The Ship Model Forum

I'm building the USS Bennington (CV-20) for my dad. I'm using the Trumpeter 1/350 USS Essex (CV-9) and I don't know how much I need to modify it yet, but I'm looking at a lot of pictures to see what I need to change, if anything. Any pointers, or recommended sources would be appreciated.

At this point I plan on showing her after the typhoon of June 5, 1945, and even though I'm partially into the build, I thought I would start a thread documenting my progress and describing any issues I run into.

The paint scheme I am using is the Measure 32-17A scheme.

The first issue I had is that the Trumpeter kit only has the starboard catapult and Bennington had two. So, with the help and advice from Tracy I tried my hand for the first time at scribing. The first photo, below shows the result. I got it a little wide, but for my first time, it's not bad, and I can live with it. It's definitely better than it was. The next five pictures show assembly of the hanger deck doors, the hull and hanger deck having already been painted and assembled.
In the next installment, I'll present and discuss the air groups and aircraft the Bennington carried at this time.

CHEERS!

Nice start - good luck!

Shipcamouflage rules! Looking good, keep posting progress.

Jeroen

Thanks guy! I appreciate the encouragement!

The latest update follows�

USS Bennington (CV-20) Air Groups � June 29, 1945 to June 17, 1945
Before I even started the ship model, I started building the airplanes, but thought maybe I should do some research on what planes the Bennington carried at this time, and what color scheme they would have had. It paid off very well.

The first site I found was the Bennington.org site:
http://www.uss-bennington.org/airgroups.html

It not only has the air groups carried at this time, it has the squadron patches, as well as history and pictures galore.

I then found the �Essex Class Aircraft Carrier Guide� http://www.steelnavy.com/essex_data.htm ... 0Princeton

This site provided the numbers of aircraft carried at the time of interest, the second week of June, 1945. The planes carried are as follows:

Aircraft Squadron # on ship
F6F-5 VF-82 31
F6F-5N VF-82 4
F6F-5P VF-82 2
F4U VMF-112/123 35
SB2C VB-82 15
TBM VT-82 15

I really like modeling, but there is no way I am going to make 102 planes. The kit came with 4 each of the F6F, the TBM (TBF) and the SBD and not a single F4U or SB2C. I bought 12 F4Us and 6 SB2Cs and 6 more F6Fs for a total contingent of 32 aircraft, about 1/3 the number of planes Bennington carried but in about the right proportion.

I had built all of the planes and painted the SB2C �Avengers� as per the kit instructions before I found the �Wings Aviation � US Carrier) site for Bennington�
http://178.83.198.61/wings/22-USNavy-Ca ... ington.htm

This site is awesome, as it provides the paint schemes and the markings for the aircraft. I didn�t want to take the decals off and repaint the SB2Cs, so they remain �out of scheme� but all the other aircraft are painted correctly.

This site really inspired me, so I went out and bought decal paper so that I could make the �Christmas Tree� tail markings for the planes. I could not find a single printer, public, commercial, or at the University, capable of printing white, so I had to buy the white decal paper rather than the clear. After I got the paper, I decided to also make the nose numbers and squadron logos. I should note that I have never seen a picture with the logos on, but I took a little artistic license and put them on anyway. They are pretty small, but visible, as are the nose numbers and �Christmas Trees�. I used AutoCad to layout and print all of the decals.

I had also bought GMMs �1/350 WW2 USN Carrier Aircraft Details� set, although I ended up not using much of it, because I liked the black ones that came with the kits. All I used was the radio antennas and tail hooks, the latter only on the SB2Cs.

The pictures below show the aircraft. The pictures were taken by a total novice using a borrowed Sony Alpha 200 with a 55 mm lens set on Auto. The background was obtained at: http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/tips ... y/sky2.htm

Like the decals, the background was laid out and plotted using AutoCad.

Enjoy, and look for updates in the future.

