Calling all Iowa-class (BB-61) fans

[Fliger747]

Looking quite nice. Perhaps in the not so distant future 3D will be smooth enough to add the plate lines. The paint technique Chuck mentioned works very well, though you might try a high build autobody primer available at parts stores or auto paint suppliers. The emery board is a good idea as well.

Cheers. Tom

[olive40]

Hello to all,

Really RandyM the work you do is exceptional...

I just give you some news.

For my project to the USS Iowa during 1945 with the enclosed greenhouse bridge as Missouri, is really compromised.

No seller in the world wants to sell me parts of Missouri Trumpeter 1/200.

Here is the list of contacted seller who refused.

-Stevens International
-Axel`s Modellbau Shop
-Lucky Model
-HobbyLink Japon
-Trumpeter (No answer)


I'm desperate. It will be necessary that I found a solution, or find a kit of Missouri used in my country.


Or then make the USS Iowa during 1944. But, I have a big doubt on the MS32 - 1 B (blue or black)...
I'm not a fan of this decoration.





If I really have no choice this will be the final decoration.


I really would like to thank Gerry (marengtech) for his generous gesture.

Excuse me for my English not very good...

I hold you informed of my projects if I arrive there.

Kind regards
Olive

[Timmy C]

Olive,

You can build Iowa without MS32 and without "greenhouse bridge" if you are building her in 1943 - remember James M's post: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=4683&start=2220#p643891

Vous pouvez batir Iowa sans MS32 et sans le "greenhouse bridge" (alors avec seulement les pi�ces dans la boite) si vous la batissez comme sa 1943 aspect - vous souvenez la poste de James M ici: viewtopic.php?f=47&t=4683&start=2220#p643891
Peut-�tre que vous avez besoin de faire des petites modifications pour "back-dating" en 1943, mais il ne devrait pas �tre trop difficile.

[Channell]

I have a new conundrum, hopefully someone here knows the answer. I am trying to figure out if the USS Iowa had painted decks or not when she was transporting President Roosevelt to the Tehran Convention. As far as I know there are only two pics of the ship from that time:





... but it's hard to tell. To me it looks that in the the first pic the deck isn't painted but that it is in the second. You'd think they would be as it was 1943 and the Iowa was obviously wearing a MS22 paint job in the pics; at least on the hull.

But there are also color pics of the Iowa with an unpainted teak deck around commissioning/shakedown and the 1/96 model aboard the Iowa (meant to portray the ship during the same voyage) has unpainted teak decks. Also, the president taking the country's newest, biggest and baddest battleship seems to be an overt statement, like rolling up to a party in an outrageous stretch limo; perhaps they would not have been painted for looks and/or for Atlantic service? Any ideas?

[chuck]

Hello to all,


I just give you some news.

For my project to the USS Iowa during 1945 with the enclosed greenhouse bridge as Missouri, is really compromised.

No seller in the world wants to sell me parts of Missouri Trumpeter
I'm desperate. It will be necessary that I found a solution, or find a kit of Missouri used in my country.

Olive

Pontos PE set contains half the parts necessary built the green house out of metal. You only need to scratchbuild bottom half of the green house from window level downwards.

[Channell]

Olive40; The trumpeter Missouri Bridge is actually not accurate; the windows are too small. your best bet might be to scratchbuild it; I don't think I'd buy the Pontos Missouri set to build an Iowa as it's just as expensive as the entire model kit and there are many differences between the two ships.

[Fliger747]

In the above photo notice the deck at the bow, which is steel is about the same color as the main deck. If the photo was taken with orthochromatic film the blue would look quite light. Always a problem with period B&W film, knowing what type and if filtration was used. My guess, painted?

Good question. T

[James M]

I have asked the Curator of the Iowa about the decks. He is in contact with Mr Keeney who found the photo of her in Africa.
Hopefully they will be able to have a definitive answer.

The model that was aboard the Iowa in the glass case was mine.
I left the decks bare because it looks a better. I haven't found any photos that clearly answer this question.
I have photos during her shakedown cruise that show her decks bare and photos of her in measure 32 that her decks are painted. Nothing so far about her trip to Tehran.

James

[chuck]

I have a new conundrum, hopefully someone here knows the answer. I am trying to figure out if the USS Iowa had painted decks or not when she was transporting President Roosevelt to the Tehran Convention. As far as I know there are only two pics of the ship from that time:





... but it's hard to tell. To me it looks that in the the first pic the deck isn't painted but that it is in the second. You'd think they would be as it was 1943 and the Iowa was obviously wearing a MS22 paint job in the pics; at least on the hull.

