The Ship Model Forum

Akeold, the Flyhawk deck you listed is useful if you plan to convert a Tamiya Indy 45 to Portland 42 or use the Niko Portland 44 to convert to Portland 42. The wood decks on the Indy were removed aft of the forward break in the main deck as weight savings during the last refit, so the Tamiya kit has deck scribing forward and smooth decks for the remainder of the decks. Niko copied the Indy 45 deck pattern for its Portland 44 and this is wrong for Portland. All the smooth decks on the Portland kit need to be wood in 44 or 42. The decks would need to be painted deck blue. This is a good find that I had not seen before and I will be ordering a couple.

As for the Portland 42 by Classic/Midship/and I think now Freetime has the masters, this kit has some real problems the main being the forward superstructure. The main deck house that turret 2 sets on is too large, the Indy piece was used only being shortened. This deck house was narrower on the Portland. The superstructure decks/deck houses on the upper levels are the wrong shapes and the tripod forward mast is incomplete. There are some other issues as well. Profile Morskie just released a good set of plans for the Portland 42 if you can get a copy of it (I got mine from Jadar in Poland). I have the Model Art book and could send you a copy of the pages on the Portland conversion if you can't find a copy of the book. Even with the Classic kit you will need to do some scratch building to make the superstructure/bridge area right. Since the main deck house is molded on the hull it is very hard to correct this issue.

Hope this helps.

Hi all,

I’m asking if there are any USS Portland references out there that I’m missing. I’m considering CADding up and 3D printing a 1/350th 1942 Portland (let’s say Pearl Harbor through the Barroom Brawl at Guadalcanal) conversion for the Academy Indy kit. The issue now is whether enough resources are out there to make it worthwhile?

I currently have the following:
- Late war Floating Drydock Portland plans.
- Early war Profile Morskie Portland plans.
- Classic Warships Portland-class book.
- Portland/Indy photo CD from the Floating Drydock.

Is there anything else of quality out there that would be useful? I’m thinking of keeping things simple, so the forward deckhouse, bridges, masting/tops/directors, any Portland-specific superstructure platforms, and of course, the shortened forecastle to hangar deck. The modeler could then add the extra details and such to the basic shapes and to the kit. The big thing would be getting the basic shapes dimensionally accurate to whatever plans and photos are used and then tweaking those shapes to match the kit.

Let me stress that this conversion isn’t a definite go. There are tons of other projects in line ahead of it (BSG gunstar, BSG stealth battlestar, TOS Trek Reliant, finishing the Sims-class conversion) so even if I go ahead with it, don’t look for it anytime soon; we’re still in the planning and consideration stage, here. This will be a time consuming project if I even go ahead with it, VERY time consuming, and I have a day job and two seasons of Game of Thrones to binge watch; think a year into the future. Maybe. Could be. Possibly. No promises.

Thanks in advance for any pointers or help,

Bob

Aptivaboy,

The book "Warship Profile 28 USS Indianapolis" has some good drawings (plan and elevation) of the Mk 19, Mod 1 5-inch gun, the Mk2 Mods 2-6 quad 1.1 inch (one pair of drawings, not five), and the Mk2 20mm gun (w shield). I think these are all relevant to the 1942 Portland. At least they're all in one place (you could probably track these down individually elsewhere). The book has dozens of pictures of the Indy, but sadly none of the USS Portland. I only mention this because I've struggled to find good references for a 1942 Portland as well (especially the rear third from stern forward to near the aft stack).

There is a 1/16 scale model of the Portland below-decks on the USS Yorktown at Patriots Point, SC, and it is definitely not a 1942 Portland based on the bridge shape and other points, i.e. I wouldn't go visit the Yorktown for no other reason than to see the Portland model (there are many other, better models still on display there, although it looks like they've been thinning down the number - I believe they are a bit of a maintenance headache even when encased).

Hi David,

I meant to thank you earlier. My apologies for not doing so - brain lock. I'll look into it! I'm leaning toward doing the conversion, but time is at a premium; I'm working a desk job currently, plus coming off of disability and school starts in August (I'm a high school teacher). The Floating Drydock also has weapons drawings that may prove useful. I should be able to clear out a few Trek models within a month, or so, and then give the conversion a more thorough consideration.

Bob

Hi,
If you had the opportunity, which would you buy?

Academy Indy + Pontos

or

Academy Premium with I-58 ( would you need Pontos with this version too)?

Thanks

_________________
Eli Raphael
http://www.zotzdecals.net

I've seen question asked about the colors Indy was painted in for 45 but no answers. I'm building the Tamiya 1/700 kit. Was she in grays,blues or a combination? I read the book In Harms Way and I remember one crewman talking about in gray decks. Any help would be appreciated as I'm starting her now and need to make a decision on color.

I went with Academy LionRoar. I thought the cost of the Pontos set was ridiculously high considering the original cost of the kit itself. As to the Premium kit, I cannot say. I've always found LionRoar to be pretty comprehensive, as is FlyHawk, and not as costly as Pontos. I also added a few things like Veterans' resin 5/25s. I'd wait a while and see if somebody starts a build thread using either of these sets so you can assess them.

