The Ship Model Forum

Hi Eric

You can build a fairly good CV-6 or CV-8 when combining the two Tamiya kits. Gordon Bjorklund has posted somewhere the exact parts needed from each kit to build a certain version of the kit (check page 8 of this thread for his post). The main issue with the Island is that its too narrow. If you're willing to put in the work, you can add styrene plastic to make it wider. Ive done it myself with the Tamiya CV-6, so I know it can be done with a little bit of work.

Gordon himself has built 4 variants of this kit, feel free to look at his galleries to get an idea of how this kit will look with a excellent finish.
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery ... index.html

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"Also we will never see a 1/350 late war Enterprise from Dragon due to a paralyzing fear of success...." - Heavy Melder

Lots of unfinished model ships + attention issues = A busy slipway where nothing gets done!

Thankee kindly. This board is a tremendous resource but we suffer from a surplus of riches. Some of the large threads take a very long time to go through - and some like this one seem to be eternal. So finding out the data already posted is pretty daunting just if you just plunge in. (I did read this thread and missed the post you directed me to.) So I appreciate being pointed in the right direction. As for the island, I'll display the ship in profile.

A pity that you can't get the same results with the Tamiya Yorktown. Gordon's Midway Yorktown is a combination of the Enterprise and Hornet kits. I do need the Tamiya Bogue and will get it soon, but as I understand it it's given the same planes as the old Tamiya E: Hellcats, Helldivers and Avengers. I need TBMs okay, but I'm not sure if a Hellcat could stand in for a Wildcat (FM-2) - they only look like cousins in photos. I saw a real pair next to each other at an air show and the Hellcat is really big - almost like a Jug. The Hornet kit comes with B-25s. The Yorktown has the right planes but I guess the wrong ship. But we'll figure this out.

This is my third year modeling and I still haven't built a naval kit that was designed after 1980. (Except for the ICM Konig - but it is an honorary 1970s kit considering it's build quality. I've got four new kits - but historical whim has kept them on the shelf. Might do the Bronco Chih Yuen next because it has such lovely lines. Full hull, no extraneous weathering - see if I can do a straight up clean build.) Now if someone will put out a 1/350 CV6, I'll be the first customer. Ditto for a Washington, or even one of Oldendorff's ancient BBs at Leyte. But no Enterprise or Washington in 1/350 at least in plastic. Industry can make some really impressive kits - wish they'd hire a historian.

Eric

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A model boat is much cheaper than a real one and will not sink with you in it.

LOL. The industry has received offers from the best historians and experts on these ships in the world, who post right here. They have yet to take action. The fear of overwhelming success holds them back.

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Mike

I know the model companies have some fine modelers and history buffs that advise them. I sometimes wonder if the maritime side of the story doesn't get prominence over the naval history. I've belonged to naval internet discussion groups on and off for years and listen in amazement as people display a staggering amount of knowledge concerning a particular ship or class and wartime service is often only mentioned in passing. A naval historian would be correct in my view describing CV6 as the single most important and successful warship in history. Washington gets high marks from me because it destroyed an enemy BB. Maybe the maritime fans look more to specific aspects of the ship's design itself as opposed to battle stars to guide decisions on what to make or not. But they should still have a 1/350 CV6 (I'd say at least two) - I'd guess the sales would be prodigious. (Maybe Asians don't watch Star Trek - the Enterprise connection would be good for sales right there. Course there are several warp speed versions of the Enterprise available - one in 1/350 scale. Beam me up.)
Eric

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A model boat is much cheaper than a real one and will not sink with you in it.

Eric, if you're interested, theres a 1/700 aircraft set made by Trumpeter that includes all the planes you'd need (F4F, F6F, F4U, SBD, TBD, SB2C and B-25), all superior to what comes in the Tamiya kits. Its called "US Navy Aviation Set WWII", and part #03418. You can find it on ebay for about $13 shipped from China. You get like 6 of each plane.

The Yorktown kit is a bit of a merge between the two previous kits. To make it accurate, I think you would still need to take the 5/25 gun tubs from the CV-6 kit.

