Calling all Essex-class (WWII configuration) fans

[Werner]

Here's a neat picture of Wasp from an unusual source. It's also at Navsource, but this one is a lot clearer:

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... cv-18a.jpg

[Jose Chaica]

It�s not everyday you get the chance to see the complicated framework beneath an Essex class carrier flightdeck...
Excellent picture !!!

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[Devin]

Looks like she was launched with the green anti-fouling paint as CV-10 was.

-Devin

[Werner]

Looks like she was launched with the green anti-fouling paint as CV-10 was.

-Devin

I wouldn't necessarily rely on that. Look at the same image at Navsource. The Globalsecurity image has had the color/saturation skewed a bit to get more detail.

[Adaks]

ALSO clearly visible are the rear 20mm galleries that are hanging from the rear of the flight deck. These were only on the first two ships (Essex and Yorktown) and were removed before either went to war because they vibrated excessively.

Lexington also had these galleries after commissioning. There are good shots of her from 1943 in On Deck publication.

[Devin]

Looks like she was launched with the green anti-fouling paint as CV-10 was.

-Devin

I wouldn't necessarily rely on that. Look at the same image at Navsource. The Globalsecurity image has had the color/saturation skewed a bit to get more detail.

It is possible that the shadows on the hull skew the colors that much, but I still think it looks more likely green than red. The red in the bunting is very well shown in both examples. I do agree hull red is more possible when using the Navsource example, though.

-Devin

[Werner]

Maybe the green primer is showing through a light coat of red?

[Jose Chaica]

I actually wouldn't be too sure about that. I've got the AOTS Intrepid book, the Essex Class Carriers by Raven, Friedman's US Aircraft Carriers, Arnold's Warship Perspectives: Essex Class Carriers in WWII, and Classic Warship's CV-14 Ticonderoga book. That's it for specialized books. I've got others that happen to show shots of Essex class carriers but they're the generalized WWII or "WWII in color" books.

I�ve just got another small book, which in my idea, is also very good. It�s the "Warship Data - CV10 Yorktown". It has some very good pictures, and also has some good scale plans, including hull section lines which the AOTS book doesn�t have...

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[Devin]

Concerning one of Tracy's photos from earlier in the discussion, linked below. Anyone want to take a guess as to what that font is for the propeller warnings? Also, those black areas on the vertical surface. I believe the large one is a vent screen. The three smaller ones to the right of it, though, I'm not sure. They almost look like windows, but I believe that's the stack uptakes so that wouldn't make much sense. Maybe more vents, or they could be equipment boxes, etc.

I've just plopped the deck on my Essex and realized that this is about the only real area I'll be able to see of the hangar walls (I'm not lowering either of the centerline elevators) so I'm concentrating on the details there.



-Devin

[Guest]

Concerning one of Tracy's photos from earlier in the discussion, linked below. Anyone want to take a guess as to what that font is for the propeller warnings? Also, those black areas on the vertical surface. I believe the large one is a vent screen. The three smaller ones to the right of it, though, I'm not sure. They almost look like windows, but I believe that's the stack uptakes so that wouldn't make much sense. Maybe more vents, or they could be equipment boxes, etc.
-Devin

It isn't a font perse but just a style of handpaiting letters. Longbeach will certainly work well enough but isn't a perfect match. The darks areas.WAG time, chalkboards?

[Devin]

It isn't a font perse but just a style of handpaiting letters. Longbeach will certainly work well enough but isn't a perfect match. The darks areas.WAG time, chalkboards?

Longbeach is close enough. Handpainting? I figured they would've been done by stencil (the Navy LOVES them some stencils!).

Chalkboards are possible. Easy enough to do with paint or decals.

Thanks!

[Tracy White]

My vote's for chalkboards as well, at least on the larger one. I've seen similar stuff but it's inconsistant between carriers.. There's what looks like a set of doors there that's fairly common but nothing else. Regarding the lettering, that also changed as well. It appears to me to differ from ship to ship, perhaps based on the Yard the ship was either built or overhauled at, but I haven't been able to nail that down.

[Ron Smith]

Longbeach is close enough. Handpainting? I figured they would've been done by stencil (the Navy LOVES them some stencils!).

True but lots of signs were still handpainted then and it was a common trade. Also lacks the breaks in the closed portions of the A, O, P and R common to stencilled signs.

Chalkboards are possible. Easy enough to do with paint or decals.

Thanks!

You're welcome. The larger patch does look suspiciously like a columnar status board.

