What-If modernized USS Long Beach CGN-9

[HvyCgn9]

Thx all for the comments.

Navydavesof : I like the fwd missile arrangement mate!! I have done her as sort of a minimum cost CSGN upgrade. Plus in a long range AAW engagement She would still be able 2 fire off plenty of missiles (not sure what the current SM-(insert No they up 2)ER max range is now, older SM2ER was listed as mach 2.5,+ range 150km(93miles) max ht 100,000ft.
Was'nt it TALOS that they manually added the fins??

The resin fittings are available from APSmodels (AKA Alan Pew) e-mail him at apsmods@bigpond.net.au there is a very long waiting list for bits as Al is a one man show.
Phalanx and Goalkeeper are $36AU each some assembly required.

For my full build log (which I started just over a year ago!!) check outhttp://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1154170
I have build threads going on 4 sites makes it a pain 2 update lots of pic's at once

CGN9 and USS Pinkney DDG91 await orders 2 sail




Tf72 Fleet Anchorage. the big ships (the ones I know the names of) are my USS Long Beach CGN-9, USS Pinkney DDG-91, USS Gettysburg CG-64, HMAS Kokoda DDL-42, INS Mumbai DDG-62 plus lots of smaller models

Cheers N Merry Xmas

Bruce

[SumGui]

While I can see Dave�s point from a warfighter efficiency prospective � the Mk 10�s certainly give a great look.

Even her �CSGN� refit had MK 26s, so VLS wasn�t even projected aboard then. Of course, that was cancelled and she had SPS-32/33 removed and replaced with the 48/49 combo as you modeled. I think you could make a case that for your representation she had an NTU refit which added the hangar and such, maybe with Tomahawk moved to between the masts (in your case, the VLS you placed). You could say Mk 45 was fitted for commonality and reduced manning.

Did you have a specific timeframe in mind for your fit? Any plans for the ASROC location?

When the Aegis ships came out, they all sacrificed range, as they could not fire SM2ER. The NTU ships with Mk 10 could. Yes, slower rate of fire, but the two capabilities together were a great compliment.

According to scuttlebutt, USS Wainwright held the record for range of intercept with a 137nm skin-on-skin contact with a drone during post NTU tests. Combine that enhanced range with the longest detection range in the fleet (due to height of the sensors � you need a CVN to find SPS-48/49 mounted higher) and it makes a nice combo.

Her Mk 10s did not sacrifice ammunition either � she had capacity for 120 SM-2ER � 40 fwd and 80 under the bravo mount.

The location of the hangar would have worked perfectly well � the Talos house had been turned into the largest afloat gym I ever saw. Easily enough room there (especially considering one Talos was near helicopter size�). Massive amounts of room on this ship.

The �Beach could have handled anything you could think of � no space issues here like Cali. You could also tell she was built by people who had to go to War with their ships. I have not seen a better built ship. That said, she had been neglected for years before I got aboard in 1993/1994. The glowsnipes also said her reactors really needed a going over (I guess that is to be expected after 33 years�).

I have no doubt; due to the way she was built, that had the effort been put forward, she could have served through to today.

[navydavesof]

[navydavesof]

Bruce,

I believe you had commented earlier in some thread that the Long Beach was the last heavy cruiser. To which I retorted, the Salem was the last surviving heavy cruiser.

Well, I found what I think you were referring to! They said on the Long Beach was the "last real cruiser".

Now, the cool thing that links a lot of comments people have made together is that Long Beach was the last of our cruisers built on a cruiser hull instead of being upgraded destroyers.

Fascinating.

[HvyCgn9]

Sumgui: You R dead on in your summation. I am going for a post 95' kind of look for her, unless you can find a bottomless well of $$$ She was never going 2 get the CSGN full makeover. My version is (with the benefit of hindsight and tech improvements) probably what she would have turned out like....given they let a maniac like me have design control!!!! From those former crew that have left messages on my various build threads it would appear that CGN-9 got worked extremely hard over her service life and could have done with certain main drive systems having a bit of $$$ chucked at them.
Dave: yep thats what I mean't mate!! I read some where that LB actually had 4" of hull Armour (If accurate) would that make her the last armoured cruiser in service with US navy??

RE: ASROC position I am considering not having the ASROC mount, I had an idea for a UAV pad for a tilt rotor drone of some sort!! using the Asroc reload house as hanger and flight control point. How does that sound??

Cheers N' Merry Xmas
Bruce

[HvyCgn9]

Also I like the Mk-10's because like the big guns on a BB or hvy cruiser they give the ship an Armed appearance, where as with VLS all you have is a series of hatch's! And a SM2ER is really sweet in 1/72 !!

Bruce

[HvyCgn9]

Been busy painting midships deck (dark gray(used Tamiya Gunship gray2)) relocated VLS to between the 5"mk45's on the centerline and spent about 4 hours or so painting firehoses 20+ of the little bugga's!! and painted Goalkeepers, VLS modules, 20mm CWIS guns (ran out of paint before I could finish the Phalanx's....Doh!)

Merry XMAS ALL!!

Bruce

[HvyCgn9]

Here R some pix from Sundays Club running day at the City lake we use, Have got the aft CWIS painted and fitted, Midships Goalkeeper's R painted and test fitted (still need 2 set up servo's for em) only the mk141 Harpoon's and 5"mk45's need 2 be finished for her main armament 2 be complete. Then its back 2 doing railing's, lighting and still need 2 get some of her smaller deck weapons (some 0.50cal's and 4 20mm's to drop about the superstructure)

Cheers Bruce

[Seasick]

That is one fine model, and its a member of a sweet fleet.