Update 3

I made good progress this weekend. I finished assembling the hanger deck bulkheads/doors as well as the hanger door support and most of the gun mounts. I didn�t install the 40 mm gun mount on the bough because I�m not sure how the anchor chain runs (See question to follow in successive post.) Next, I�ll paint the flat surfaces Deck Blue 20-B, using LifeColor acrylic, then it�s masking and continuing the dazzle.

I have a question for anyone who can help...

It has to do with the location of the anchor chain.

The 1/350 scale Trumpeter Essex kit I'm using has a flat spot for an anchor chain, but showing my ignorance to naval matters once again, I'm not sure where I should put it. It looks like they should follow the flat spots to the openings in the deck, so I think it goes (roughly) as shown below. Is this correct?

Another side question I have is, what are the flat spots that run fore and aft for? Or in other words, I guess, what is the bough chain, portrayed by Chris Toops' on his posting of his masterfully built Essex, used for?

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html
(Slide 11 or 12)

Everything that is supposed to be Deck Blue has been painted. Before I do much more I'm going to wait until I get the books I ordered to see what needs to be changed and what I'm willing to change.
Perhaps I'll start on the 20mm guns.

I'm utterly useless when it comes to answering ship-questions, but you could ask them in the 'calling all ship fans' section. I'm sure someone knows the answer. Anyway, looking good so far. Keep it up!

Jeroen

Well, I decided to go ahead and paint her while I decide whether or not I want to forge into scratch building gun tubs. According to my scant research Bennington wore Measure 32 Design 17A at the time I am interested in. Design 17A used Haze Gray, Ocean Gray and Navy Blue. Unfortunately, I did not paint her these colors. For some reason, I painted her light gray, ocean gray and black. Perhaps because I had these colors available, or perhaps because I just screwed up. I don�t know. Anyway, here are some pictures of how she looks. The last one has the flight deck dry fit in place.

jeroen zuiderduin wrote:I'm utterly useless when it comes to answering ship-questions, but you could ask them in the 'calling all ship fans' section. I'm sure someone knows the answer. Anyway, looking good so far. Keep it up!

Jeroen

No sweat Jeroen, I always seem to get my questions answered by the knowledgeable people on this site who are willing to share that knowledge.

You are doing some great work so far. The anchor chain ran like you have it outlined from the Hawsepipe to the Capstan but, it looped backaround and went down to the chain locker through an opening in the deck which is represented by a rectangular box in the kit. Pardon my crude drawing skills but I redid your image in blue to illustrate. HTH

Matt

taskforce48 wrote:You are doing some great work so far. The anchor chain ran like you have it outlined from the Hawsepipe to the Capstan but, it looped backaround and went down to the chain locker through an opening in the deck which is represented by a rectangular box in the kit. Pardon my crude drawing skills but I redid your image in blue to illustrate.

AnchorChainQuestion.jpg

HTH

Matt

THANKS Matt!!!
Crude, perhaps? But effective. I know exactly what you are talking about and wondered what those boxes were and if that was where the chain went in. Great timing too, I was thinking I might put the chain on this weekend, and now I can put it in the right place.

Update 6
Well, there�s been a wholesale change in my approach to my Bennington project. If you read a lot of the different Forums on this site some of what follows may be redundant, but I think it needs to be in this build log, so I am repeating some things that I have already posted here for completeness.

When I started this project, to convert the 1/350 Trumpeter Essex into Bennington, I had no idea that there was so much difference between the ships, and within a given ship over time. I guess as an engineer I should have, because technology and advancements would undoubtedly be incorporated as soon as practicable, which would happen both during construction and operation. Anyway, I have learned that the gun configuration on Bennington is different than it is on Essex and the island is slightly different as well.

The main difference for the guns is that the stern has two quad 40mm mounts instead of one and the Essex has two more quad 40mm mounts on the port sponson where Essex has the hangar catapult. The main change to the island is that it was extended forward and the splinter shield configuration is slightly different. Though I have never done any scratch building I decided to try to do it right.

