Calling all Essex-class (Cold War configuration) fans

[Hill]

Hello,
please can you help me with modernized Essex class?
I would like to build a Vietnam era USS Hancock using old Hasegawa kit. But i dont know, which shape of flight deck i have to use. I thought that all ship had the same shape. But now, it seems, that there was at least two shapes. I have drawing of USS Oriskany only, but I think, that Hancock was more similar to Intrepid, is that true?
Are there any other major differences on flight deck or island?

[Dick J]

Hello,
please can you help me with modernized Essex class?
I would like to build a Vietnam era USS Hancock using old Hasegawa kit. But i dont know, which shape of flight deck i have to use. I thought that all ship had the same shape. But now, it seems, that there was at least two shapes. I have drawing of USS Oriskany only, but I think, that Hancock was more similar to Intrepid, is that true?
Are there any other major differences on flight deck or island?

The modernization programs resulted in several variations. Two programs were produced with "straight deck" variations. Oriskany was the prototype for the SCB-27A conversion. All were straight deck with hydraulic catapults that paralleled the centerline. The elevators were all in the original locations, though the centerline ones were slightly enlarged. (As a prototype, Oriskany's hull was widened to 106' while the remaining -27A's were only 101'.) This variant included CV's 9, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 33, 34, and 39.

The SCB-27C program had 3 ships that had the straight deck - CV's 11, 14, and 19. There were three visible differences from the -27A program. First, the -27C's had longer steam catapults. They were long enough that the after end of the starboard cat was very close to the island. Therefore, the after end had to be moved inboard so that aircraft could be efficiently moved into position. But because the cat still had to go outboard of the forward centerline elevator, this moved the forward end dangerously close to the deck edge. The solution was to add a slim triagle of deck forward of the 5" gun gallery. (The deck at the forward round-down was wider than it was between the forward 5" guns.) The port side cat was made parallel to the starboard one. The second difference was that the after centerline elevator was replaced by a deck-edge type on the starboard side. This elevator was further aft than on the later upgrades, leading to the unique deck shape for these three. The elevator location produced the third difference. The starboard after set of 5" guns was placed directly opposite the port side guns because the 27A's had their 5" gallery where these three had the elevator. (The hulls of all 6 SCB-27C's were widened to 103'.)

The next three SCB-27C's were still in the yards when SCB-125 was implemented, which added the angled deck and enclosed the bows. These three (CV's 16, 31, and 38) had unique, smoother bow contours. The starboard deck edge elevator of the previous three was considered to be too far aft for efficient deck ops, so it was moved forward on these three. The after 5" gallery remained directly opposite to the port side guns.

All subsequent SCB-125's had a different bow form, with a conspicuous knuckle where the original forecastle deck edge had been. The starboard deck edge elevator was added to the -27A's and remained in the more forward location. The first three -27C's and all of the -27A's except CV's 34 and 39 received SCB-125. CV-34 was upgraded with SCB-125A, which added everything -125 added, plus it upgraded Oriskany's catapults to the slightly angled steam cats, and provided all of the -27C internal changes as well. (CV-34 was the only -27A with a wide enough hull to remain stable with the added weight of the cats.) CV-39 remained a straight deck ship to the end.

The islands on all of the modernized Essex's were generally similar. However, differences crept in over time. You have to find photos of the right ship for the right time to keep them straight. All modernizations from SCB-27C on removed the tie-down strips and replace them with the more modern tie-down points. Only the ships with the steam cats (CV's 11, 14, 16, 19, 31, 34, and 38) had the bridle arrestors that projected out from the forward round-down. The pri-fly was generally expanded with the angled-deck mod.

[Hill]

Dick J : Thanks a lot. You helped me very much.

[Mark McKinnis]

Hi all...
well as MOST of you know I am a carrier nut, and over the years have collected hundreds of books many out of print, and drawings and reference pics of Post War Navy ships. I think WWII is really heavily covered, and there are some really good photo sources already in print out there and I have left those well enough alone. I never claimed to be any kind of expert on the ESSEX ships, and never will be,and there are folks out there far more knowledgable on this than I, but I love neat pictures, and this new DVD will have over 300 images of aircraft and the ships, all variants---MORE PICTURES ON ONE DVD THAN FOUND IN ANY ONE BOOK...

It will be IDEAL if anyone is planning on conversion of their WWII kits, and most of these are dated, where known. And lots of labelling as to what radars and sensors you are looking at.
Plus some profile line drawings from old out of print publications. Probably available in another month....

