much as possible, although I�ll substitute 3D printed parts if it will make the build easier and less stressful.

I did not realize the depth and breadth of the Infini/Pontos sets. I think if you used every part in them you would replace 75% of the kit with brass. Even if I could justify the cost, I'm not sure my skills are up to that so most likely I would stick to rails, ladders, cranes and radars. I was able to secure two GMM Yorktown and Enterprise sets for $25 each but that was a few years ago. As for 3D printed parts I agree that they can really improve a model especially in the light weapons department.

The Trumpeter 1/200 kit does include several sizes of brass wire to use for the degaussing cables, as well as a diagram of how to place them.

Is that listed as "Pipe Assembly" in the Trumpeter instructions?

Yeah it is. Whoever wrote the instructions doesn�t know the difference between pipes & cables. LOL

[John W.]

As a ship modeler, it is the best of times, it is the worst of times.
The good news is that diligent researchers have found tons of archival photos and plans that I certainly thought were lost forever. These add the opportunity for exceptional detail work and to truly identify - at least to a great degree - what a ship looked like in a certain period. (Recall the debate on the final configuration of LEX when she left Pearl for the last time.)
The bad news is that diligent researchers have found tons of archival photos and plans that I certainly thought were lost forever. These add the opportunity for exceptional detail work and to truly identify - at least to a great degree - what a ship looked like in a certain period. (Recall the debate on the final configuration of LEX when she left Pearl for the last time.)
I have a friend in my ship modeling club who counsels: when you finish building a model, burn the plans. That way no one can second guess or nitpick.

I prefer to have the details rather than not. It has made my modeling life more challenging getting to that level of detail and correctness I desire. I surely understand why others choose different paths to complete a model because of these factors.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

The 1/200 kit includes massive #6 decals for the fore & aft flight decks, but the instructions don�t show to place them.

I�m guessing Trumpeter included them for decorative purposes in case the builder wants to apply them anyways?

[MartinJQuinn]

The 1/200 kit includes massive #6 decals for the fore & aft flight decks, but the instructions don�t show to place them.

I�m guessing Trumpeter included them for decorative purposes in case the builder wants to apply them anyways?

Yes, they weren't added until sometime in 1943.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

The 1/200 kit includes massive #6 decals for the fore & aft flight decks, but the instructions don�t show to place them.

I�m guessing Trumpeter included them for decorative purposes in case the builder wants to apply them anyways?

Yes, they weren't added until sometime in 1943.

Thanks. I�m guessing most people will model the ship as she was in 1942.

[Devin]

All model kit companies have a thing for those big deck numbers. Every Yorktown CV-5 kit has them, including the Trumpeter 1/200 scale offering, even though she never wore flight deck identification numbers.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Both Trumpeter�s 1/200 and 1/700 kits represent the ship during mid 1942 if I�m not mistaken?

[MartinJQuinn]

Both Trumpeter�s 1/200 and 1/700 kits represent the ship during mid 1942 if I�m not mistaken?

Based on the painting guide in the 1/200 kit, it looks like it's a late 1942 - circa Santa Cruz - fit.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

Both Trumpeter�s 1/200 and 1/700 kits represent the ship during mid 1942 if I�m not mistaken?

Based on the painting guide in the 1/200 kit, it looks like it's a late 1942 - circa Santa Cruz - fit.

So still close enough for Midway then....

[MartinJQuinn]

So still close enough for Midway then....

She had her AA suite enhanced between Eastern Solomons (August) and Santa Cruz (October). 1.1s replaced with 40mm. More 20mm guns added. There were other changes as well - someone like Dick J could probably recite them in his sleep. IIRC, you would be better off starting with Yorktown and converting her for a Midway Enterprise.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

So still close enough for Midway then....

She had her AA suite enhanced between Eastern Solomons (August) and Santa Cruz (October). 1.1s replaced with 40mm. More 20mm guns added. There were other changes as well - someone like Dick J could probably recite them in his sleep. IIRC, you would be better off starting with Yorktown and converting her for a Midway Enterprise.

Since I already have the 1/200 and 1/700 Enterprise kits I have no plans to buy the Yorktown, at least in 1/200 anyways. LOL

I�ll build the 1/200 Enterprise as the kit portrays her and live with the time period.

[aircommando130]

My 1/200 Enterprise arrived last night! WOW...it's big! I also have the 1/200 Arizona...my only two ships to build!
This is a great forum...so hopefully I'll learn a lot following along here!

Cheers...Ron

[Thomas E. Johnson]

We�re the interior walls and overheads of the hanger deck white? I�m assuming the deck was dark grey.

[Brocky]

We�re the interior walls and overheads of the hanger deck white? I�m assuming the deck was dark grey.

Hi Thomas,
Well according to the first post by Gordon Bjorklund on the first page of this thread,
The Enterprise's "Hangar deck is painted Deck Gray 20-G and the Hangar deck bulkheads and overhangs are painted White".
I have never found anything disputing this so I am going to go with that.

One question I have is what was the underside of the exposed flight deck at the bow and stern painted? Deck blue? Or being that it was wood and not observable from the air was it painted at all?

Thanks for any assistance on this,
Mark B.

[Thomas E. Johnson]

We�re the interior walls and overheads of the hanger deck white? I�m assuming the deck was dark grey.

Hi Thomas,
Well according to the first post by Gordon Bjorklund on the first page of this thread,
The Enterprise's "Hangar deck is painted Deck Gray 20-G and the Hangar deck bulkheads and overhangs are painted White".
I have never found anything disputing this so I am going to go with that.

One question I have is what was the underside of the exposed flight deck at the bow and stern painted? Deck blue? Or being that it was wood and not observable from the air was it painted at all?

Thanks for any assistance on this,
Mark B.

That is a good question indeed.....

[Rick E Davis]

This has been discussed before. There is pretty good evidence that the pre-WWII carriers painted their hangar bulkheads with Aluminum paint. After major modifications, it is quite possible that the bulkheads were painted white. Here is an image of USS ENTERPRISE's hangar dated 25 December 1942. Note the shinning bulkheads to the left. Pre-WWII images also show really bright shinny bulkheads.

[ModelMonkey]

One question I have is what was the underside of the exposed flight deck at the bow and stern painted? Deck blue? Or being that it was wood and not observable from the air was it painted at all?...

It is a common misunderstanding that the American carrier flight decks were structurally made of wood. American carrier flight decks were made of steel. The top of the steel flight deck was covered with a layer of wood planking as a wearing surface. In other words, the flight deck was steel with a wood skin. The steel deck below the wood wearing surface appears best in photos of flight decks damaged in action, especially where the wood surface has burned away or has been displaced by blast exposing the steel deck. Here's a photo of Enterprise taken on 10 September 1942. Notice the overhead is steel, with sunlight passing through holes. Some of the holes are arrayed in a pattern indicating missing bolts or rivets, others are more random and jagged likely caused by blast fragmentation. Also note that the overhead paint not darkened by burns/smoke is a light color, still visible through the damage. This tends to indicate that the overhead was probably not blue. Examples of other ships' steel flight decks appear below.

Perhaps the common wooden deck misunderstanding originates from, or is perpetuated by published comparisons of US carriers and British carriers. In many publications, the author points out that British carriers had armored flight decks while the American carriers' had wooden flight decks. Although wood was certainly present, it is more accurate to say that the American carriers' flight decks were unarmored structural steel with a wooden wearing surface, structurally much lighter than an armored deck.

Yorktown class carriers did have an armored deck, the "4th deck", below the hangar deck.

[edit: corrected armored deck identification]