The Ship Model Forum

I've been thrashing on Exeter for the past week or so and got a lot done today. Here are some in-progress shots of various parts, and with some of the major parts dry fitted. Still a lot more to do!

Great progress pictures, Bob.

Bob Cicconi wrote:

Bob -

Love the lines of the Exeter Class, and its generally low profile.

Airbrushed or hand-painted deck? Any special masking technique? Hull or deck painted first? Very neat job!

In my own work, I love the texture of airbrushed paint, and hate to see it side by side with places on the model that are handbrushed. Other than careful (and sometimes tedious) masking, any advice from builders on this forum as to how to match textures in such instances?

Daniel

Dan: thanks for the compliment! I almost always airbrush the deck first, mask it off and then spray the hull/vertical sides of the superstructure parts. I really don't have any advice for matching the texture of airbrushed paint other than to try and keep the hand-painted areas small, so you don't see a lot of brush marks, and to make sure you thin the paint to where it flows nicely, but isn't so thin that it doesn't cover. I generally like to use Floquil enamel paints (where the color is close to what I want to use for a particular camo scheme), as they airbrush and brush very well. In the case of Exeter, I used Floquil SP Lettering for the hull sides, and SP Lark Dark Gray for the deck. I'm using Engine Black for the black portion of the masts, and Reefer White for the top of the foremast and the radomes on the Phalanx 20mm CIWS guns.

I've started working on the rear superstructure over the weekend. Some parts had to be cut off and I have re-shaped the gun platforms which had to be backdated form their Harpoon configuration. The nicely detailed guns themselves are from veteran models. So far I've assembled one set.

In earlier posts I dealt with fit problems. This section will be about parts location and corrections some minor problems.

1) In the illustrations part G19 mounts to face of part C18.
2) Part C2 mounts on G25 but this is not shown in the illustration. I figured that out when I was sanding the seam between G23 and G25.
I tried to saw through the thick attachment point of part G4 but the part broke anyway. Use caution when trying to remove the small thin parts from their runners.

There must be another version of the Long Beach planned. The same parts are on two different sprues. E2 and F3 are the same. E5 and I3 are also the same.

In illustration section 5 they want you to use part I3 when using the pe parts MA4 but it has a flat locating surface and it needs to have a recess in to mount to part D27. I modified part F3 (E2) which has the locating recess in it already.

Here is my Entry, USS Midway 1971 - 1973 Vietnam tours



Happy Modeling

John

Hey Kid, just an FYI, measure the Midway kit you'll find that she's actually closer to 1/720-1/730 scale than 1/800. I've heard this recently and wanted to pass it on. That will make getting any aftermarket stuff you may want a lot easier. I don't actually have one of the kits but I've heard it from a number of different people. Its worth breaking out a ruler and checking at least

Hello Cliffy,

I have mentioned this a few times, its much closer to 1/700 than 1/800, this is my 4th build using this kit, i have built a 1990/91 Midway, a 1986 Coral Sea and also FDR, last two needed major cutting and lots of sheet styrene.

Also the Island on the ARII 1/800 Modern Enterprise is IMO spot on for 1/720 and looks great on the Revell kit.

Happy Modeling

John

John,

I thought you were one of the ones that mentioned but I couldn't remember so I figured I'd mention it anyway Looking forward to the build man!

-Mike

I have had absolutely no chance to work on my project yet. I am starting to become paranoid that I won't be able to finish it in the time span!

I might be able to squeeze off a Tamiya PBR though

I have managed to get the Midway hull waterlined, now to get a hangar installed, some of the Vietnam period aircraft arrived today, just need the RF-8G's, started work on the decals in between working on Yellow winged F4F's for my pre war Wasp.

Happy Modeling

John

Well I finnally got some time to work on the 1/700 ISW Essex SCB-27A kit that is becoming the SCB-27CHancock CVA-19. I had to do a lot of work on the Stbd Stern area to build the elevator opening and the aft gun deck. I like the results so far. I also got some aircraft built to put in the hanger.









It still needs some touch up, but a nice start.

Great start Mark, looking forward to following this build

Happy Modeling

John

Work is going well on the Midway, hangar deck is installed, a little cleaning up and some detail to add. also been working on the decals for the airwing, i really need to get these done as i need to get some a/c in the hangar and close it up.

Hangar deck


VF-161 Tail markings F-4B


Happy Modeling

John

nice John,those would look real good on the BIG Midway!

Good afternoon all! Here is a quick update on my entry into the Cold War Era project, the DDV8 variant of the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

The US Navy ordered a study to be performed from the naval engineering firm Gibbs&Cox to study how the Navy could meet the lessons learned in combat during Operation Praying Mantis in the challenging environment of the Persian Gulf.

