The Ship Model Forum

I need to begin by thanking all three of you who have commented since my last update - getting compliments from craftsmen of your caliber is no small thing. Dr. PR, having had kind of a long-standing crush on CLG-5 I have followed your work on the Oklahoma City project with no end of admiration. Martin, I've likewise really enjoyed the outstanding work you have posted on here, and it's work that makes me want to make my own that much better. Pieter, you'll be interested to know that Ticonderoga in 1972 is on my list of future projects if I can get all the referecnces together, so your comment really got my attention.

And, really, thanks to all of you who are reading, and to those of you who have commented. It's very much appreciated and it helps keep me going when things get tedious.

I didn't get to work on the model yesterday for various reasons, but in some moments between chores, I found several more photos that gave me what I needed. This meant some revisions on the port side forward this morning.



Then on to the starboard side. I found a really helpful close-up of the outside of the Hangar Bay 1 area that answered a lot of questions. Of course, part of the challenge of using photos of a preserved ship is trying to figure out what was there back then and what's been added or modified by the museum. I did my best to work that out. When you remember how many doors and openings these ships had along the hangar deck when constructed, it's interesting to see how closed in they'd become by the late 1960s for various reasons. For the modeler, it means fewer big places to look in, and since it'll be dark in there once the flight deck's installed, a little more leeway on what you absolutely need to show inside.



Once the set-back area was in place, now time for the long stretch amidships. It's easy to inspect up close on the real ship, so there's no excuse for cheaping out here. A ton of photo references helped me get things more or less where they need to be, or at least close enough. There's so much detail to add that your eye will be too busy anyway. I've dry-fit the Model Monkey escalator, which will probably get a shim up near the top so it matches the height of my scratchbuilt bulkhead. The shim will probably be hidden by the island parking ramp overhang, anyway. It's going to take a while to do all this detailing, but it needs to be there.



Here's the whole mess during a fit check. It's both tedious and absorbing work, but it appears to be heading somewhere neat. Soon I hope to be doing some rudimentary hangar deck detailing and probably stashing a C-1 or US-2 down below. Maybe if I'm feeling extra frisky I may even park the live television trucks in Bay 2. (IIRC, it was ABC's turn in the rotation to supply the live trucks and other stuff for the pool coverage.)



My errands today included a stop at the nearest well-supplied hobby shop, where among my purchases were several bottles of paint suitable for model ships. The new airbrush may be getting a nice long test run soon. Stay tuned to this channel.

Jodie Peeler

You really are on an Apollo run right? Tico in 1972 on the Apollo 17 recovery ? My CV14 is a slow conversion of the Trumpeter 1/700 kit to CV 14 in 1969. It is very a slow build as the kit looked nice at first but by now it is clear that the basis hull and deck shapes are the only things I can use.
If you have any questions on CV 14 pm me and I can see what I can do.

Pieter, the Apollo 17 deployment is exactly what I have in mind. I'd been thinking about converting the 1:700 Intrepid kit as well but this project, and your comments, has me thinking it may be best to start from scratch (and has me sorry I didn't get the Model Monkey island when it was available through Shapeways). I've got many photos I've scrounged up from several online sources, but you'll likely hear from me when I finally get on this project. Thank you very much for reaching out.

Not a lot of work today due to both a later start and the amount of detail needed here, but we made progress: some little platforms are in place, the escalator housing got glued on, and work commenced on the aft portion. There were six grates aft of the elevator housing. I knew I couldn't cut six openings that would look "rite," so instead I cut one large opening and glued sections of strip to the part I took out, then fit the piece back into the opening, recessed just enough for the strips to be the new top layer. When the cement set, sand it down and it looks like it's always been there. I didn't get as far as I'd hoped, since there's a tight S-curve in the aft piping that I need to work on, but I think we're past the hardest part.



Just for fun, here it is during a test-fit. A test-fit will more often than not make you feel encouraged. This certainly does for me. I know this isn't perfect, but I'm getting happy.



Jodie Peeler

With the forward end done and a start last night on the aft end, progress found its momentum and before I knew it, the bulkhead was installed. Compare it to the original from the Revell kit. Yes, Revell's details may be a little soft and simplified, but they got a lot right.