Bob

_________________
Give me a fast ship, for I would like to get out of harm's way!

Bob of "Bob's Starship Shop" and I will be designing some WWII USN cruiser superstructures.

I'm happy to announce a 1942 USS Portland CA-33 forward superstructure design for 3D printing is in progress. Pre-war bridges of both "Sweat Pea" and Indianapolis are also in design. All will be available in 1/700 scale and 1/350 scale and 1/200 also.

Here are a couple WIP screenshots of the 1942 version's incomplete and not-yet-detailed 01 and 02 levels so far. Comments and advice are most welcome. I hope to have the first designs complete this weekend.

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-Steve L.

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Bob Pink.

Excellent, motivation to finish my Sweet Pea! Also looking forward to a proper '44 Indy

_________________
"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!

Very excited about this. Will it be available for the Academy Indy?

Aye, Cap'n.

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-Steve L.

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Re: Portland 1942 bridge

Go for it.

Modifications to an Indianapolis kit should start even lower though, since the break between the fore deck and main deck is further forward in Portland than in Indianapolis. The two rear tripod mast legs are visible all the way down to the plane handling deck area on Portland though not on Indy. It looks to me like they will need to pass right and left of that big vertical box shape that you've got on your 3D drawings in the back (hard to see it clearly in your two views). The clearances for that could be pretty tight. I'm not sure if I've got that structure in my 1942 reference photos or not. (My best photos of that area are not electronic at this point, but I've attached a cropped Feb 1942 side view that you probably already have in full).

The structure around the second funnel should also be an interesting challenge for Portland in 1942. It has undercuts and lots of details (windows, platforms, searchlights, inverted V brace for the plane handling crane,...).

Still, once you get it done, I'd be interested in the 1/700 version conversion kit.

Dave K.

Thanks!


Indeed. An aircraft handling deck, larger for Portland, is also in development. They will have to be made available separately as the parts will be too big to print together.

Be advised, the conversion parts are not intended to be a complete conversion kit. They will, however, relieve the modeler of having to scratch-build a new forward superstructure and aircraft handling deck.


Good eye! Just forward of it, actually.

More will be discussed here as development continues:
viewtopic.php?f=16&t=160958

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Have fun, Monkey around.™

-Steve L.

Complete catalog: - https://www.model-monkey.com/
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Anyway we can convince you to also make the aft 40mm tub as well? Portland and Indy during the war (until Dec'44) had the same tub shape, but Academy and Trumpeter failed to make this pieces, while still making the seagulls and Indy's forward 20mm tub (pre Dec"44). Should be easy to make

_________________
"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!

Sounds good. Please confirm exactly which tubs you need, perhaps from a photo of drawing.

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Have fun, Monkey around.™

-Steve L.

Complete catalog: - https://www.model-monkey.com/
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PORTLAND addicts might be interested in this link:
http://hsfeatures.com/features04/seagullbc_1.htm
Quite an interesting Seagull SOC model w/Catapult.

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

With the 3D parts from MM in transit via USPS and a spare Tamiya Indy kit waiting I have some general questions:

1. What are the locations for the 1.1" and 20 mm AA mounts (and were there any located at the stern where the 40 mm mounts were added in the '43 refit)? There is a reference to 13 - 20mm mounts in Warship Pictorial #10. In the pictures I see only 4 - 1.1" mounts and nowhere near the 13 referenced 20mm mounts.

2. Are there any postings here (on MWS) or another site documenting the conversion of a 700 or 350 scale Indianapolis kit to a 1942 Portland? I recall seeing pics of the hull mod required but can not find the reference.

3. Is there a guide (instructions) on incorporating the new 3D parts into a Tamiya 700 scale kit? Prefer not to do major surgery on the Indianapolis kit except for the hull to accommodate the main superstructure.

Thanks for any assistance provided.

Steve

The 1.1's were mounted abeam the after end of the bridge at the level of turret 2, and between the upper and lower groups of 5" guns, at the level of the upper guns. The normal allocation of 20MM for a large cruiser was 12 during the first half of 1942. After everybody got their initial allocations, then numbers began to ramp up. On Portland, there were 6 forward: two in the foretop, two above the pilothouse, and two in the bridge wings a level below the pilothouse. Aft there were two aft of the after main director, between the after 1.1's, two more were on the quarterdeck level immediately aft of the after 5" mounts, one was on turret 3, and there was a centerline tub added just aft of the mainmast, above the after turret. While I have not seen a clear shot of a 20MM in that tub, the tub was added during the same refit that added the other 20MM and seems to have no other function. Some time after Midway, two more 20MM were added on the fantail, and MK-4 radar was added to the MK-33 directors.

Hi Steve!

This thread should help; it shows some hull surgery to build Portland. viewtopic.php?f=16&t=160958&p=679789#p679789

You are one of the first to order these parts. I hope that you will find the conversion pretty self evident once you have the parts in hand, and that you are delighted with the designs.

The images below should help show how all six major superstructure sections are arranged:

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Have fun, Monkey around.™

-Steve L.

Complete catalog: - https://www.model-monkey.com/
Follow Model Monkey® on Facebook: - https://www.facebook.com/modelmonkeybookandhobby