Ray in Canada...

I am in on that one Ray!! Just in time for some SCB-125 building action. I am going to need as much reference as I can get and I am looking forward to adding this to my collection of your other Carrer Works.

[OS1880]

I just recieved from a friend an old kit he had built years ago. It is in pretty bad shape and he wanted to know if I could "fix" it up. It looks like it is either a Revell or a Renwal. I'm leading to the Revell. It could be the Essex or Lexington, has it looks to be the same as the ones I built as a kid as it is the angled deck version. My questions are what scale is it if i remember correctly it is some where around 1/500. Also what can be used to soften the old glue so that it can be taken apart without more serious damage. Thankfully he never painted it ( a plus). I have to scratchbuild new masts and elevators, and obtain some decals which should be no problem. As for doing anything to enhance it's accuracy I don't think so, as he wouldn't know the difference anyway he's 80 and a tin can sailor. He would like to put this in the lounge at our Legion post and the guys there wouldn't really know either. I just would like to make it presentable. any help would be appreciated.

[Guest]

As others would chime in, I think its box scale or 1 /540th. The nice thing about this, is, you can get from GOLD MEDAL MODELS a Photo Etch enhancement set, moderately priced, and sweet to us. I have seen some stunning builds completed using this set, so inquire to Loren Perry on his site.

Basically you are building nostalgia, the kit is not that accurate, but close in many areas, and, really, the only one out there (Revell I am talking here)

I also believe that STARFIGHTER DECALS produces new decalling, markings and aircraft air wing marking replacements......

[MM2CVS9]

Yes, Starfighter has an excellent decal set for both the ship and aircraft wings. He also has a resin island replacement that is much more accurate than the kit Island. I've been working on this kit (H-353-249) USS Essex in her 1961 configuration as that is when I served on her. Gotta say, it's coming out very nice.

EJ

[MM2CVS9]

For those modeling ESSEX class carriers in postwar configuration -I'm doing a Revell vintage kit ESSEX in 1961 as I served on her.

I just got my new Photo CD from Ray Bean - Vol 54 ESSEX class carriers.
This thing is great. Over 350 pics of CV9 thru CV47, Hull & deck drawings, Data pics of specific areas, in SCB 27 and SCB125, even aircraft shots and a history of the SCB 27 modifications.
This will be a big help to me in my endeavors and your's if you're modeling postwar ESSEX's.

EJ

[gtb -red]

just order the Ray Bean's CD. this http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo95 ... 0_1622.jpg hopefully will turn into this. http://www.usshancock.org/BillLarkins.htm

[Hill]

just order the Ray Bean's CD. this http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo95 ... 0_1622.jpg hopefully will turn into this. http://www.usshancock.org/BillLarkins.htm

I am building USS Hancock too. I think You have a wrong shape of deck. Look at my deck.

[gtb -red]

just order the Ray Bean's CD. this http://i365.photobucket.com/albums/oo95 ... 0_1622.jpg hopefully will turn into this. http://www.usshancock.org/BillLarkins.htm

I am building USS Hancock too. I think You have a wrong shape of deck. Look at my deck.

hmmmm! that's a drawing of the Intrepid. not all sbc flightdecks are the same.Mr. Terzibaschitsch shows that.

[Hill]

I am building USS Hancock too. I think You have a wrong shape of deck. Look at my deck.

hmmmm! that's a drawing of the Intrepid. not all sbc flightdecks are the same.Mr. Terzibaschitsch shows that.

Look at the photos of Hancock. Starboard elevator is more aft, like on my Intrepid drawing.

Code: Select all

Dick J wrote
The modernization programs resulted in several variations. Two programs were produced with "straight deck" variations. Oriskany was the prototype for the SCB-27A conversion. All were straight deck with hydraulic catapults that paralleled the centerline. The elevators were all in the original locations, though the centerline ones were slightly enlarged. (As a prototype, Oriskany's hull was widened to 106' while the remaining -27A's were only 101'.) This variant included CV's 9, 10, 12, 15, 18, 20, 33, 34, and 39.