Then it was on to the starboard aft, which was a little tricky since much of it lurks back in the shadows and is difficult to find references on. Again, I did the best I could and let imagination take me the rest of the way. There's still a little more building out to do, but a lot of this will be hidden by external structures, bracing and so forth once the flight deck and gallery deck are in. I'm also going to add some basic structures to the hangar deck and put a few things in so it won't look hollow.



Maybe we're getting somewhere?



And later, after a little primer on everything:



A little more construction on the starboard side aft, then around back to build out the fantail. That'll be a lot, but I'm not wanting for reference material there, at least.

Jodie Peeler

And we have a hangar deck, or at least a representation thereof.



Not going to go overboard with this, because once the model's underway on the display base, you're not going to see a lot, especially since it'll be dark when the flight deck is installed. There is enough in there to keep it interesting if somebody looks, though. I'll refit a surplus S-2 into a C-1 Trader and maybe find a Sea King and a Willy Fudd to sit on the hangar deck, along with the captain's gig and a whaleboat or two in Bay Three. Probably should put some NASA equipment in there, too (and maybe the ABC live trucks in Bay Two).

While I was at it, I put down a test coat of paint on the deck itself. So far, so good. It looked even better after another test-fit:



Fantail work coming soon, and then all this will be covered up with a flight deck before we know it. I hope.

Jodie Peeler

if that is your flight deck in the last picture then the wood grain is in the wrong direction as should be port to starboard not bow to stern.

FFG-7 wrote: Sat Sep 19, 2026 9:21 pm if that is your flight deck in the last picture then the wood grain is in the wrong direction as should be port to starboard not bow to stern.

That's a (too-short, btw) scrap piece of basswood I'm using for mockup purposes. The actual flight deck will be cut from plastic sheet.

Really great progress! Your hard work is paying off.

Thank you kindly, Martin! The more I get done on this, the more I want to do. I think getting past my mental block about the size of the job helped, and I'm now at the point that it's not that different from any other project I'd do, and it's fun. (Most of the time.)

I'd put off the fantail too long, and that became today's chore. Construction started with the two big, prominent supports:



Much of an afternoon later, along came the platforms and details, seen here in a semi-cruddy state after a test coat of brushed-on paint. There's (obviously) some revisions to come, which is funny since most of this will be hidden under the ramp and its supporting framework. I want this stuff on there, though. I built this as a module to ease detailing and painting; when it's complete, it'll get glued in place.



Test fit on the model. I think it'll work. Once it's on there, the additional photoetch will get installed.



Ugh, that job I did with the stretched plastic is awful when you look at it up close. Please don't laugh. I'm likely to redo it.

In between chores, I started converting a Tracker into a C-1 Trader. A piece of plastic on the bottom and some sanding...



...and there's the Trader's cute pot-belly. More work to come, obviously.



Last night I went through a big box of ship parts, remnants of about 40 years of building these things, and projects attempted and abandoned, or models that ended up in the junk drawer. I scrounged up a few aircraft and some boats that may be the basis for some useful things.



But I also found this: a reminder of one of my first efforts to build an accurate Yorktown from the Revell kit, back about 1987 or 1988. I couldn't help placing it next to the Model Monkey version.



I was in my early teens when I did that project. I wonder what the me of back then would think about the project I'm doing now.

Jodie Peeler

I redid the top of the stern piece. This isn't as prototypical, but it's more organized and it'll certainly do for viewing purposes. I also added a little detail on the stern. I'd never really been happy with any of the stern treatments I'd done on an Essex-class ship before, but this one kind of made me happy. Yes, the centerline bitts need trimmed, and that's going to get done.



More photoetch and details to come once the flight deck and some other items are installed. Too much risk of damaging stuff at the moment.

This morning, I made a copy of the flight deck plan and did a test-fit.



Mostly happy results - the flight deck and the hull line up at the expansion joints, the elevator openings line up, and only a little refitting needed done on the hangar deck bulkheads to make them meet the flight deck at the right places. On the other hand, there was this:



The enclosed bow was a little too wide on both sides and had to be cut back. Some of that's not an issue because the flat facings of the gallery deck will be there anyway, and I'll reshape the rest when the gallery deck facings are installed; trust me, I've done far bigger fixes, and this one's a walk in the park. On the other hand, the bow was about 3/16" too long. I can't think of a way to fix this that wouldn't open up a whole nest of other issues and damage a lot of work that I'm otherwise really proud of, so the extra length will stay. I have a couple ways in mind of how I can artfully conceal it, and besides that, unless you have a ruler you won't really notice it.