[Devin]

More questions: I'm starting to look at the external piping that ran all along the Essex class hulls. Some of it vertical that looks like runoff drains, some of it horizontal that is either more of the runoff drains or av gas piping. Was this fairly standard from ship to ship, assuming that different placement of gun platforms didn't interfere? I really have no photos or drawings that show this for Essex early in her career, so I will probably just copy what is in the AOTS Intrepid book.

The armor belt; it appears to be of negligible thickness. Would it be about the same thickness as the hull plating? If so, I will just simulate it with a few layers of paint - as I am doing the hull plating.

Thanks,

Devin

[Tracy White]

I�ve just got another small book, which in my idea, is also very good. It�s the "Warship Data - CV10 Yorktown". It has some very good pictures, and also has some good scale plans, including hull section lines which the AOTS book doesn�t have...

Agree with you on the pictures and plans... just got a copy myself. Text has got lots of little errors in it though.

Floating Drydock has it and one on CV-11 Intrepid for sale.

[Jose Chaica]

I�ve just got another small book, which in my idea, is also very good. It�s the "Warship Data - CV10 Yorktown". It has some very good pictures, and also has some good scale plans, including hull section lines which the AOTS book doesn�t have...

Agree with you on the pictures and plans... just got a copy myself. Text has got lots of little errors in it though.

Floating Drydock has it and one on CV-11 Intrepid for sale.

I happen to have both...
Also, just got my Alan Raven "Essex class carrier" book, and I must say that I am a little dissapointed, for the same reason stated above...The book has a lot of good scale drawings, both for early and late configurations. But, just like the AoS book, as well as the WR press book, and although the last one has hull stations, they fail to give their location on the hull...the reason why, is something that leaves me .

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[Tracy White]

The thing that kind of annoys me about all of them as well is that they fail to mention the scale of the drawings. In the case of the warship pictorials they at least include a scale, if you will, on the bottom such that you can do a quick conversion with a ruler (one inch = xx feet) but in the case of the AOTS and Essex Class book one must measure the drawings which are often spanning pages and try and convert the measurement into scale.

I understand that drawing sizes can get changed during the publishing process but it's still kind of an annoyance.

[Alan Raven]

The points raised ref scale bars on drawings are valid, and this has been raised before and I have no excuses, but perhaps some words of explanation might help.
In ANY conventional book that visually covers large warships in drawing form the problem that one has is that of page size. When dealing with a vessel that is 800 feet in length, then even with gatefolds one does not have enough space in terms of lenght to do justice to the subject.
In the Essex volume from USNI I had to press very hard to get the number of tip-ins that I did. Detailed plans have reduced value if reproduced to small scale. All the general arrangement plans were drawn to 1" = 16' but of nessessity had to be reproduced to fit the sizes available, hence the different scales as they appeared in the book.
As to lining up the body plan with the profile< I was unable to find a sheer plan before the deadline date. It happens.
As to converting plans to any scale, then the easist way is to make a copy of the particular general set that you need, then ascertain the scale that you want it changed to, then determine the length that the drawing should be, then mark out on the copy said length between the two points.
then have the copy reduced or enlarged. Very simple, and I have used this method for decades without problems.
EG;
length of ship is 872'.
Scale of plan to be 1/100.
872 x 12 divided by 100 = length of image = 104.6"

By this method you will get the complete set of general plans to the scale you need.
With rare exceptions every book is very much a compromise as Mr White is beginning to find out.
I have heard and been intimately involved with every aspect of publishing artwork in books. Compromise always rules.

The thing that kind of annoys me about all of them as well is that they fail to mention the scale of the drawings. In the case of the warship pictorials they at least include a scale, if you will, on the bottom such that you can do a quick conversion with a ruler (one inch = xx feet) but in the case of the AOTS and Essex Class book one must measure the drawings which are often spanning pages and try and convert the measurement into scale.

I understand that drawing sizes can get changed during the publishing process but it's still kind of an annoyance.

Forgot to mention that scale thing too...and spanning pages don�t help either...thats the reason why some of my AotS books are ripped apart...

[Gordon Bjorklund]

In progress picture.



Tony, I have used the Trumpeter a/c kit. The only problem I had with them was some of the a/c had caved in right hand sides. The problem was just below the canopy. The SBD's, TBF,s and TBD"s were the problems ones. The rest of them were ok.

HTH

Gordon

[Tracy White]

We have a new CV-11 Intrepid in the Gallery! Looks like a nice build Steve!