This study was called Helicopter Capable DDG-51 Study (commonly known as the DDV Study). There were 9 variants designed. The eighth design was the only one to address all of the issues in the study. This provided the DDG-51 class with an embarked helicopter, a gun mount that could perform credible naval gunfire support and anti-ship work, and an increased point defense weapon suite to counter anti-ship cruise missiles fired at close range. This particular variant fulfilled all mission areas by adding the Mk71 8� gun mount in place of the Mk45 5�, adding a single helicopter hanger, and adding the rolling airframe missile (RAM) system to the ship�s point defense suite.

The positioning of RAM in place of the aft long range radar �terminal� illuminators reduced the ship�s AAW engagement range but increased the ship�s chance of survival against missiles fired at close ranges. While at shorter ranges the Aegis system can still direct its missiles without the illuminators. This may have been acceptable to the designers at the time and may be acceptable today.

Enough of the obscure history lesson! Onto the project!
The object of today's post is my efforts to build a helicopter hanger.

Building helicopter hangers has been a "to do" of a bunch of my builds, but I had never tackled it until now. I have found here on modelwarships some fantastic tips, tricks, and methods of building the detail inside of hangers. I have been inside the hangers of the DDG-51 Flight IIAs, and they are overly busy and cramped. You can tell those ships were NOT meant to have helicopter hangers...but they work!

So, the Gibbs&Cox DDV8 displays this as the arrangement for the hanger. The starboard half of the aft VLS and some hull to the side would be taken by the hanger. In order to represent this I cut the deck away and added sheet styrene into the gap cut for the hanger's deck. I used the hanger pieces from a Trumpeter USS Momsen model as templates to shape the hanger's walls. The walls were a little too long so I trimmed them down to match the drawing, and they worked out great. So with the hanger shoe boxed in I was able to pull the pieces out and begin detailing them. The bulkheads are covered with vents and conduit of all kinds. I have added hatches and fire hoses. PE is great. As you can see, what I have on top is a mono-rail crane that will be attached to the roof piece and painted yellow. I am really pleased with how this turned out. Later this year I am going to be doing a light NGFS ship that involves a single helo hanger as well. I was concerned about the hanger, but now I have no fears at all.

Comments are welcome!

navydavesof wrote:Good afternoon all! Here is a quick update on my entry into the Cold War Era project, the DDV8 variant of the DDG-51 Arleigh Burke-class destroyer.

The US Navy ordered a study to be performed from the naval engineering firm Gibbs&Cox to study how the Navy could meet the lessons learned in combat during Operation Praying Mantis in the challenging environment of the Persian Gulf.

This study was called Helicopter Capable DDG-51 Study (commonly known as the DDV Study). There were 9 variants designed. The eighth design was the only one to address all of the issues in the study. This provided the DDG-51 class with an embarked helicopter, a gun mount that could perform credible naval gunfire support and anti-ship work, and an increased point defense weapon suite to counter anti-ship cruise missiles fired at close range. This particular variant fulfilled all mission areas by adding the Mk71 8� gun mount in place of the Mk45 5�, adding a single helicopter hanger, and adding the rolling airframe missile (RAM) system to the ship�s point defense suite.

The positioning of RAM in place of the aft long range radar �terminal� illuminators reduced the ship�s AAW engagement range but increased the ship�s chance of survival against missiles fired at close ranges. While at shorter ranges the Aegis system can still direct its missiles without the illuminators. This may have been acceptable to the designers at the time and may be acceptable today.

Enough of the obscure history lesson! Onto the project!
The object of today's post is my efforts to build a helicopter hanger.

Building helicopter hangers has been a "to do" of a bunch of my builds, but I had never tackled it until now. I have found here on modelwarships some fantastic tips, tricks, and methods of building the detail inside of hangers. I have been inside the hangers of the DDG-51 Flight IIAs, and they are overly busy and cramped. You can tell those ships were NOT meant to have helicopter hangers...but they work!

So, the Gibbs&Cox DDV8 displays this as the arrangement for the hanger. The starboard half of the aft VLS and some hull to the side would be taken by the hanger.

As you can see, what I have on top is a mono-rail crane that will be attached to the roof piece and painted yellow.

small350 Progress 030.jpg

I am really pleased with how this turned out. Later this year I am going to be doing a light NGFS ship that involves a single helo hanger as well. I was concerned about the hanger, but now I have no fears at all.

Comments are welcome!

Gawp!

Beautiful work - neatly done, and impressively detailed, particularly the half-round conduit. Nice to see a modeler so confidently accomplish a threshold in their work!

Congrats!

Here is an update on USS Midway, flightdeck has been sanded and all raised detail removed, island has been started, hangar deck just needs some detail added, still working on the airwing decals.







Happy Modeling

John

John, nice job! It really makes me hope someone (cough DRAGON cough) would kick out a 1/350 Midway-class. How much fun would that be?

Keep up the good work. Can't wait to see more of your build.