The SCB-27C program had 3 ships that had the straight deck - CV's 11, 14, and 19. There were three visible differences from the -27A program. First, the -27C's had longer steam catapults. They were long enough that the after end of the starboard cat was very close to the island. Therefore, the after end had to be moved inboard so that aircraft could be efficiently moved into position. But because the cat still had to go outboard of the forward centerline elevator, this moved the forward end dangerously close to the deck edge. The solution was to add a slim triagle of deck forward of the 5" gun gallery. (The deck at the forward round-down was wider than it was between the forward 5" guns.) The port side cat was made parallel to the starboard one. The second difference was that the after centerline elevator was replaced by a deck-edge type on the starboard side. This elevator was further aft than on the later upgrades, leading to the unique deck shape for these three. The elevator location produced the third difference. The starboard after set of 5" guns was placed directly opposite the port side guns because the 27A's had their 5" gallery where these three had the elevator. (The hulls of all 6 SCB-27C's were widened to 103'.)

The next three SCB-27C's were still in the yards when SCB-125 was implemented, which added the angled deck and enclosed the bows. These three (CV's 16, 31, and 38) had unique, smoother bow contours. The starboard deck edge elevator of the previous three was considered to be too far aft for efficient deck ops, so it was moved forward on these three. The after 5" gallery remained directly opposite to the port side guns.

All subsequent SCB-125's had a different bow form, with a conspicuous knuckle where the original forecastle deck edge had been. The starboard deck edge elevator was added to the -27A's and remained in the more forward location. The first three -27C's and all of the -27A's except CV's 34 and 39 received SCB-125. CV-34 was upgraded with SCB-125A, which added everything -125 added, plus it upgraded Oriskany's catapults to the slightly angled steam cats, and provided all of the -27C internal changes as well. (CV-34 was the only -27A with a wide enough hull to remain stable with the added weight of the cats.) CV-39 remained a straight deck ship to the end.

The islands on all of the modernized Essex's were generally similar. However, differences crept in over time. You have to find photos of the right ship for the right time to keep them straight. All modernizations from SCB-27C on removed the tie-down strips and replace them with the more modern tie-down points. Only the ships with the steam cats (CV's 11, 14, 16, 19, 31, 34, and 38) had the bridle arrestors that projected out from the forward round-down. The pri-fly was generally expanded with the angled-deck mod.

[Hill]

Here You can see, where the aft elevator is located.

[Dick J]

hmmmm! that's a drawing of the Intrepid. not all sbc flightdecks are the same.Mr. Terzibaschitsch shows that.

Intrepid, Ticonderoga, and Hancock were all modernized as part of the same "batch" and therefore were basically the same as each other. These three had the starboard deck-edge elevator further aft than any of the other modernised Essex class ships. Lexington, Bon Homme Richard, and Shangri-La were the same as each other and differed from the Intrepid group in the after elevator location and bow shape. Oriskany had the same bow shape as the Intrepid group, but had the after elevator/ starboard-aft 5" gun arrangements of the SCB-27A's. SCB-27A's Essex, Yorktown, Randolph, Wasp and Bennington were the same as each other and matched Oriskany's after elevator/ starboard-aft 5" gun arrangements. They had the smother bow directly below the forward round-down. Hornet and Kearsarge basically matched the Essex group, but had the second "knuckle" below the foreward round-down like the Intrepid group and Oriskany.

[gtb -red]

Here You can see, where the aft elevator is located.

o.k. look thru some details and you are right. have to change that or keep it like it is and change the name.

[gtb -red]

Starting on 2 post-war Essex in 1/350. 1 for myself the other for a kwel young man.

[Hippy Ed]

Starting on 2 post-war Essex in 1/350. 1 for myself the other for a kwel young man.

Uh-Oh

[CL40]

After checking pictures of the Tarawa on navsource - Can anyone help in letting me know where the 3"/50 (and how many mounts were there) guns where located in 1957/58?

[Dick J]

After checking pictures of the Tarawa on navsource - Can anyone help in letting me know where the 3"/50 (and how many mounts were there) guns where located in 1957/58?

The short answer is "nowhere". Tarawa never received the 3" guns. They were reserved for the SCB-27 conversions. The photos ID 5 locations for quad 40MM (no port side photos for the time period on Navsource) - 3 on the island and the two at the stern. She probably still had 4 to port - the two in the 5" gun galleries and the two on the original (to the earliest Essex's) port-side hangar catapult sponson.

[Mark McKinnis]

Hi guys,

I am fortunate enough to have a 1/700 Jim Shirley "Oriskany" and I have a question for you. I want to do her in a 1973 configuration and I am wondering when she lost her 5" guns? In the photos I have found, which are mostly late 1960's, she has one forward on both the port and starboard and I can not get a detailed enough photo to verify the two port aft mounts. I would guess that by 1973 she would have lost all of her 5" guns but I can not find any detailed photo's to verify that.

Any photos or info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Mark