Since I'll probably be cutting out the flight deck and installing it soon, I'm wanting to get the hangar deck finished up. The boats and barges were often carried in Bay Three, and I began reworking some spares-box boats today. Dr. PR's Okie Boat website helped guide some of my work. The middle boat has glue setting on a hull repair; the excess plastic will get trimmed away.



I'll get these painted soon and scratchbuild some rudimentary dollies to sit them on, but I'm not going to go overboard (ha ha!). This is to give just enough for what you can see through the hangar bay openings, so the ship won't look empty. (One of the external fuel pipes got knocked off, hence the scar. I'll get it put back in place soon.)



Last view before I called it a day. My goodness, it's actually getting done.



Of note, since some of you asked about the new airbrush I wrote about the other day: I used it to paint the piece I built for the fantail, and the airbrush performed most beautifully and cleaned up quickly. (If some things I've seen are correct, it's a bespoke model for Harbor Freight made by Sparmax.) Whatever the origin, I'm very happy with it. Now, of course, I'm in a quandary because I got notice that Badger has my rebuilt 105 en route as we speak. I wish all my problems were like this!

Jodie Peeler

Looking nice!

Phil

Thank you very much, Phil! Your website is a splendid resource for details from the time period I'm depicting, and I'm thankful you've shared what you've learned and created. It's a treasure.

Only one update today, but it's pretty darn significant:



We now have a flight deck. I'll spend some time (tomorrow, I hope) adjusting the hangar bulkheads so that everything will fit "rite," but from initial fitting, it shouldn't take much to get it all aligned. Once I have everything in on the hangar deck, the bow leveled off and the sanding block run over everything, the flight deck can go on for keeps. Meanwhile, the first landing was recorded by an SH-3, as you'd expect from me.

Jodie Peeler

A big day. Make sure everything's where you want it, that the enclosed bow is built up even with the rest of the hull, and that all the bulkheads you need are in place. Then make everything nice and even with the sanding block.



Last painting and detailing goes in. There's a splash of color in that I added the stowed sliding doors by the starboard elevator, and if you look closely you can see the doors' red/yellow striped edges. I finished the boats and made rudimentary dolly cradles for them, and also made the NASA dolly for the Apollo command module. No, I didn't put the ABC trucks in Bay Two, but I did put something else in there.





Both of those aircraft are from my first efforts to do something with the Revell kit (or, more properly, with multiple boxings of the Revell kit) 40 or so years ago. I can remember having four of them built as different ships, and every so often I'd get the urge to rebuild one as a different ship, or try to update it, or whatever. To pay tribute to back-then me, I took those little aircraft exactly as they were, folded them up, and glued them into the hangar deck. Kid, you're finally getting the model of Yorktown you wanted so much way back then.

From here, I think I can do what I need from the outside, so let's install us a flight deck. Lots of Tamiya Extra Thin Cement got laid down. I don't want things going anywhere. Obligatory beauty shot, of course:



That's all pretty and stuff, but the model's spending the night like this, with one more application of Extra Thin Cement just to make sure we got it. The time with the sanding block paid off big time, and everything looks nice and flat so far.



Up next: fixing the enclosed bow and installing the facings for the gallery deck, treating the hull/flight deck joints, and building the angled deck sponsons. I'm also having an interesting thought about how to handle the flight deck markings, but all things in due course. For now, this was a good day.

Jodie Peeler

jpeeler wrote: Thu Sep 24, 2026 7:20 pm To pay tribute to back-then me, I took those little aircraft exactly as they were, folded them up, and glued them into the hangar deck. Kid, you're finally getting the model of Yorktown you wanted so much way back then.

Nice! I love this.

JPeeler,

I love what you're doing with the scratch build. What always interests me is the items in the background. This really applies to anyone that posts "in progress" pictures. Seeing different setups of the organized chaos of everyone "shipyard". Paint jars all-over, worn-out paint brushes, cutting mats all boo-booed up with paint stains and the like. "Right where I left it". LOVE IT!!!!

