Calling all USS Pennsylvania BB-38 fans

[BB62vet]

Thanks, Jeff for the great photo!! I'm wondering when/where that was taken. I haven't received my book yet, but will print out the picture you included and start perusing my USN Radar/communications references to see if I can determine what mk/mod this is.

Mark - It MAY be one of the radars included in the Tom's Modelworks US WWII Battleship radar PE sheet. OR if not, may be able to be made from parts from several of those radars on that sheet.

Just as a matter of historical perspective, I also noticed in a couple ARIZONA reference books, that she also had the same platform, railing, and base foundation for the radar screen in place on 7 Dec 41 - but the radar screen itself had not yet been installed.

Hank

[Fliger747]

This is the CXAM radar which is notes as being installed on Pensy at the time of Pearl Harbor. Later replaced by the SK, which may have had slightly different (wider?) dimensions and a "headpiece". The SK is the one available in the Tom's 1:192 Radars and could probably be adapted if one can find good dimensional drawings.

T

[BB62vet]

Thanks, Tom! That's a starting point for trying to find some tech. data on the unit. I have a couple books that may have some info on it.

Hank

[Jeff Sharp]

Thanks, Jeff for the great photo!! I'm wondering when/where that was taken.

This is a screen shot of film that was taken on Dec.7th. She is in the dry dock in this shot.

[Fliger747]

Hank:

The direction sheet to the Tom's PE says one of the items is a CXAM! Can send it back to you!

Tom

[Dick J]

The direction sheet to the Tom's PE says one of the items is a CXAM! Can send it back to you!

If you are talking about the radar on the Pennsylvania, the correct antenna is the CXAM-1, which was different from the CXAM. Only 6 CXAM sets were built and mounted on Yorktown, California, Pensacola, Northampton, Chester and Chicago. California's set was remounted on Hornet and Northampton's set was replaced by a CXAM-1. The CXAM had a "U" shaped frame and could tilt up and down. The remaining 5 pre-war CV's all carried the CXAM-1, as did a number of the battleships (including Pennsylvania and West Virginia). The CXAM-1 lacked the heavy frame and could not tilt.

[Mgunns]

Hi Guys:

Check this out http://www.ebay.com/itm/111598408214?_t ... EBIDX%3AIT The Eduard radar set for the 1/200 Hornet just might have it.

Here is the instruction sheet http://www.eduard.com/store/out/media/53129.pdf I think it is on here.

[Dick J]

The radar in the Hornet set is the wrong antenna!! Hornet's CXAM was very different from Pennsylvania's CXAM-1!

[BB62vet]

Tom wrote:

The direction sheet to the Tom's PE says one of the items is a CXAM! Can send it back to you!

Well!! That explains why I couldn't find my sheet of WWII Radar PE last night
Don't worry about sending it back - I'll order another sheet as there may be other parts from it that I may need also.

Here is a shot of that part of the PE sheet that would probably work:

And here is a photo of the CXAM-1 radar as installed on USS RANGER in 1942:

RangerCxam-1.jpg (5.94 KiB) Viewed 5356 times

This type was also installed on PENNSY in '41 at Puget Sound Naval Shipyd (according to Shipborne Radar, Capt. Donald McIntyre, 1967 - USNI).
I think the TMW WWII Battleship Radar PE would be the one to use in this case. A bit of minor modifying may be needed but overall should do the trick.

Dick J - you must have read the same info I did!! I think there were a total of 14 units of CXAM-1 produced by RCA as a modified CXAM model as originally installed as you stated.

I think I am narrowing the time frame for my PENNSY to be early 1941 (or when she left PSNYD for PH) while still in pre-war scheme. I'm wondering now if the 1.1" quad AA mounts were in place or not. Those are not included in the kit and I haven't seen any versions out on the market - so, that's an additional consideration...

Hank

[ModelMonkey]

Calling out the "Research Posse":

Wanted Dead or Alive: any information you may have on Pennsy's boat handling cranes. You're a daisy if you do.

Need Pennsy cranes for your model? I'll be your huckleberry.

[BB62vet]

Mad_Monk -

At this time all I can tell you is that there IS a difference between the AZ & PA cranes - PA's had a small access level that was not present on AZ's crane:

This access platform has what looks like the motor, gear box, and winching equipment for the crane's lifting cables (not the crane elevation gear).
Other than that I can't recall any other info at this time. I thought I had read about PA's cranes being a shorter length of the vertical post, but I haven't printed out a scaled AZ side elevation to measure each of the two cranes as a comparison.

Keep us posted, M_M!!

Hank

[Guest]

Calling out the "Research Posse":

Wanted Dead or Alive: any information you may have on Pennsy's boat handling cranes. You're a daisy if you do.

Need Pennsy cranes for your model? I'll be your huckleberry.

I need 1/200 boat cranes. Can you provide? I like the 1/350 Superstructure for the Arizona, I am looking forward to receiveing the 1/200 equivalent.

[BB62vet]

Yes - from the junction point of the crane arm's lower strut upward, the two cranes differ. I think the kingpost on both is probably the same, but the crane arms and their connection points, machinery, and horizontal support beam are different.

Hank

[Fliger747]

Note both in the above links are carrying the N3N seaplanes. Early 30s?

[Fliger747]

That may be true as they carried no armament, but numerous photos show them aboard the Battleships of the era and may well be appropriate for a pre war ship depending on the date.

[BB62vet]

Here is a NAVSOURCE link to the Curtiss SOC aircraft - very interesting info & pictures.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/57m.htm

Hank

[tegunn]

Hank, here's one photo I took of the Texas while I was down there last summer. Cranes have some similarities, some differences..This gives good detail on the main hardware albeit different locations..
Randy

[Fliger747]

Interesting photo! I notice that the quad 40's have no gun shields. Not unusual in ships where increasingly top weigh affected stability. The midships mount seems to be sitting on a pedestal without even a tub? An original setup? Under construction restoration?

cheers. tom

[tegunn]

Interesting photo! I notice that the quad 40's have no gun shields. Not unusual in ships where increasingly top weigh affected stability. The midships mount seems to be sitting on a pedestal without even a tub? An original setup? Under construction restoration?

cheers. tom

Yeah Tom, restoration is always on-going! When I was there in the summer, the aft portion of the ship was closed off. They can always use any spare 20mm singles, 3"/50's and quad 40's if you have any. The quad 40's didn't have shields but were in tubs(where the 1.1's were once located). When she was decommissioned everything was removed, ordnance as well as tubs. They try to grab as much as they can when budget allows..

[BB62vet]

Thanks, Randy!

I also noticed that the after main battery FC tower is still under cocoon - but, given the conditions below decks that are REALLY in need of money & rehabilitation, I can sort of understand why they've never opened this up.

Hank