At 'Em Arizona Fans!

[djandj]

Thank you for the great color pics. Just what I needed to see!

Still not sure if we'd actually see color variation that minor in 1/700 scale (but I'm going for it anyway!)

Charles, what scale is that? (excellent work BTW!)

[Charles Landrum]

It is 1/350 - I can't imagine doing that in 1/700. Here is the link to my build of the Banner Kit. It represents ARIZONA in 1936.

http://www.rollmodels.net/nworkbench/on ... izona1.php

[uglygoat]

any thoughts on the 1/700 hobby boss arizona? i saw it in a local shop for ten bucks, and was tempted, but remember the simplistic easy build subs i have on the shelf. i can't find any build pics of it on teh web.

[Timmy C]

It's the same as the Mini-Hobby Models version, of which we have a review here:
http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/sh ... 39-mh.html

The Hobby Boss version may be a little bit cleaner, but the molds are the same.

[djandj]

OK, I watched the DVD and got a screenshot:



This was the clip I was thinking it might be; it was shot pre-war as the Arizona passed under the Golden Gate Bridge. I don't have the exact date but it's way pre-war; no later than 1940 as she's still got the 5"/51 mounts forward of the boat deck and no splinter shields areound the boat deck guns. Most likely the color is deck gray as the metal decks on the superstructure are.

OK so what's with the clipper barrels with the ridiculously large blast bags? As is clear from this shot, AZ didn't have big puffy blast bags. (added later?) or is clipper just way out of scale?

[Timmy C]

Blast bags are removable. Here's a picture of Arizona with blast bags:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/013955a.jpg

Here's another, with much more prominent ones on the forward turrets:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/013989.jpg

[djandj]

Blast bags are removable. Here's a picture of Arizona with blast bags:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/013955a.jpg

Here's another, with much more prominent ones on the forward turrets:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/013989.jpg

Thank you for the pics (they are beautiful).. I learn something about the ship every time I study the old pics. (floatplanes backwards on the turret?)

But the blast bags are still no where near as "puffy" as the clipper bags.

[Timmy C]

I don't know what the Clipper bags look like, but bags are a pretty easy thing to make yourself using wettened tissue paper or putty. They're also given to random patterns, so it would be probably more realistic to make them yourself anyway.

[wildspear]

Does anyone have some good close shots of the building (lack of a better word) where they would play movies out of?

[Cliffy B]

Wildspear, see if you can find a copy of Paul Stillwell's "Battleship Arizona: An Illustrated History". I remember seeing some shots of the fantail rigged with the projector and chairs for movie night. I think it was circa mid 1930's though.

[Tracy White]

Paul Stillwell's "Battleship Arizona: An Illustrated History".

Pages 150, 220, 253; schematics on page 372.

[drdemented]

i just recently acquired a hobby boss 1/350 uss arizona. having read through all the previous posts on this thread, i'm wondering if anyone has any (more recent) thoughts on how to approach this, specifically in terms of:

1. what is the best photo etch set (in terms of accuracy and economy)? i was thinking about gmm for this one, but i've also heard of one of the eduard sets that replaces a lot of the parts, such as the fighting tops and parts of the superstructure. is the eduard set worth getting?
2. arizona had a platform atop the foremast for eventual installation of radar. so far as i can tell, the kit does not include this platform. what's the best way of going about creating this platform?
3. there seems to be a small bulkhead just below the 5 inch/51 open mounts. what's the best way of creating this?
4. the masts have ladders built into them. is it better to remove them, or should i replace them with styrene?

any advice would be appreciated.

thanks!

[Bullet175]

i just recently acquired a hobby boss 1/350 uss arizona. having read through all the previous posts on this thread, i'm wondering if anyone has any (more recent) thoughts on how to approach this, specifically in terms of:

1. what is the best photo etch set (in terms of accuracy and economy)? i was thinking about gmm for this one, but i've also heard of one of the eduard sets that replaces a lot of the parts, such as the fighting tops and parts of the superstructure. is the eduard set worth getting?
2. arizona had a platform atop the foremast for eventual installation of radar. so far as i can tell, the kit does not include this platform. what's the best way of going about creating this platform?
3. there seems to be a small bulkhead just below the 5 inch/51 open mounts. what's the best way of creating this?
4. the masts have ladders built into them. is it better to remove them, or should i replace them with styrene?

any advice would be appreciated.

thanks!

I am currently building the Hobby Boss Arizona and I am using the Eduard PE set. Take note that the ED kit does not come with the deck railings. They are separate. Also note that this is the first plastic kit Ive built in over 15 years and also the first time I have used a PE set. But I will give you my take on it so far as best I can. But to start I will answer your questions.

1. I can only tell you about the ED PE set.
2. The ED PE kit will include this radar platform and the railings.
3. I think you are refering to the casement bulkheads? If so the kits bulkheads are so horrible that ED has included total replacements for these.
4. The kits tripod legs will be discarded and the ED plans call for them to be replaced with styren. I replaced mine with brass rod with good results.