But there are also color pics of the Iowa with an unpainted teak deck around commissioning/shakedown and the 1/96 model aboard the Iowa (meant to portray the ship during the same voyage) has unpainted teak decks. Also, the president taking the country's newest, biggest and baddest battleship seems to be an overt statement, like rolling up to a party in an outrageous stretch limo; perhaps they would not have been painted for looks and/or for Atlantic service? Any ideas?

I think the battleship is used as much, if not more, as an armored car for the president than as a stretched limo. In any case it would be bad publicity if it gets out that the battleship in wartime is specially stripped of its normal protective camouflage in the interest of presidential pomp while sailing in potentially hostile waters. So if the normal paint scheme involved painting the deck, I suspect the deck would stay painted when FDR is aboards.

[Fliger747]

Another condition that can obfuscate deck tones and colors is whether it has been just wet down by the deck force for cleaning, or it had recently rained. The teak decks are a bit slow to dry. But my guess as with others is for painted, though natural wood does look good on a model.

As to the camoflage colors earlier, old photos of the WWII period are often way off in color ballance. From the dungarees shirts it appears to be very cyan. It might be possible to get a bit closer by color balancing in photoshop using some semi known colors that a appear in the photo. The USN colors should be based on an ultramarine rather than the greenish thalo blue as used by the Brits.

Cheers. T

[Channell]

I have asked the Curator of the Iowa about the decks. He is in contact with Mr Keeney who found the photo of her in Africa.
Hopefully they will be able to have a definitive answer.

The model that was aboard the Iowa in the glass case was mine.
I left the decks bare because it looks a better. I haven't found any photos that clearly answer this question.
I have photos during her shakedown cruise that show her decks bare and photos of her in measure 32 that her decks are painted. Nothing so far about her trip to Tehran.

James

I would be thankful for any info.. Mr Keeney is writing a book about it, isn't he?

BTW, great work on that Iowa model! I agree that an unpainted wooden deck w/MS 22 looks great and your model (along with my trip to the Iowa itself) is the inspiration for my current 1/200 project.

[Fliger747]

The elevator onboard Iowa at this time between the 51 and 53 mounts looks to be in the same location as the one currently installed on BB63. Makes one wonder if the same location and general arrangement were made for the installation. A mention was made by a lieutenant on board at the time about re assembling the 5" guns after the trip. It does appear to impede the training arcs of these two mounts.

As usual interesting historical details.

T

[chuck]

There seems to be two extraneous pieces of equipment in that photo of Iowa, one between first and third 5" mount, the other in front of the first 5" mount and snug against the bridge. Are both of them elevators?

[Fliger747]

My understanding from another photo is that is the elevator. Not shown well in my photo, but the current elevator aboard BB63 is located in the same location between 51 and 53 mounts, stbd side. This one isn't as tall, probably due to improved elevator technology. As to the one going to the 02 level, hadn't seen that one before, but as an interested naval person FDR might have liked additional access to the flag area.

[chuck]

What is the purpose of the little semi-circular compartment with round windows protruding from the front of the level 8 of the foremast on the Missouri? Are those windows closed with a round deadlight with a slot in the middle?

[James M]

It's a conning station. There's a stearing wheel / helm station there.
The Missouri and Wisconsin are semi round, the Iowa And New Jersey are rectangular.

James

[Fliger747]

Ships wheel, engine order telegraphs etc duplicated here as with the ones in the armored conning tower. The porthole covers with the slits are to provide some small degree of splinter protection in action. Much bridge modification was undertaken during the war, especially with cruisers, to help provide better overhead views as maneuvering against air threats was considered increasingly important. Alaska CB1 was designed with a similar fire control tower and the conning station located there became the normal primary conning station.

There is a photo of the interior of this station in Stillwell's Missouri Book in reference to the grounding episode.

T

[RandyM]

The hull is coming along nicely - I've been sanding/fairing, mostly using thin coats of bondo, which is working quite well. I'll post pics later this week.

Image below shows units 1 and 2 of the 40mm battery. These little kits are really nice - the resin is high quality and requires little to no clean-up. The PE is compliant without being overly fragile. I'm not good with repetitive tasks so I think I'll do them in batches of 2 or 4 - these first ones are really mainly to learn how to build them. I think I'm going to create/print a jig to hold the barrels for installation onto the breaches.

[James M]

Where did the brass parts come from?
They look good.

[chuck]

I think the brass and resin 40mm Bofors are from Veteran models.