The Ship Model Forum

[i]I don't see one there in the attack photos.[/i]

I agree, there's nothing there except the lockers.

Thanks for the info. I had no idea the FS set for WV has been available for so long.

Continued beautiful work, Jeff.

The FS set for WeeVee has been out for a few years. I used it on my WeeVee.

Mostly good, but be forewarned that the instructions suck, there are extra and unidentified parts, and the PE railings are soft and easy to bend. The superstructure parts really make the bridge shine. The boat rack is also difficult to assemble but, it can make a world of difference. Catapults are great, but need a piston. Love the spotting tops.

And whatever you do, find some 3D printed Kingfishers. The kit versions will take a year off your life. Not Orange Hobby ones, though. Almost as bad.

My two cents

Currently I'm in a "hurry up and wait" mode with this build. I am waiting to get my hands on the Five Star upgrade set. Might be a few Months before we see it in the States.

[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/Sxv8H4F7/Screen-Shot-2025-06-02-at-4-43-45-PM.png[/img][/url]

In the Meantime, I ditched the kit supplied aircraft handling cranes. The kit supplied posts are too thin. The posts were actually more robust than what the kit supplies, so I scratch built them. I also added a little more detail to the boat deck. There was a double ladder hatch between the Conn and the Superstructure bulkhead. I also added a Boat Repair Shop just forward of the aft funnel. This shop hides under the Boat Racks so it is always missed by modelers.
[url=https://postimg.cc/2VsgKt7d][img]https://i.postimg.cc/Jz0mGVyF/IMG-9124.jpg[/img][/url]

Trying to figure out what exactly was aft of the rear funnel. The plans show a Radio Direction Finder there.
[url=https://postimages.org/][img]https://i.postimg.cc/C1FMwv8M/Screen-Shot-2025-06-02-at-5-27-45-PM.png[/img][/url]

But, I don't see one there in the attack photos. Looks like storage lockers may have replaced it as seen here in this photo. you can see them just above the sailor with the fire hose.

[url=https://postimg.cc/hXXkGdKr][img]https://i.postimg.cc/vZhb3rjp/Screen-Shot-2025-05-26-at-6-48-05-PM.png[/img][/url]

Small update. Both the Main and Forward decks are pretty much complete with the basic details.

[url=https://postimg.cc/z32NQWp6][img]https://i.postimg.cc/8PNCjmvp/IMG-8710.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://postimg.cc/V5k1449X][img]https://i.postimg.cc/XNwJjzp1/IMG-8711.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://postimg.cc/zHvrBXDx][img]https://i.postimg.cc/Y0fqdh5B/IMG-8712.jpg[/img][/url]

Time to tackle the Boat deck now.

Yeah, I agree with you. Plus I think it will be pretty "busy" on this deck which will hide most of the but ends already.

IMHO, if you don't wash the deck, then the butt ends will be far harder to see.

Thanks guys!
For the most part, the detail work on the Main Deck is complete. Currently working on the Forward Deck. Should be pretty quick getting this deck together. The anchor plates were painstakingly cut out of the kit supplied deck and filed down as much as possible and placed on this deck.
[url=https://postimg.cc/G4NSbbWf][img]https://i.postimg.cc/pdXNYTqP/IMG-8524.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://postimg.cc/WdtHRdHr][img]https://i.postimg.cc/0yCRwmGt/IMG-8523.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://postimg.cc/qzJFLbc1][img]https://i.postimg.cc/8PMVTx7g/IMG-8525.jpg[/img][/url]

I think I WILL be using the kit supplied Boat Deck. Trumpeter did a decent job with getting the details on this deck correct. I will have to add just a few things to it and figure out a way to hide the deck butt ends, but it beats having to scratch this entire deck.

Ditto that.

Nice start Jeff. Looking forward to seeing your progress.

[url=https://postimg.cc/SJsz7twg][img]https://i.postimg.cc/zXwSNspY/IMG-8509.jpg[/img][/url]
This one has been sitting in my stash for quite awhile! As soon as I saw the over exaggerated butt ends on the decks of these kits, I quickly shelved this kit away for a later date. This wont be a super detailed WIP. This will simply show my solutions to a few issues with this kit. First of all, I will not be using the supplied Main and Upper Decks. Instead, I will scratch build them using Evergreen V-Groove Sheet Styrene 2025 for the decks.
This gives me a clean slate to work with.
Each Big Five ship had some very unique features on their Main Decks that the kit supplied decks simply do not take into account. One feature that this process allows me to do is to eliminate the bolted on deck plates on either side of the Main Mast. None of the Big Five had this feature.
Thankfully, USS West Virginia's plans are available so I can nail down the specific features on her Main Deck pretty closely. Of course, a handful of photographs are necessary as well!
Here are a couple of shots of the Main Deck in progress. West Virginia had a handful of Cowl Vents on her Main Deck. A big shout out to Scott Reigel for supplying me with these vents!

[url=https://postimg.cc/4KtcH7rZ][img]https://i.postimg.cc/Bv7By2p8/IMG-8507.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://postimg.cc/0MswY5sS][img]https://i.postimg.cc/MTcm8X39/IMG-8503.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=https://postimg.cc/dkjT4Msx][img]https://i.postimg.cc/zB9SD598/IMG-8502.jpg[/img][/url]