Considering the guns, my pleas for help on the issue were answered by grayson72, who is converting the 1/350 Trumpeter USS Hancock into LPH-5 USS Princeton during the Vietnam era.

viewtopic.php?f=59&t=106423

After some discussion, he e-mailed me pictures that he took of the stern gun mount parts from his Hancock, which is the same as Bennington�s. That inspired me, so I found Trumpeter�s plans for the Hancock and compared the differences between the stern and sponson mounts. I also compared the differences in the plans for the islands and using AutoCad color-coded the changes that needed to be made. As can be seen there are considerable differences, but I think that the changes that need to be made are within my ability, so I ordered some Evergreen styrene. I can use this for all the parts I (think I) need except for CV-19 Part F4. It may be wishful thinking, but I have contacted Trumpeter�s Rep (Stevens Hobby) inquiring as to the possibility of getting one, and though they responded, it was to notify me that the person that deals with these types of requests is on vacation. Hopefully, I will get good news next week.

In the mean time, the Evergreen styrene arrived, so I decided to start on the flat part of the Stern Mount (CV-19 Part 16). Using the great photo that grayson72 sent me, which was complete with a ruler for scale, and has exceptional detail, and AutoCad, I scaled the drawing, traced the part and then plotted it to scale. I essentially did the same thing for the new bulkheads on the island, except that I obtained the dimensions from direct measurement using a compass and ruler. I then cut the patterns out, glued them to a sheet of 0.040� styrene using white glue, and applied scotch tape as a backup. Using a pen vise and the smallest drill bit I could find, I drilled out the holes and then I used a sharp Exacto knife and a steel rule to cut around the outline of the gun mount part. It came out pretty good, I think, but I�m considering whether or not I should put a round sheet of 0.010� around the gun holes, like in the photo from grayson72. For the splinter shields, I had ordered 0.010� x 0.100�, but they seem too thin in both directions. The sheet assortment I ordered has a 0.020� sheet in it, and it�s easy to cut, so I will make the splinter shields out of those this weekend.
To be continued...

Update 7
Well, I completed the stern gun mount platform. I looked at the 0.010� x 0.100� strips and they looked to be the right size after all, so I put them on. I shaped them by repeatedly rolling each one into a tight ball. Eventually, I stretched the elasticity so that they had the right radius of curvature, then I glued them on with Testor�s model cement. The inside pieces aren�t perfect, but overall, for my first scratch-built piece, I�m happy with it. Now, to go at the island.

Update 8
Scratch building the changes to the island went better than I thought it would, especially since I had the island partially built when I learned of the differences between Essex�s island and Bennington�s.

The first thing I did was cut off the existing gun tub and cut out the splinter shields that needed removing. I then reattached half of the gun tub, but moved it back a little. I�m not sure this is correct, but from the pictures I�ve seen, it seems like it was moved back. There�s more space between the splinter shield of the gun tub and whatever that tower is just forward, and the distance between the addition and the gun tub splinter shield looks shorter than it would be if the tub was in the same place. Still, it seems like it would be a lot of work to move one, and if you weren�t going to use it, why would you put it back? To save steel perhaps? I don�t know, in any case, it�s a done deal, right or wrong.

The next thing I did was build the bulkheads for the addition. I started by building the corners using a fortuitously sized styrene tube that was in the Evergreen Rod and Tube assortment that I had ordered. After they were dry, I added the front and side pieces, using the 0.040� styrene. When the bulkheads dried, I added the deck on top of the newly built bulkheads. I then cut out the splinter shields from Part F8 that needed to go, glued it in place and painted the deck Deck Blue. The last step in the assembly process was placing the new splinter shields. I used the 0.020� sheets and cut to size. The new splinter shields are easy to see because they are white. Now, I need to do some filling and finish painting it. But first, sleep.
CHEERS!!!!

"But first, sleep."