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"Also we will never see a 1/350 late war Enterprise from Dragon due to a paralyzing fear of success...." - Heavy Melder

Lots of unfinished model ships + attention issues = A busy slipway where nothing gets done!

Eric, I think you are drawing an imaginary distinction here. Everybody that posts here is, of course, posting about "the ship." However, do not make the mistaken assumption that they do not also know the history and deeds of the ship. It is the history of the ship that drives our love of the ship, which in turn drives the desire to model the ship. Remember, this forum and site is centered on modeling the ship, not discussing its history. Trust me, we know how many battle stars Enterprise had, and what she did to earn them!

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Mike

I wasn't talking about this board but two or three lists I've been active on over the years. Indeed, the contents of the "Calling all fans" threads shows there are people here with keen interest on almost all of the major players in 20th century naval history. But comparing some specialist lists is like comparing a book by Friedman with one by Morison. No complaints mind you. I've done some writing in military history and specialist works on technical matters are tremendously valuable. Personally I don't think good operational history is possible without a look at technology.

I think it possible that one reason we're a little "thin on the ground" of famous warships of either world war is that sadly neither the US nor the UK - home of the great navies - host contemporary styrene modeling companies. (Airfix has been doing some very nice new tool aircraft recently - but it's news to me if they've done new ships.) Think of it - the Chinese and Russian navies of the late 19th century are better represented than either the USN or RN of the same period. And if you're a fan of Japanese subjects - I think you're in really good shape. (German WWII weapons of all kinds appear well represented in every area. Maybe WWII paralleled Star Wars - the bad guys had all the neat looking weapons.) As I recall when I modeled as a kid there were plastic kits for quite an array of USN ships - and they were made in the US and probably sold to US customers.

But new kits come out regularly and for people like me that were not made for resin, this is a great time to model. And we can hope for the best. In spring Finescale had it's yearly "model we need" poll and I was badgering folk to demand a 1/350 CV6 (as most import kit period), 1/35 Renault FT tank and a new 1/48 B-17G. Since then two FTs are out (one in 1/16 scale) and a huge and expensive 1/32 B-17 just appeared. So we can hope for CV6. (I just hope it's not in 1/200. I'd need a new room to put it in.)

Eric

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A model boat is much cheaper than a real one and will not sink with you in it.

Bad news Eric, theres good rumors of a 1/200 CV-6 coming next year...what variation is still unknown though

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"Also we will never see a 1/350 late war Enterprise from Dragon due to a paralyzing fear of success...." - Heavy Melder

Lots of unfinished model ships + attention issues = A busy slipway where nothing gets done!

Yikes. My father would have said "you can't win for losing." It would make sense. The new 1/32 B-17 just mentioned followed a B-25 in the same scale that sold very well last year, and the B-17 is selling out now at over $200 - that's a lot for an aircraft model. (Over 1000 parts - that too is a lot for an aircraft model.) I'll have to hope for the best. I'd guess a 1/200 Enterprise would be nearly 4' long. I've spent a lot of spare change on this hobby, but I think my wife would draw the line on a new house.

Eric

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A model boat is much cheaper than a real one and will not sink with you in it.

God Almighty, talk about the Holy Grail! The damn thing would cost upwards of $800 USD to build probably!

Can anyone verify exactly when in 1942 CV-6 had the SC2 radar installed on her funnel stack? Did she posess this prior to Santa Cruz or was it after?

An additional question: around Summer-Fall 1942 (Solomon Islands) were there any 50 cal MGs on the island structure itself, perhaps in the upper platform near the CXAM-1 or in the areas around the Fire Control?

She had SC-1 (later on she had SC-2) which had a similar rectangular antenna to SC-2 (SC with no suffix was the squarish first version that Hornet had) and it was there for Santa Cruz. Shots at Noumea in November, after Santa Cruz show it, and they only time prior to that shot she was at PHNY (the only place with a crane where she could have had it installed) was her refit post Eastern Solomons. I cannot see it in the Eastern Solomons shots I have, but cannot rule it out either. It might have been there prior to Eastern Solomons, because both Saratoga and Hornet, at that point, both had primary and secondary sets installed and it was fleet policy after Midway for all big carriers to add a backup air search set. Doubt they would have let her out of the barn without it.

