My first 1:350 build, Trumpeter CVN-68 USS Nimitz

[sgtryan13]

looking good! Save your self a little time and frustration re: the white lines around the flight deck- Those lines are actually a square "rail" that is on top of the flight deck. Get yourself some small square styrene rods and just cut them to size and glue them to the deck. It's easier and more accurate, so it's a win-win!

[NWarty]

Ryan,
Thanks bud! I thought about that technique and yep, you just confirmed that's what I'll do with the styrene rod

I don't work under flourescent lights (dining room light with a headlamp ), so any massive flaw that I catch in a photo I try to fix the following night.

And yes...I dropped the Aft Radar and then proceeded to accidently step on it...
But the good news is that she was fixed/bent back to shape with little to no damage.

Question for you regarding signal flags:
Would the Nimitz still utilize signal flags even during a tactical operation such as Eagle Claw? I know they're mainly for use under radio silence with the Battle Group and I have several photos from 80-81 showing them flying (such as the post Prowler accident after it smacked two VF-84 Cats on the deck). Gonna have to decide on this as I'm ready to pull the trigger on some Ironshipwright flags.

Got to order the Blackdog deck tractors tonight, along with the RF-8.And by the way, your "Okay 3-wire" build along with Kelly's build are bookmarked and check daily for reference

P.S. Anyone have any good pictures of the deck tractor crane? The kit one just looks ridiculous. [EDIT] Nevermind, found some good pics of the Tilly Crane

[sgtryan13]

You are more than welcome, glad to help!

Nice job salvaging the aft radar mast, that thing can be a pain to work with.

I will have to defer to someone more in the know than I regarding the flags, as a Marine Grunt I don't have a clue as to proper procedure, I just like to throw a few on my ships to add some color, but don't know if it is accurate or not.

You'll love the balck dog tractors, they are very very nice!

Glad you are finding the 3-wire build heplful, but just be careful if you are shooting to be a real accuracy freak. I had ok references for that build, but def not the ones I have now, so I am sure there are accuracy errors all over the place on it. I was happy with it, and CDR Brown loved it, but just wanted to give ya the head's up!

[NWarty]

Yeah, the radar mast was a close call, phew!

I do think I'll use the signal flags as I think they breathe "life" into the ship, accurate or not. When my wife says "Honey, that looks good" then I know I'm doing okay. Considering she has no idea what she's looking at

Great to hear about the BlackDog product, they look great from the photos I've seen.

Going to at least start on the Tilly Crane tonight and scratchbuild this sucker. I think I've got about half a dozen, good resolution photos to work from.

Thanks again

-Blake

[Bigdaddy Mark]

Very nice!! I only wish I could get results like this.

[NWarty]

Mark,
Thank you sir but she's got more warts than a toad. That's what the topside airwing's for, right? To hide all the flaws


On another note, must resist buying the JAG Models carrier deck set...but...those forklifts look awesome

- Spent last night modifying the crane and got it into the corrected position. Cut the molded cables and used some small diameter wire to replace. Added PE hooks at the end. Found some PE rails to retrofit after I bent the other two.

- Added the starboard number 2 elevator cables and am VERY happy with how they turned out.

- Finished the Mast with safety ladders, Yardarm railings and other small PE bits.

- Added four more hose reels to the catwalks and several PE doors

- Finished painting the Meatball and added PE railing there.

Photos this weekend.

~Blake

[EDIT] Just picked up some evergreen plastic strip to do the edges of the flight deck at my LHS. Will start on that tonight

[gtbred]

Looks great Blake, it is the airwing that makes or break it.

[NWarty]

Looks great Blake, it is the airwing that makes or break it.

Absolutely

Some small work today.
- Flight deck edges are glued in and painted, just need to weather them a bit. Evergreen Styrene strip cut to length.
- Quick photo of the repaired bow PE section. The WEM pieces don't fit nearly as well as the GMM set.
- Island Mast Rigging has started (Using stretched sprue and tightening with a soldering iron).
- Meatball complete.
- Scratchbuilding a Tilly Crane. Primed at the moment. Not really accurate but it's looking a whole lot better than the kit version.

And lastly, bought some Plastruct liquid cement to use for the build. I haven't sniffed the liquid stuff in YEARS!

[LE BOSCO]

Hello NWarty
your Nimitz ,have really look great for
cheers
Nicolas

[NWarty]

Hello NWarty
your Nimitz ,have really look great for
cheers
Nicolas

Thanks bud

Well, the Tilly Crane is off to a good start. Lots of paint and detail clean up to do (straighten the window lines, etc.); wash and complete the weathering and PE step ladders, fiddly bits and the like. Then it's the crane and cabling. Did I mention that I HATE painting yellow?

Also started work on the A3D Skywarrior to break up the monotony of the build.

~Blake

[Bigdaddy Mark]

I wish I had talent.

[FlowerPower]

perhaps knitting is something for me

[NWarty]

I wish I had talent.

Mark, your Hoovers are beautiful and I'm a huge sucker for Vikings and VF-2

And FP,
Believe me, I've thought about making a quilt for several of the guys here

[NWarty]

Tilly Crane's almost done; little more clean-up and some gloss on the windows and I'm callin' it good.





And..."Captain! There be Whales!"
Starting the airwing with the Whale. Lots more to go on it like the refueling boom. some PE and paint clean-up.

[Rob 2]

Looking truly excellent.
Rob.

[Bigdaddy Mark]

Holy crap is that Tilly AWESOME!!!

[NWarty]

Mark and Rob, thanks

Got the rigging completely done on the left side of the mast and rear. Will finish up the right side tonight. Boy, making a rigging jig with a piece of rod and attaching the stretched sprue to it was a life-saver. Broke several lines in the process but it seemed to go quickly. Heated up the end of my tweezers to bring the lines taut.

Finished the A3D, but have to correct the rudder marking for it for VQ-1 Det. 5 with the "PR". Hard points have been taken off since this photo was taken since they're not accurate per the Cruise book.

Navysite.de has a FANTASTIC section with the Cruise Book for the 79-80 Nimitz Med. & Indian Ocean Cruise. Tons of reference photos of the various squadrons. Some photos show the Eagle Claw aircraft in invasion stripes, "Final Countdown" filming, EA-6's without the gold canopy plating, Sea Kings from HS-9 in the correct markings, RF-8 markings, etc.

And boy, I got to up the weathering on the hull. Suprised just how dirty the Nimitz really was in 1980.

And the "yearbook" photos of the Officers, NCOs and sailors are just hilarious. Holy relaxed grooming standards

[NWarty]

Oh man, she's so close to being done! Well...the ship that is

Last night I painted the area around the port, bow Sparrow launcher gunship gray and added a new warning circle. Fixed a CA blob on the rear of the hull and started to nit-pick.
Some daytime photos for y'all to peruse. Puttin' on the signal flags and Old Glory tonight and working on the second deck crane.

Pardon my crummy digital camera

[boomstick68]

She's BEAUTIFUL! Now please hurry and get her under glass before something else happens. LOL

[Bigdaddy Mark]

She's BEAUTIFUL! Now please hurry and get her under glass before something else happens. LOL

Just amazing!
And do as you're told LOL