Given the dates and times of the last two postings, it appears that Mr. Dutnell has reached the dreaded 'obsessive/compulsive' stage of modeling and has pulled an "all nighter".

Russ2146 wrote:"But first, sleep."

Given the dates and times of the last two postings, it appears that Mr. Dutnell has reached the dreaded 'obsessive/compulsive' stage of modeling and has pulled an "all nighter".

Not guilty by reason of insanity!

Update 9
After a very nice sleep of about 5 hours or so, I returned to my office/workshop. Since I had some open weather tight doors left over from a GMM 1/350 Buckley/England photo etch set I had previously purchased, I decided to use them, so I spent the day drilling and cutting out the doors, painting the photo etch, and gluing the doors in place. I put 5 on the port side and 1 on the starboard. I would have liked to open a few more, but that would have taken better pre-planning to access them. I think it�s time to paint now.

Update 10
I had a productive weekend, modeling wise at least. Since the last update, earlier today, I painted the island and scratch built Franklin part H8 from Essex part F12, and painted it too. Next, it�s time to start building guns. I keep putting that off for some reason.

Update 11

I don�t know if anyone is following this thread or not, but I�m enjoying doing it, so I�m going to keep it up.

Having had so much fun this weekend, I decided to take the week off and do nothing but work on my model. I am a sole proprietor and am going back to school for a PhD and have been really busy and I need a break. Besides, my birthday is Wednesday and that sounds like as good of excuse as any.

Since the last update, I actually started on the guns. I put the kit pieces together for the 40mm quad Bofors and using parts from the GMM 1/350 Scale Essex Extra Detail Set, put one of the 20 mm Oerlikons together. I decided to try doing it on the fret, which worked out pretty good. We�ll see how it goes as I get more of them completed. If I start hitting them, and damaging them, I will have to go to plan �B�. In the mean time they seem better protected on the fret than off. The picture below, though taken with my i-phone and therefore somewhat fuzzy, shows the completed 20mm on the fret.

Putting the guns together is going to take some time!
So, putting the guns off again, I attached the flight deck side gun mounts and glued the 3 pieces of the flight deck together. It came together nicely (I guess? I have never built a carrier before, so I don�t have anything to compare it to), but the joints are pretty obvious so I guess I�ll try to blend them better. Does anyone have suggestions on this? I was thinking of using either CVA glue to fill it and then re-scribing it, like I did for the catapults, or simply using a white putty, that I just discovered, to fill the gap. Which would be better? Or is there a better way?


Putting off the guns yet again, I decided to start on the stern gun mount, because as I suspected, you can only get replacement parts if you actually had a defective purchase. I�m sure many of you knew that, but hey, it was worth a try. I started by attaching the stern mount platform I scratch built previously, as shown in the following two pictures. So, having never done this before, I decided to heed advice previously provided by grayson72. I went to the hardware store and bought some 5-minute Epoxy gel, complete with the self-mixing syringe. There are a lot of different epoxies and I wasn�t sure if I had the right one and before I used it, I thought of some of my previous experiences with epoxy, and thought about Bondo. My local hobby shop retailer told me about �White Putty� made by Squadron Products, which he said was essentially Bondo for modelers. A tube was $4 and change, so I bought one.

In graysony2�s post he suggested using talcum powder or thinned Vaseline to keep the epoxy from sticking to the model, and though that would probably work even with the putty, I was afraid to try it. Instead, I lined the hull with Saran Wrap, keeping it in place with scotch tape, and then applied the putty. I really had to fight it at first because it wanted to slosh over the sides of the gun mount (I had the model upside down). The picture below shows the putty after application, after it had set up significantly. The tape rolls in the picture were to prevent the putty from sloshing aft, with me pinching the sides in to keep it from sloshing over the sides, almost constantly at first, and then at increasing time intervals for an hour or so. The Saran Wrap may also be seen in the picture. I hope this works, but I won�t know for at least 2 days, as I don�t want to try to remove it until it�s good and DRY. Now for the guns