Calling all USS Lexington CV-2 fans

[Tracy White]

Pretty fun waiting for all those posts to load on one page, wasn't it Martin?

I did that on the Essex class thread once and by the time I made all my cuts it had timed me out... I do smaller edits now

[spitfire_957]

Anyone have suggestions for this kit, especially accurate painting?

Also, is it possible to get a conversion set for this kit to build it as a prewar version (with the 8" gun mounts)? I'm thinking about getting another of the same kit and doing a Lexington prewar and final fit (she's my favorite carrier along with the first Yorktown, CV-5.

Any help greatly appreciated...

Nick D

[Tracy White]

Accurate painting depends on time period. 1941 was a fairly complex year.....

[spitfire_957]

Tracy,

What about May, 1942...right before she was sunk at Coral Sea...final configuration?

Thanks for a quick reply!

Nick D.

[Tracy White]

Conventional wisoom is 5-N on the vertical surfaces. You can see her repainting in Paril when the 8" turrets are being removed, and it looks like a chalked 5-N in the photos taken at Coral Sea. 5-S was not really a well-liked color at that point.

[spitfire_957]

Thanks Tracy!

[Monty]

Hi all,

I'm a big fan of the Lex class CVs (although I'm mainly a BB guy) and I'm just thinking about the Lex class book by RObert C. Stern. Is it really that good? Could someone please provide a short review of it. I have the Friedman CV book for tech. reference and the Warship Pictorial booklet for pics + the Monografie Morskie series booklets, so my question is does this offer any plus above the trio I mentioned?
Any advice would be more than welcome!

[Dick J]

Hi all,

I'm a big fan of the Lex class CVs (although I'm mainly a BB guy) and I'm just thinking about the Lex class book by RObert C. Stern. Is it really that good? Could someone please provide a short review of it. I have the Friedman CV book for tech. reference and the Warship Pictorial booklet for pics + the Monografie Morskie series booklets, so my question is does this offer any plus above the trio I mentioned?
Any advice would be more than welcome!

The Stern book is an excellent resource. It has a depth of photos and information that you won't find in print anywhere else. He takes each aspect of the ships (ie, hull, powerplants, armament, etc.) and discusses each for a chapter or so. Even still, like any author, he is not infallible, and is limited by the available archival documentation. (See the discussion on the Saratoga thread.) I have the book, and wouldn't trade it. (And if I lost it, I would buy another!)

[Mike Sills]

I have both the Stern and Fry books. It's worth investing in both, as they approach the subject matter from different angles and thus tend to complement each other.

I saw on the Maryland Silver website that they have a LEX/SARA plan book available. My experience with their HORNET book has convinced me of the excellence of this source, but it is expensive. I was wondering if anyone had seen or purchased a copy and could comment on it. I am planning two models of SARA- one circa 5/1936 and one 8/1942, so I need both pre- and post- rebuild plans.

[Tracy White]

If I recall correctly the Maryland Silver plans are dated UP TO but not past April, 1942.

I.E. no Midway fit. Duane can say otherwise if I'm wrong...

[Mike Sills]

Hi Tracy,

The book I'm interested in is item BK-094. It appears to cover both ships. The index shows two sets of GP plans. Those for CV-2 are listed as dated 3/26/30, updated to 5/7/41. Those for CV-3 are listed as of 4/27/36, updated to 5/45. I'm a little unclear as to what exactly is implied by "updated": What configuration is actually depicted and what is the source? Duane usually reproduces official blueprints and the remainder of the drawings appear to be from the ships' construction period. I suppose I can e-mail Duane and ask, but I was hoping some of the salts on the forum had seen'em and could comment.

BTW, the list of drawings includes one for a "proposed blister, 6/25/39". I hope this is the same as the blister SARA actually got.

[spitfire_957]

Is there a good brush for this job? I messed it up and had to spend almost 30 minutes stripping it all back off. I don't have an airbrush system to do it, and I want to do it right...

Any help greatly appreciated...

Nick D.

[MartinJQuinn]

Jeff Spencer posted this picture over on SN. It say it's the Lex in May, 1942. I figured this would be a good place to post it as well, given the title of this thread. The picture comes from this website.


Dick J also posted these comments on SN, in response to the picture. I took the liberty to repost his comments here (hope you don't mind, Dick!).

Fabulous!!!! Did anyone else notice the row of rafts on the inboard side of the funnel? The 20MM sponsons in the boat pockets show quite well too! And this confirms that the other two pockets still carried the boats.

If it was just a little clearer, we could probably make out the shape of the flag bridge. As it is, I still think there is something (a director?) sitting on the roof of the extended flag bridge...

[Dick J]

Hi Martin,

I believe the big rangefinder was moved up to the flag bridge roof, as in Sara. What I would like to ID is the antenna (?) on top of the former forward 8" gun control level.

[MartinJQuinn]

Hi Martin,

I believe the big rangefinder was moved up to the flag bridge roof, as in Sara. What I would like to ID is the antenna (?) on top of the former forward 8" gun control level.

D'oh!! I knew that - since I put it on my model. What I meant to say was I think there is something on the roof of the spotting top...maybe that's what you are referring to?

[Dick J]

What I meant to say was I think there is something on the roof of the spotting top...maybe that's what you are referring to?

Hi Martin,

The "blurry object" on the former 8" control station (spotting top) is what Michael Vorrasi and I have been trying to ID for some time. With the newly discovered antenna on Yorktown's stack (see Yorktown thread), we are wondering if the mysterious Lex object could be something similar. In the book "The Lexington Goes Down", by A. A. Hoeling, he talks about the "new secret radar room two levels above the bridge" which they had not yet gotten to work. It is interresting that they kept the forward control position, but removed the after one when the guns were unshipped.

Another question I would like answered is about the MK-19 directors. Friedman indicates that the RF and control position were combined, leaving the "former" RF positions free for .50 cal mg's. I would disagree. The combined MK-19 units can be seen on the Pensacola and Northampton classes (as a fairly large "box") and on the Pearl Harbor battleline. Lex never carried the combined units, even if they were planned. If you look at the RF positions, the supposed "gun barrel" is never in any position other than straight vertical. The RF had a vertical periscope attached (see pg 99 of the Stern book), and I believe that is what can be seen, even in the "burning and sinking" photos. (And enough locations for the correct number of .50's can be found elsewhere.) I would like to see a better photo showing what the non-RF component of the system looked like. Also, few people notice that on both Lex and Sara, the center section of the foretop, where those directors were located, was extended forward, probably during 1941.

I guess I have the typical gripe - more questions than answers!

[Elvis965]

I finally have a couple progress pics.

These aren't the greatest shots. I'll try and take a couple more when it's daylight. It's hard to see the rigging in these.

Bob



[/url]

[MartinJQuinn]

Sweet!!

[ModelMonkey]

[ArizonaBB39]

That is one beautiful build