USS Missouri Completed on 4/26/12

[Builder 2010]

Model depicts ship late in September 1945 after the signing of the Articles of Surrender in Tokyo Bay earlier that month. While heading back to Pearl Harbor, the sailors holey-stoned her deck-blue-painted teak decks back to their natural color. Shortly after they removed the 20mm triple gun tubs on the port and starboard sides flanking the #2 turret.

In October 1945, after passing through the Panama Canal, the ship participated in Navy Day in New York Harbor. President Harry S. Truman visited the ship at that time. In Pearl Harbor additional changes were made to the ship including painting the entire hull above the boot topping Navy Blue. This is a time after the ship is modeled.

Model Particulars:
Kit: Mfg.: Tamiya
Scale: 1:350
Additional and custom-made details
1. Laser-cut veneer decking by Scaledecks
2. Machined brass 16� main guns by ABER
3. Primary photoetched (PE) components by Eduard
4. Secondary PE components by Alliance Modelworks & Tom�s Modelworks
5. Brass propellers by G-Force
6. All masts, yards, flag poles and whip antennas are fabricated out of brass or piano wire
7. Prop shafts are steel
8. All overhanging deck stanchions are recreated in brass or piano wire. The same applies to any angular supports holding up equipment that was not included in PE sets.
9. Scratch built running lights, aft flag bag, antenna towers and boat davit winches
10. Searchlights were drilled out and lenses made with foil and superglue
11. Rigging is special elastic polymer from E-Z Line
12. Hull back-dated with removal of discharge covers
13. Custom removal of 20mm gun tub (laser decking was specifically cut having this tub removed)
14. Paint: Life Color USN WWII
15. Call Sign: NCBL shown in signal flags

Time to complete: Approximately 1 year

This last picture, taken yesterday, shows my attempt to raise the ship's call sign on P & S sides. One flag got whacked so I'm installed a different flag arrangement in the final pics. This includes re-positioning the American Flag to its proper location on the battle gaff.

[jlogicalor]

well done! I know a lot of work went into that model.

[gott_cha]

It was a year WELL SPENT. I have followed this build and took notes and pics of your techniques. I have this kit and now have most of the aftermarket acc's for it. I hope my build is just half as good as yours...Bravo!

Also the finish trim on the base looks great .

[Russ2146]

Beautiful model, it really looks great.

Since you're still working on the flags, you might note that a US ship's radio call sign was not the same as its visual [flag hoist/semaphore/signal lamp] call sign. The Missouri's visual call sign was "B63".

http://www.hnsa.org/doc/visualcallsign/pg076.htm

[robertmelvin]

Builder, I followed your build thread on the World Affairs Board consistently, and with great interest, since this kit is in my stash and high up on my "to do" list. I followed your trials and travails, as well as your many successes, for the many months of this build. You have taught me a great deal that I hope will allow me to make my own build of the Missouri better than it otherwise would have been. I have no illusions that I will produce anything even remotely approaching the museum quality masterpiece, of which I am truly in awe, but I've learned much from you. Thank you for sharing your experience building this kit with us. As is true of your final result, your build thread was outstanding and very much a cut above the average build thread as far as being truly instructional. I know that I'll be referring to your build process when I start my own Missouri somewhere down the road.

Congratulations from one Kentuckian to another on building a singularly spectacular build up of Missouri. I hope that you will take the time to submit your ship to the gallery here, it certainly deserves a place there.

Bob

[jeroen zuiderduin]

A stunning view!
I am quite speechless.

Jeroen

[Builder 2010]

Thanks all! I just checked back here and saw all the nice comments. I'll be spending the next few months rebuilding a large model railroad so I won't be writing as a builder for a while, just commenting as a reader.