There might have been some jury rigged post mounted 50's on island platforms around signal bridge and secondary control stations, but none on the tripod platforms.

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Mike

Mike, it is truly amazing how much you know about these ships! Just to clarify, if i understand you, it is the SC and not SC-2 that we believe wS on CV-6 at Santa Cruz and likely Eastern Solomons? I have the excellent GMM PE for the 1/487 Yorktown and it's has both.

Also, while i have you handy, am I correct in that the YE beacon is mounted on the very top of the foremast? There is a photo of Yorktown on fire at Midway (I am sure you know the one) where it specifies this location, I assume it was the same for Enterprise?

SC is not the same as SC-1. Enterprise had SC-1 at Santa Cruz. That antenna looked alot like the later SC-2, both rectangular. The SC was basically square. (Similarly CXAM, the radar on Yorktown and Hornet, was different from CXAM-1, the radar on Enterprise, Lexington, Saratoga, Wasp, and Ranger.) Hornet's secondary set at the time of her loss was an SC. In fact, that was her original main radar moved aft and replaced (after Midway) by the CXAM removed from the California.

As Dick J noted, CV-6 had SC-1 not SC. Note that SC-1 had a rectangular antenna that looked just like SC-2. She did not get SC-2 until her Oct 1943 refit when it replaced SC-1. (Oct 1943 was actually her first trip to a Navy yard since her PHNY repairs post-Eastern Solomons.) SC was first version of the SC series, with square shaped antenna. SC-1 came next then SC-2, but SC-2 was not introduced until after mid-1942. All three sisters mounted YE hay rakes atop the highest point on their foremasts, same position for all 3.

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Mike

Wonderful information, thanks to both Michael and Dick J.

Thank you for your clarifications. This is of great help to me. The GMM PE set is designed for any of the three Yorktowns throughout thier lives, so there are a variety of options to choose from. I am trying to be as acurate as I can be (with limitations) for my Eastern Solomons CV-6 version of the 1/487 kit.

Need some help. Trying to pin down searchlights on island at Midway. There is a photo at Midway clearly showing 1 searchlight.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020619.jpg

And these photos listed as May of 42. One has two searchlights, two have 1 searchlight. Was this where the change was made? I can find no evidence that leads me to two searchlights at Midway.

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020643.jpg May '42

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020645.jpg May '42

And May '42 with 2 searchlights...

http://www.navsource.org/archives/02/020644.jpg

Am I missing something?

Im looking through my Warship Pictorial, and the photos 2 and 3 you listed above are also cited as being May of '42, when she returned to Pearl Harbor after missing the Battle of Coral Sea. However, CV6.org cites those photos to be during early April, before the Doolittle raid, due to the USS California in the background.
http://cv6.org/noumea/default.asp?uri=d ... prise+CV-6

Here is CV6 in Nov '42, sporting a single light on her starboard side.
http://cv6.org/noumea/default.asp?uri=d ... prise+CV-6

I would probably do 1 search light on each side myself, but on the large platform sized for two.

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"Also we will never see a 1/350 late war Enterprise from Dragon due to a paralyzing fear of success...." - Heavy Melder

Lots of unfinished model ships + attention issues = A busy slipway where nothing gets done!

Well, given that one Midway photo, I think one is the answer, even though I've seen many Midway models and lists of changes that say two at Midway. The one Midway photo is pretty clear. And I'm going to run back through all the footage I pulled of Enterprise when I did the F4F set. Thanks for the help. I think the answer is one, but want to make sure I'm not missing definitive evidence.

CV-6 had ONE searchlight on either side of the funnel but still on the larger size platform at Midway. After Midway, the platform itself was cut back to single light size for weight savings. The two photos are not both May 1942. One is in late March or early April, and that is when the second light was removed. (It was during the PHNY visit when she lost her 50 calibers in exchange for 20MM along the catwalks.) Photo of CV-6 steaming with CV-8 on Tokyo raid shows the forward light on the platform was gone.

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Mike