Keep on sending those pics in. I feel like I'm right there building with ya!

Thank you both for those comments. So often we get caught up in the history and technology and all the other things, and we forget that what we do is a very human thing - childhood remnants, messy workbenches and all. Always worth remembering.

An example of how this is a human thing: we make mistakes. Something was bothering me about the gun position on the starboard bow. The bulkhead was too close to the flight deck to suit me. I ended up cutting into that nice new flight deck I laid down a couple nights ago, cut away the bulkhead and some of the structure behind, cleaned up the glue joint where the old bulkhead had been, and installed a new bulkhead at a little more representative depth.



Then the little section of flight deck went back in place. Once the cement sets and it's all patched up, you shouldn't really know anything had to be revised.



Last night the first facings for the gallery deck went on, and that gave me a reference for reshaping the enclosed bow. Some putty and sanding followed, and then a quick brush-applied guide coat. A little bit left to go, but not bad so far. I'm hoping the port side will go a little easier now that I know what to expect.



Also a glimpse of how the top of the bow is coming along. Once it's all faired in and everything, I can add last details, ports for the secondary conn, and so forth.



Jodie Peeler

Today was the first day in several that I could actually work on the project. Gallery deck is going in:



And aft, the foundation is in place for the starboard 5" gun tub.



The gallery deck so often seems like an afterthought, like it's just a foundation for the catwalks, but it's easy to overlook how important the gallery deck is to making an aircraft carrier model look complete. That's especially true on the Essex-class ships. The gallery deck really helps give the model some substance.



Ramp now has the round-down:



And angled-deck sponsons now in place. Some shims left to trim, but we're close.



Heavy construction is almost over, and soon it'll be a thousand little details to chase down. The blessing of this project is how absorbing it is, and with the right audio accompaniment, I'm in a happy little zone working on it. I'll be glad to have it done but I will kind of miss the experience of working on it.

Jodie Peeler

Not enough time of late at the workbench, but some things are happening regardless. Island is painted and first photoetch is going on. For the love of all that's good, please don't look too closely. Photoetch is the devil.



The hull is mostly painted now, and that means I'm thinking ahead to the flight deck. Been busy with Illustrator to make sure the layout is correct for what I plan to do. Still some work to do (and I just realized I haven't added the foul line that parallels the landing area), but we're not far away.



By the way, that goofy-looking "10" at the forward end of the flight deck isn't a mistake. In late 1968 Yorktown was used in the filming of Tora! Tora! Tora! and all the flight deck markings were painted out for the shoot. After the filming the flight deck had to be quickly repainted to get the ship ready for the Apollo 8 deployment. The resulting "10," which ended up persisting well into the ship's museum days, had some very noticeable variation in stroke and shadow, and it's fascinated me for a long time. I'm not quite there yet on it, but getting close.

For something different, earlier this week I started playing around with the tiny airplanes. Tommy Thomason's blogs yielded some handy three-views of the Trader and Tracer, and I scaled them down. I remembered from the Hornet project about 10 years ago that the Tracer was undersized, but I'd forgotten just how much:



I figured it was best to use the wings and fuselage as a basis. Fuselage was extended forward, the stub tail was built up a little, and new horizontal and vertical stabilizers were built. There's a small addition to the wingspan yet to be done, but since this airplane will be folded up I'll address that then. The Tracer in the Revell kit was clunky to begin with, but the mold has not aged well and has some alignment problems, and I ended up spending a lot of time thinning the wings and otherwise getting things in shape.

Another set of drawings showed that the Sea King from the SLEP reissue of the Forrestal kit doesn't need that much help to be accurate, but my problem is finding four or five more of them. I may have some lurking around, or I may have to end up resin-casting a few once I have one accurized to my liking. I'll figure it out. Whatever I end up doing, it's certainly easier than trying to fix the Sea Kings from the Revell Essex-class kit.

Jodie Peeler

jpeeler wrote: Sat Oct 10, 2026 6:08 pm Photoetch is the devil.

Haha! Ain't that the truth!

Starfighter Decals has resin aircraft in the 1/540 range (including SH-3s):

https://starfighter-decals.com/11reuppa.html

Also, "1/540 GAGA" aircraft from China on e***. I haven't ordered these so I cannot vouch for their quality or accuracy.

Ed R