Calling all Independence-class LCS fans

[Bigdaddy Mark]

When I painted mine I used a dark gray to zebra stripe the ship, then I used a haze gray with a touch of aluminum mixed in. After it dried I thought it was to bright, then after I put a coat of future on it I was seriously nervous. Once I put on the dull coat it looked much better, and then when I brushed on the pastels I was happy with the results. I used black, brown, and white. I used vertical streaks to make it look like weathered aluminum. This was the first time I used an airbrush, If I ever build another I'd mask fine horizontal lines and use black to zebra stripe it.
Here's what I ended up with.

Hope it helps.

[mongo580]

So will these ships get the same Camo Scheme as to be applied to USS FREEDOM?

[Timmy C]

Too early to tell, but probably not - as mentioned above, there is some suspicion that the new scheme is merely meant to hide the exhaust stains on the Freedom hulls, which are not present on the Independence class.

[maxim]

Are any helicopters assigned to Independence? It is realistic to use the MH-53E Sea Dragon?

I have read that the MH-60S cannot pull the available mine sweeping sleds, therefore there is currently no mine sweeping module available (as there is no anti submarine module?).

[Timmy C]

Maxim, you may wish to read the posts starting from here for more details on the limits and status of current LCS modules.

[EJM]

I'm going to be starting work soon on the 1/350 Trumpeter USS Independence LCS. But there's one major problem I'm having: Where's the waterline mark? I can't tell how high or low the red bottom should be as well as the placement of the black boot stripe. When other people were painting their ships, how did you figure out how to paint the bottom hull? What methods did you use?

[Timmy C]

The Navy posted this image today - but is it enough to out-turn a torpedo?

http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/ ... 74-218.JPG

[Tracy White]

Looks like they're doing donuts on someone's lawn....

[Timmy C]

More like a blueberry cinnamon bun*.


*I have never encountered such a thing before.

[Tracy White]

It could make for a fun sea setting for my 1/700th kit.....

I bet someone out there somewhere makes a blueberry cinnamon bun...

[EJM]

Would a ship such as the LCS's benefit from having the SPY-1F Aegis radar on it? The SPY-1F is a small version at about 8 feet in diameter (1/4 of an inch in diameter in 1/350 scale) designed to fit Frigates and other smaller vessels.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/ ... riants.jpg
Or should I not put any SPY-1 radar panels on at all? The only other pic I found was this concept sketch here:
http://www.austal.com/Resources/Promoti ... 1-wide.jpg
Here's what I was possibly thinking of doing to my model:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/ ... C03920.jpg

[maxim]

I would add it - the real LCSs lack good radar.

[EJM]

For anybody that wants to follow along, I started a thread here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php ... 350.0.html
Since there is no LCS Multi-mission Combatant ship.......either in real life or model kit form, I started to build my own What If model. I'm taking a lot of liberties with some things, but it's all for fun.

[veliko_pile]

Anyone have the layout of the hangar? Even a basic one, walls, doors etc?
Thanks

[Tracy White]

Looking forward from about the left edge of the hangar door
Lookng forward and to port from hangar door
Looking directly to port from hangar door
Looking directly to port from near forward bulkhead
Looking directly starboard from atop the hangar mission module (I presume that's what that container is)
Looking forward and to port from starboard bulkhead, roughly mid-hangar
Looking forward and slightly to starboard from slightly port of centerline, aft hangar area
Looking Aft from forward bulkhead of hangar

[veliko_pile]

Looking forward from about the left edge of the hangar door
Lookng forward and to port from hangar door
Looking directly to port from hangar door
Looking directly to port from near forward bulkhead
Looking directly starboard from atop the hangar mission module (I presume that's what that container is)
Looking forward and to port from starboard bulkhead, roughly mid-hangar
Looking forward and slightly to starboard from slightly port of centerline, aft hangar area
Looking Aft from forward bulkhead of hangar

Great shots! It will serve me well, but unfortunately I'm trying to find shots of the USS Independence, not Freedom. I've found some good reference from a Youtube documentary and a Flickr album, but still need more

[Tracy White]

Oh duh, total fail on my part
There have not been a lot of photos of Independence posted on the Navy.mil site (last new one was July of last year that I can see) and I never came across any elsewhere that I saved. I typically trawl the Navy photo sites once every 2-4 weeks, which is why I had those Freedom pics so fast for you.

[Timmy C]

A nice high-rez photo of LCS 2 and 4 sailing together:
http://www.navy.mil/management/photodb/ ... 64-014.JPG

Differences: anchor hawse, no "bump" at deck level of superstructure face, and no bridge wing on LCS 4 (or rather, LCS 2 gained the bridge wing, but not sure if that's a permanent improvement that'll be retrofitted to the newer LCSs).

[AyalaBotto]

Hi,

Another difference: on LCS-4 the 30mm Bushmaster Gun is clearly visible.


Thanks
Regards,
Ayala Botto

[Timmy C]

The 30mm is part of the Surface Warfare module, and is thus temporary - I wouldn't count it as a difference within the class.