Calling all US Navy Pre-Dreadnought (Great White Fleet) fans

[lancer525]

Resurrecting the thread...

Is anyone aware of any sources on the internet for (preferably free!) line drawings of the Virginia-class BBs? I'm rapidly reaching a point in my current model where I can start thinking about the next one and I've settled on these beautiful pre-Dreadnoughts. Since there were a few classes of BB represented in the GWF, I thought it might be nice to do the only BB named after my home state.

Specifically, I'm looking for elevation views, interior and exterior, hull frames at station, and deck plans. With a few good photos, I think I can come up with a decent looking model at 1/100 scale. So, if anyone has any sources, I'd be mighty obliged to hear about them!

Thanks!

[apraksin]

I started the construction of the battleship Kearsarge BB5
Ironschipwrigh, but unfortunately the details of the plan of the kit are not clear, can you help me with photos and drawings.
Thank in advance.
Alexander.

[Guest]

I finished most of the rigging on my USS Maine... but I still think it looks pretty bare. Problem is, I don't have a good reference for the rigging, and I don't logically know where much else should go... any suggestions are appreciated.

Beautiful! How did you do the ratlines? I have been looking for something like that for ages!
//M

[garyrunnalls]

A great book in regards to the GWF is The Great White Fleet by Robert A. Hart 1965, I have the book and it has a day to day account of the voyage plus great photos and much more

[apfelzra]

Hello GWF fans,

I recently purchased (online, from a private party) the ISW kit of the 1:350 USS Illinois (BB-7) and thought it would be, after painting, a fairly simple build (I've mostly been building WWII-era battleships and cruisers for the past few years). But the kit turns out to be very labor-intensive, mainly due to the excessive resin flash on nearly every part. The huge overpour on the keel is the least of my problems -- the belt sander in my garage will make short work of that, though the keel itself is so riddled with bubble holes that I'll spend a long time filling them with putty and sanding smooth. My major concerns right now are where to find suitable metal gun barrels to replace the, frankly, atrocious resin ones in the kit. I can get the 13-in./.35 cal. gun barrels from B&D Barrels (through freetimehobbies.com) but what would you folks recommend as the source for the 6-in./.40 cal. secondary gun barrels? The 57-mm and 37-mm light gun barrels I can probably make from stretched black styrene sprue. Also, I should point out that the assembly instructions included with the kit are ridiculous -- the diagrams are crude and misspellings are rampant -- they even misspelled the ship's name! It's ILLINOIS, not ILLIONIS! I might expect something like this from a Chinese company, but this kit was made in the USA!
Also, a separate question on the photos posted in previous years on this particular (GWF fans) site -- they are listed only as "image" and there is no link to open them. Have these all been deleted? That would be surprising, considering the number of accolades they received from other readers.

[MartinJQuinn]

Also, a separate question on the photos posted in previous years on this particular (GWF fans) site -- they are listed only as "image" and there is no link to open them. Have these all been deleted? That would be surprising, considering the number of accolades they received from other readers.

That means that image is too large to display or no longer exists in the location it was linked from. Most of these photos were posted before we were able to embed photos in the post directly.

[MartinJQuinn]

Added available kits and gallery links to the first page on page 1. If I missed anything, please let me know.

[unBrando]

Hello, I have obtained a 1/350 IronShipwright's Battleship Ohio, it's depicted as she was in 1910, post-GWF. I intend to depict her just after her 1904 launch. There are some mods I will need to perform. A few things, just to name one, most obvious are the cage masts, the kit comes with the cage masts, I will need to scratch new masts. Also, the large crest on the bow of the ship is gone, I was thinking I could use/design a decal to depict it.

Any suggestions would be great. I will begin soon, just need to get some supplies this weekend.

[unBrando]

Alright, I have been researching. I have a 1/220 Cutty Sark, I will be using the mast from that kit, to scratch and bash the new masts for Ohio. I have been looking online for 1/350 etch stuff. I'm gonna need railing. I need to scratch the bridge as well. I still need to get some supplies, new to the area, and I'm still learning where the hobby shops are. I'm using a site I found on this forum for source pics for Ohio. http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/011228.jpg

I live in DC and plan to use the models on display @ National Museum of USN. They have several 1/144 BB's from the GWF. Its a nice source and fun to go to.

[Atma]

Anyone any comments or opinions on the accuracy and casting of Niko's USS Virginia ?
Thanks in advance.

[unBrando]

So, I got some supplies, this took a little longer than expected. The masts have been the most trouble.

[Ironman]

Hi,

I would like to scratch build a model of BB10 USS Maine from the Great White Fleet era.
Searching the internet came up with a couple of good pictures of "class" ships showing details, but I am uncertain what I'm looking at.
My hope is to get some help Identifying things and how they worked/were constructed.
I have little knowledge of the ships beyond what the internet has taught me, and the number of questions I could ask would be overwhelming.
If its cool with everyone here I'd like to post pictures from time to time and learn about those things.

I guess the first things I would ask are in reference to the attached photo.

To me these look like clamps of some sort, what do they do?
Does anyone know where I can get a good look at one that would have been typical of BB10, 11 or 12?

[DariusP]

I think that those "clamps" were used to hold in place (during turret rotation) a seal which prevented water entering through a gap between barbette and turret.

[William]

Resurrecting the thread . . .

I recently got the 1/350 ISW USS Connecticut kit as a gift (since I live in CT!) Anyway, I always thought that she looked better with her military mast not the cage masts. Therefore, I will convert her to her GWF appearance. Does anyone know of any plans that I can use?

Bill

[Maarten Sch�nfeld]

Kombrig publishes nice plans: https://www.1999.co.jp/eng/image/10268178

[William]

Maarten,

Thanks!!!!! They are a big help!

Bill

[Jon C Ryckert]

I just won the Iron Shipwright 1/350 USS Connecticut BB-18 in an auction and not being familiar with U.S pre-dreadnaughts, I know this is going to be a long shot. I would like to convert the ship, if possible, to the USS Kansas, BB-21. So, my question is would anyone happen to know what differences there may be between the two ships? Thanks to all replies.

[Jon C Ryckert]

It is my understanding that the kit is Connecticut's 1910 fit so I want to make a Kansas in the same time period, if possible.

[apfelzra69]

Photographs of the USS Kansas and USS Connecticut taken around 1911 (new cage masts, all four Standard Navy anchors) show great similarities with one significant exception -- the current ISW Connecticut kit (which I have and am building) does not include the additional deck with wings that sits atop the superstructure around the cage mainmast; this area is bare on the ISW Connecticut kit, but would be correct for the Kansas, meaning it would be easier to build the kit as the Kansas rather than scratchbuild the extra deck with a large hole in the center for the cage mainmast on the Connecticut.

[Jon C Ryckert]

Thank you for the reply. If you don't mind, where can a person find good plans of Kansas. I have tried online and I can't get to the archives. Thank you again.