Calling all Nimitz-class CVN fans

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Mon Oct 31, 2005 6:40 pm

Post by **Dave Wooley** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 1:01 pm

Thanks Steve for posting such a huge amount of information , quite a task . Nice model
Dave Wooley

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Thu Nov 03, 2005 6:42 pm

AndrexP · Post by **AndrexP** » Sun Nov 06, 2005 12:00 am

Here's a good closeup shot, showing painting details -- bitts and a capstan, and weathered non-skid -- on USN ships. The non-skid is the same product used on the flight deck (minus the jet fuel & hydraulic fluid). This is USS Harry S. Truman (CVN-75).

Another good one, showing flight deck layout and markings on USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69):

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Sat Nov 26, 2005 9:58 pm

stu_fishing · Post by **stu_fishing** » Sun Nov 27, 2005 6:13 pm

wow..those are some great shots..thx for sharing!

anybody here who wants to do that as a dio?

..except me

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Thu Jan 12, 2006 8:34 pm

Post by **Timmy C** » Tue Jun 27, 2006 10:13 pm

What are the dark stripes on the flight deck here, that makes the deck look like tiles?

[img]http://www.pacom.mil/exercises/vs2006/imagery/060621-N-7130B-318-h.jpg[/img]

Mark Deakin · Post by **Mark Deakin** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 7:18 am

Hi,

having decided to super detail my Nimitz I have been looking for a set of plans for 1975 and floating drydock have some, my quetsion is does anybody have any exprience of these plans and are there any alternatives ?

I already have Ray Beans Photo CDS but want to try and go a little further......

Regards,
Mark D.

AndrexP · Post by **AndrexP** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:25 pm

Timmy C wrote:What are the dark stripes on the flight deck here, that makes the deck look like tiles?

They are merely a product of the angle of reflection. The �grain� if you will.

Non-skid is applied with a roller. In order to ensure that the weld beads that join the steel deck panels are adequately covered, we first roll a swath covering the weld, in a direction perpendicular to the weld. Then the rest of the flat surface is filled in. What you're seeing is the resulting 'grain' where some strokes run in one direction and the rest of the panel in another. In the picture, you don�t see the dark lines on weld beads that run in the athwart ship direction because they are parallel to the direction used to fill in the panel.

Read on for more detail:

Navy non-skid is a thick, jet black, tar-like coating that comes in 5-gallon plastic buckets and must be applied just so in a mysterious ritual of surface preparation with expensive hydroblasting equipment and large vacuum hoppers (to suck up the resulting grit). Critically important are the right conditions of temperature, weather, humidity, surface preparation profile, etc. You must apply the primer perfectly in accordance with the instructions, and with great amounts of humility, patience, kindness and one or two voodoo sacrifice. Without the latter, and despite all efforts by the Air Boss�s rabid �wet-non skid� Gestapo, several boot prints will invariably appear in the fresh �skid overnight, right in the middle of the flight deck where it�s impossible for someone to have walked without being seen. Then a big, fat jet drops a tailhook on it and tears off a foot-long strip of our beloved, priceless fresco non-skid... but I digress.

The coating is applied to the flight deck by civilian contractors at great expense (in the order of $1M to completely resurface a CVN). Carriers are entirely re-coated once per deployment cycle, usually early in the training phase. The landing area � the part that takes the abuse from tailhooks � gets re-done again just prior to deployment. There may also be some patch repair work here and there. Island walkways, the fantail and internal decks areas (and non-aviation surfaces on smaller ships) aren�t subject to the same tight NAVAIR standards and may be done by the crew, typically without the specialized training or hydroblasting equipment, etc. The result is all too often brown non-skid (rust creeping through) or a pink sheen poking through (primer bleeding through), etc.

The stuff is so thick that it forms ridges as high as ~10mm along the path of the roller. The resulting surface is semi-gloss and very close to black tar in color when new. And, like road tar, in a matter of weeks it has faded noticeably into progressively lighter shades of gray. Add to this the weathering effect of hydraulic fluids, fuel, rubber boots, etc.

And now you know� the rest of the story�

Post by **Timmy C** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:37 pm

Thanks Andrew. That explained it quite well, hehe.

maccrage · Post by **maccrage** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 1:55 pm

It also smells like overripe onions when wet.

Wolfman · Post by **Wolfman** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 4:49 pm

I didn't need to know that.

maccrage · Post by **maccrage** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 6:38 pm

Two yard periods and an emergency stop in Guam because they messed up the flight deck. I'll never forget that smell.

KV_Pharaoh · Post by **KV_Pharaoh** » Thu Jul 20, 2006 8:15 pm

Timmy,

something else to consider, with regard to the lines on the deck in the photo, is temperature. I know on the focsle of our ship when it is cold outside, we get similar lines on the deck. It is particularily noticeable with a light covering of snow, I believe it is due to there being more steel beneath the "snowless" lines, therefore holding the heat of the ship better, and therefore melting the snow above it.

Anonymous · Post by **Anonymous** » Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:49 pm

can anyone tell me are going to make perforated elevators for the 1/350nimitz.

simon b · Post by **simon b** » Fri Sep 22, 2006 2:59 pm

These elevators only appeared on the Enterprise. Nimitz has solid ones

Jason M. · Post by **Jason M.** » Thu Oct 19, 2006 10:44 pm

What a great assortment of photos! Brings back a lot of memories of my 4 years aboard the Nimitz. Thanks for posting these. One of these days I'm going to get around to building my old ship, and these photo's are going to be perfect.

Mark Deakin · Post by **Mark Deakin** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 2:32 pm

One Nimitz hanger deck started, target date -- Telford 2007

http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Mar ... 68Send.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Mar ... 73Send.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Mar ... 69Send.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Mar ... 71Send.jpg
http://www.warshipmodels.com/~users/Mar ... 72Send.jpg

Mark D.

metalnpolymer · Post by **metalnpolymer** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 4:11 pm

Hi Mark,

The Nimitz hanger is looking good! Are you building an early (70's) Nimitz or a newer version?

It must be a breeze for you in building the Nimitz after completing the beautiful CVN-65 recently.

The Ship Model Forum

Calling all Nimitz-class CVN fans

Calling all Nimitz-class CVN fans

USS Nimitz - hanger deck started