[proditor]

That is one fine model, and its a member of a sweet fleet.

Agreed! That long beach is amazing. I'm sorely tempted to try something similar now that the small scale cyberhobby kit is out.

[HvyCgn9]

Thx Guys,
The Crew here in Adelaide have under construction 4 Aussie long hulled Perry class FFG's (Adelaide (nearing readiness), Sydney (semi operational) Darwin (Building), Canberra (building) ) an Arleigh Burke class DDG, a Falklands War spec HMS Hermes, 3 Armidale class Patrol boats, a Bismark and my USS California(CGN36). At the moment we have operational USS Long Beach, USS Fife(Spruance class), USS Scott(Kidd class), 2 HMAS Parramatta's(ANZAC class) & (River class), HMAS Vampire (Daring class), HMAS Tobruk (Battle class), HMS Hood and an assortment of smaller ships.( Plus I have probably forgot some!!)

Here R a couple more pic's..

[HvyCgn9]

While watching the coverage of the flood's in Queensland I have been working on Lb's Harpoon launchers and Aft ships boats a pair of 24' RHIB's from APS models which I have scratchbuilt jet drive units for inplace of the stern drive's and made up some cradles for em of of styrene section.
Still need 2 make up the mast's for em, got side tracked working on USS California and HMAS ANZAC......

Cheers Bruce

[carr]

Bruce,

Nice work! I love the Mk141 Harpoon cannisters. I can't wait to see more. Thanks for sharing.

Regards,
Bob

[HvyCgn9]

No Prob's Bob,
Should have some more running pix next weekend (Jan 30)
Just after I posted these pic's dropped the finished resin RHIB....... they don't like that much
Took me nearly 30 mins crawling round the kitchen floor 2 find and pick up all 5 bits
and about 2 hours to repair it!!

Bruce

[HvyCgn9]

Here R some pic's from our run today it was bloody hot!! We got some good running in before packing up at midday before it got 2 the reallly hot part of the day 42deg C !!
Some pic's of CGN-9's updates 5"guns fitted, Harpoon's both fitted, Stbd 24' RHIB on (still need's finishing off)

Cheers Bruce

[HvyCgn9]

Here R a couple more pix a mate took of USS long Beach cruising about!!

Bruce

[navydavesof]

Was'nt it TALOS that they manually added the fins??

I got to talk to a Mk10 tech at length yesterday, and yes, the Mk-10s were where you had to manually fin every missile as they came up into the work compartment. The missile and booster would come up as one package, and GMs would clip in the fins, and then the missile would be ready to go. The current SM-2s have the same range as the old SM-2ERs did, so if Long beach were to hit the water again with her Mk10s it would look like she was running little sticks out on the rails! Then, if they put the extra boosters on the backs of the current SM-2s the missile would out range our ability to direct it.

Like everyone else, I am really liking the build! Keep it up!

[HvyCgn9]

I was looking at some info on SM2ER yesterday and it stated that all the ships with the SPS 48 & SPS 49 combo had been given the NTU upgrade, but I am pretty sure I read on a different site that of the Nuke's only California and South Carolina actually had it fitted as they managed 2 escape decommissioning till 98' & 99'. I wonder which is accurate??

Bruce

PS if they stuck modern SM2ER's on LB's mk10's with 3 stage boosters they could shoot at Geo syncro. orbital targets!!

[navydavesof]

I was looking at some info on SM2ER yesterday and it stated that all the ships with the SPS 48 & SPS 49 combo had been given the NTU upgrade, but I am pretty sure I read on a different site that of the Nuke's only California and South Carolina actually had it fitted as they managed 2 escape decommissioning till 98' & 99'. I wonder which is accurate??

Bruce

PS if they stuck modern SM2ER's on LB's mk10's with 3 stage boosters they could shoot at Geo syncro. orbital targets!!

Hey, Bruce!

Of the nuclear cruisers, there is discrepency in the reports of who got it. NAVSEA at Norfolk Naval Shipyard told me that two of the Virginia-class CGNs got it Mississippi and Arkansas, Texas was getting it, and Virginia was scheduled. Texas was in the middle of being upgraded when a surprise order was sent down to terminate the upgrade and prepare the ship for deacitivation. That is also when NNSY was alerted to prepare for nuclear disposal of CGNs. They said those two orders came completely out of nowhere.

So, we know that at least Truxtun, Bainbridge, Mississippi, and Arkansas were rocking NTU before their deactivations. Arkansas was decommissioned with early 50% of her nuclear fuel still in tact.

But you're right, Bruce with few exceptions the SPS-49/SPS-48 combination you see are the indications of the NTU. NTU is a beast of a system. Aegis never out-shot it. What Aegis has over NTU is static radars that provide max range 360 degree coverage instead of rotating radars. Aegis does not provide as good of a picture in the littorals than NTU, however, and its computer system (the Mk99 Aegis weapon direction system) has gotten better, but it still gets confused with false tracks and trying to detect too much at once. NTU still owns 1. picture clarity 2. user interface 3. interoperability with the rest of the battle group.

There is an Aegis friend of mine here who has worked with the modernized Kidd-class DDGs when they were reactivated and prepared for the Taiwanese. In the 3 months he worked with the NTU he was very impressed and prefers it over his 15 years of working with Aegis.

[HvyCgn9]

Yep having 2 complimentary systems has benefits that outweigh monetary costs.....Unfortunately the people that control the purse strings don't always look at the big picture I can think of a number of examples in the US Navy 1/ Decomm of the Nuke cruisers (50% reactor life is what?? about 5-10 years of Op's??), 2/ Sinking the Sprucan's 3/ DDG1000 debacle. The list could go on.....