Now back to question one. Some have expressed some deficiencies with the ED kits lack of detail in some areas such as the fighting tops windows and such but for me they are fine. You will replace almost everyhing on the kit with the ED PE set. And you are going to "butcher" your kit down to the very basics. There will be a piles of styren chips everywhere but its for good reason. For instance the casements......You will grind off the molded in casements and replace them with PE. But they look really good. The superstructure parts will be replaced...you will grind everything off and only use the deck parts. So far on my railings the ED kit has been spot on to the dimensions of the model. You will use nothing of the kits aft tower and only the tops of the kits boat cranes. The stern crane and catapults of the ED kit look great. Overall I give the ED kit an A. But there again remember this is my first time using a PE set so I cant give any comparisons to other sets. Many VERY tiny and delicate parts. If you drop something on the floor forget about it. ED mercifully gives a few extras of the smallest delicate parts for tweezer shoots or screw ups.

Im doing a lot of scratch building as well with things like ventilators. I think I scratch built an incinerator? Located on the port side of the smokestack. Im not going on any plans or anything just referencing a lot of pics of other models and the real ship I also scratchbuilt my running gear the same way Mr. Landrum made his and also fixed the rudder problem.

hope this helps.

EDIT be careful with liquid glue on this kit. The plastic is very soft and the glue reacts aggressively to it. I had a heck of a time getting the waterline seam to go away. I would fill it a sand it smooth and a few days later the seam would be caved in again because the glue was still reacting to it. I waited a month for the plastic to harden back up and was able to finally fair the seam out.

[trampsteamer]

It's a can of worms.

1941 was a time of great change for Naval camouflage.

The safest for you would be Camouflage Measure 1 with natural wood decks, and 5-D Dark Gray (not deck gray) on the horizontal metal surfaces. We know for a fact she was in this from around June to at least November. However, there is disagreement after that; she could have remained in Measure 1's original colors or have been repainted in 5-S Sea Blue or 5-N Navy Blue. The research to fully answer the questions has not been fully complete and may not be for a couple of years, if ever even.

Ahoy Modlers
Ever scince Mr don Pruel presented his model at the arizona Memorial it started a debate if she wore the 5s sea blue Camouflage, I am second generation navy I served 30 years in the Navy cheif boatswain Mate. My Late Father was a Battleship sailor at Pearl Harbor was on board the U.S.S. OKLAHOMA Gunners Mate 2nd class,


In 1958 for my 15th year Birthday he bought me The Revell U.S.S. ARIZONA I sat down with excitement and proceded with the build. durring the paint work I started painting the hull light gray, My dad stopped me and said it was the wrong color they were not that color at pearl I had no idea what the paint schedule was. I assumed it was light gray, It was 5D Dark gray he said most of sailors that were on the Battle Line the ships appeared Black. My father said on the OKLAHOMA the top turrets were painted blue he also mentioned that the Navy also was prepareing for war and expermented with Blues and eventually got away with grays. I am baseing this quote on what my Late fathers experience



Durring my 30 year hitch alls the ships i served on were Haze Gray and Deck Gray. you modlers have produced some fine work on your Arizonas a job Hardy Well Done.I am finishing up my 1/192 scale ARIZONA it is all 5D= Dark Gray I am not about to fire up the airbrush and paint it 5S Sea blue I will leave it as is.

FRANKLYN DAY
RETIRED U.S. NAVY BMC

[mark_sch]

Hello,
Does anyone have any opinions or info on Master Models Arizona barrel set. It has the 12 14 inch, 10 5/51's and 8 5/25's in the set.
Mark Schroeder

[ArizonaBB39]

A few years ago I did up some drawings of the Arizona, trying to document her career, they probably arent accurate, but I enjoyed doing them.
Heres the first and last, As built and "death"

USS Arizona BB-39 1916

USS Arizona BB-39 Late 1941

[Sr. Gopher]

Whoa, great work Abram!!! Now that I've seen your magic, what software do you use to make all of those? Also, how much free time do you have!!!!!

[Olaf Held]

Please forgive my ignorance as I'm quite new into USN stuff, but is it safe to say that Arizona carried three Curtiss SOC "Seagull" (Scout Observation) floatplanes in 1938 as well as an overall paint scheme of 5-L? Despite the fact that I'm quite a colourholic in relation to KM ships, provided with backup knowledge upon relevant documentation, I recently received a question related to this very ship that I only could answer by relying on my dangerous half-knowledge. Is "three", "Curtiss" and/or "5-L" correct? Are any other structural structural changes necessary in order to create an decent replication out of the 1/350 kit?

Any help is highly appeciated...

Happy modelling ~ Olaf!

[Tracy White]

Yes to the three aircraft.

Negative on the 5-L if you want to be a colorholic. 5-L was similar to but was a different formula. 5-L on the masts in mid to late 1941, but #5 Standard Navy Gray before that.

[Olaf Held]

Thank you for your prompt reply Tracy, that definately helps a lot! I totally forgot about the #5...

Anyone making 1/350 Curtiss planes, HA?

Happy painting ~ Olaf!