Calling all Iowa-class (BB-61) fans

[steinerman]

Jim is correct. The Floating Drydock plans are an excellent source of detail. I have both the big set (almost 9 ft long!) and the smaller 1/192 set, as well as the PDF booklet. Another source is the Kagero book of 3D drawings by Stefan Draminski, if you can find it. Be careful here, though, because there are some errors in it here and there. Also, take some time and read through this thread. There is a wealth of information here

[chuck]

Kagero is accurate enough to be very useful for visualizing many of the arrangements in 3D. But it is not accurate enough to be a detail reference.

[bigjimslade]

I am primarily interested in hull plans, deck plans, superstructures and other details with dimensions.

What era?

[wojtekp90]

I have a question where can I find information on hull skin, hull plates and hull specifications?

[chuck]

I have a question where can I find information on hull skin, hull plates and hull specifications?

I had to resort to using transverse sectional drawings in booklet of general plans identify where the hull strakes are at different frame numbers illustrated in the booklet, true them up as much as possible against photographs of the ship, and then connect the strakes between frame numbers illustrated, again using photo as reference where possible to determine how strakes merge or split.


I have to say although good direct information is hard to come by, there actually seems to be more information about Iowa's hull plating floating around in pieces and bits than other ships I've tried searching for. For example I've never found any information on the plating patterns on the bottom of the Hood or on much of the Arizona below waterline.

[bigjimslade]

I have a question where can I find information on hull skin, hull plates and hull specifications?

Sadly, there is no one place that has all the information. The microfilm for this data is largely unreadable. Only one blueprint of the hull plating (out of eleven) has survived to my knowledge.

That said, I have been piecing the information on plating together from various source into a computer model.

I think that I have identified every hull plate, its type, its thickness, and type of joint to adjoining plate in a computer model. I know this is a bid of a tease but I need to figure out how to publish the data in a useable format (i.e. for those who do not have access to Rhino).

The plating structure is needlessly complex. The Kentucky and Illinois dispensed with some of the complexity. (I cannot tell how much.)

I have not seen any published source that gets the plating right. Even the recent AOTS book is way off in this regard.

[ModelMonkey]

Brilliant!

[wojtekp90]

I bought the Trumpeter Missouri 1/200 set, I looked at the hull and wondered what the hull holes are.Maybe someone knows?
I am sorry to ask for such a thing but I am not an expert in this topic

[BB62vet]

Wojtek90 wrote:

I bought the Trumpeter Missouri 1/200 set, I looked at the hull and wondered what the hull holes are. Maybe someone knows?
I am sorry to ask for such a thing but I am not an expert in this topic

Once again - take the time to read thru the 1:2oo scale IOWA class build logs and you just might find out how those holes relate to 3rd party accessories. This is NOT a beginner's kit - it involves quite a bit of modeling experience to build it correctly. Just my opinion, of course

[Fliger747]

Hank didn't mention the hull shape, especially aft. You might want to examine this issue before proceeding.

Welcome aboard!

[chuck]

I bought the Trumpeter Missouri 1/200 set, I looked at the hull and wondered what the hull holes are.Maybe someone knows?
I am sorry to ask for such a thing but I am not an expert in this topic

Most of the holes molded into the side of the trumpeter hull above waterline depicts various waste water discharge holes on the side of the ship. A few of them are for aligning railings used by the boarding ladders.

As mentioned before, while trumpeter did a reasonable job matching the planform and side profile shape of the hull, the contour is way off. Depending on your standard, you may or may not chose to correct the contour errors. If you do not, the kit would build up to something that to most people with passing interest in ship models in general or the USS Missouri in particular, would not look wrong.

But if you are an engineer or just detail oriented enthusiast, then the magnitude of contour errors are far too great to be taken care of by sanding and filling. You would need to rebuild around 60-70% of the hull from scratch.

[bigjimslade]

This is what the moulded shape of the hull looks like at the stern.

For some reason kits cannot seem to get it right.

Note:

1. The docking keel. Often omitted or badly misshapen.
2. The half siding aft of the twin keel. The area where the rudders are mounted is flat.
3. The half siding forward and over of the twin keel

[Thomas E. Johnson]

This is what the moulded shape of the hull looks like at the stern.

For some reason kits cannot seem to get it right.

hull.jpg

MENG did with their 1/700 Missouri.

[Sean_the_Nailer]

I gotta say, having just caught up with this thread again, that the information shared here is phenomenal. I am hugely grateful for it all, and I look forward to beginning this project. My Lady, maybe, not-so-much. But she IS very supportive.

To add to the fun, I don't know what I've forgotten, so I'm going to have to read this thread again, starting at page one.

Blessings ya'll.

[chuck]

Pontos and eduard PE sets for 1/200 missouri both contain 2 half circular metal frames for each gun embrasures on the 5�/38 gun houses. I assume these are for supporting the bloomers/blast bags. But I�ve never seen these frames mounted when the bloomers are not mounted. Has anyone seen a photo where these frames are on the gun houses?

[SpyderDan]

Pontos and eduard PE sets for 1/200 missouri both contain 2 half circular metal frames for each gun embrasures on the 5�/38 gun houses. I assume these are for supporting the bloomers/blast bags. But I�ve never seen these frames mounted when the bloomers are not mounted. Has anyone seen a photo where these frames are on the gun houses?

[chuck]

Thanks. Interesting on the Missouri only one frame is mounted on each embrasure.

[Timmy C]

I think it only appears that way for the mounts closest to the viewer, because the nearer frame blends into the opening/slot for that barrel. If you look at the mountings closer to the bow, you can see that second frame just "under" the more easily visible one.

[bigjimslade]

When the ships were designed were any of the tubs originally intended for 1.1"?

Returning to an older question, I stumbled across a ventilation plan (3101AC) for all six Iowas, approved on July 3, 1941 that labels the stern 40mm tubs. That's just a year after the Iowa was laid down.

This is the state of the Iowa at that time:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/016181.jpg

The plans for the main deck plating are dated Dec. 1940 and do not show the stern 40mm tubs.

The plans for the hull plating were modified to add the stern tub in March 1943. However, the tubs were in place in Aug 1942 photos of the Iowa.

The plans for the 40mm Magazines and handling are dated to spring 1942. The plans for 40mm guns in the superstructure come in the fall of 1942.

It appears that the detailed plans were drawn as needed. I dare say that there was never any serious effort to mount 1.1" guns on the Iowa class nor were any plans to do so ever drawn beyond early conceptual drawing.

[Fliger747]

Almost makes you wonder if the shipyard designed on site and plans drafted to match what they built.