Calling all Virginia-class (CGN-38) fans

[carr]

The Virginia-class (also known as the CGN-38 class) were four nuclear-powered, guided-missile cruisers that served in the United States Navy until the mid-to-late 1990s. The double-ended cruisers (with missile armament carried both fore and aft) were commissioned between 1976 and 1980. They were the final class of nuclear-powered cruisers completed and the last ships ordered as Destroyer Leaders under the pre-1975 classification system.

- from Wikipedia

[NukeMM]

Carr,

Ray D. Bean of Sill Motion Photography has a photo CD for sale with CGN photos included on a CD of Tico CGs.

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.co ... ID=3576844

There are also about seven photos of CGNs on the "Ships of Norfolk" CD.

Here are two of the Virginia, herself.

That's the AN/SPS-SEAGULL Radar Array that didn't pan out very well and was scrapped.

[graham]

The best place to get photos is the us govement DVIC Defence Visual Information Center

http://www.defenseimagery.mil/index.htm

You do have to be a bit creative with you searchs as they seem to catoulge things a bit strangely


graham Murdoch

[carr]

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[Guest]

Detailed plans of any nuke ships--whatever type-- are not available from any shipyard or government source as they are still considered CLASSIFIED. Yup. true, even LONG BEACH. No authorative drawings
exist of these ships below the waterline either. Some nice 'renderings' have been seen in past issues of Conways Ships of the World in waaaaaaay back issues when the ships were new, but nothing since.

[Timmy C]

Bob, no doubt the accuracy of this would be in question, but it might be able to help you as a starting point:

Taken from the airbase.ru forum.


Here's a really poor-quality scan from elsewhere:

[carr]

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[Kazec]

Hi, what is the device highlighted in the photo? Do you have other photos that show it from other view angle? It seems that Dragon omits it in their new released kit. Thanks.

[carr]

Note: There is a CASF Virginia thread. Moderators may want to considering merging this thread into that.

The elevated platform you've circled actually consists of two separate platforms with the portion to the right being the starboard side platform which just happens to be directly in line with the centerline one. In your photo below, I've put a box around the portion that is the starboard platform and a circle around the centerline platform. The starboard platform is identical to the clearly visible port side one.

SS1.jpg

Here is a photo which seems to show the centerline platform. I've also circled the starboard side platform which was lined up directly behind the centerline one in the preceeding photo. In both photos there appears to be at most a small antenna like device on the centerline platform, possibly the same as on the side platforms. I have no idea what the purpose is.

SS3.jpg

Most of my Virginia class photos do not seem to show this platform. For example, the next photo shows the area pretty clearly and the platform does not seem to be there. It may be that the platform was added only for a brief period in the Virginia class career or it may have only been added to one particular class member. I'm just speculating.

SS2.jpg

So, for modelling purposes, it seems the Virginia class can be modelled with or without the platform and be correct either way. Hope this helped a little.

Regards,
Bob

[Seasick]

I noticed on the pictures with the extra platform that the Virginia has an AN/SPS-40 2D air search radar on the mast, meaning its pre-NTU. Did the later picture get taken after the NTU fit?

[Sean Hert]

Note: There is a CASF Virginia thread. Moderators may want to considering merging this thread into that.

Done.

[carr]

I noticed on the pictures with the extra platform that the Virginia has an AN/SPS-40 2D air search radar on the mast, meaning its pre-NTU. Did the later picture get taken after the NTU fit?

Good catch! The mystery platform was on Virginia with SPS-40, as you point out, and with CIWS installed. The other photo is of Mississippi with SPS-49 installed (visible on my larger version of the photo). I also have photos of Virginia with SPS-40, no platform, and both with and without CIWS.

So, it seems that the platform existed during the post-CIWS installation but pre-SPS-49. Of course, the other possibility is that the platform was unique to Virginia and did not appear on other class members. Virginia is the only class member that I have photos for that show the platform, however, I have insufficient photos of the other members to draw a definite conclusion. And, unfortunately, I don't have enough photos of Virginia, herself, to "track" the timeline of the platform. I guess it will remain a bit of a mystery unless someone can come up with additional photos.

Thanks for helping, Seasick!

As an aside, I've always thought these were good looking ships and I wish someone would make a 1/350 (or bigger) version. I'm too much of a detail "adder" to be able to work happily with 1/700 kits, no matter how good they are. Oh well, another ship to add to my scratch build list.

Regards,
Bob

[Kazec]

thanks carr for your info.

[ingura]

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[carr]

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[ingura]

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[Timmy C]

Peter, Navsource has posted your two pictures:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/1138/04013815.jpg
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/1138/04013816.jpg

[ingura]

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[carr]

Peter,

Thanks for the photos. I can see them through the Nav links.

The photos show Virginia in a pre-CIWS fit and carrying an SPS-40. So, this expands the time frame of the mystery platform. I previously said that the platform existed during the post-CIWS installation but pre-SPS-49. The modified statement is now that the platform existed during the pre-CIWS/SPS-40 period, during some portion of the post-CIWS/SPS-40 period, and disappeared while the CIWS was installed but prior to the fitting of the SPS-49.

Note in the linked photos that the one starboard aft view shows the centerline and port platforms almost, but not quite superimposed (you can see the angled support on the underside of the port platform). It's clear that the mystery centerline platform was a duplicate of the port and starboard ones. The ?antenna? is identical to those. I still don't know what it is, though.

For modelling purposes, the platform should not be present if the SPS-49 is fitted. If the SPS-40 is fitted, the platform can be installed or not, either way being correct. We still haven't seen a photo of one of the other class members with the mystery platform.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
Bob

[Unicorn]

A few shots of a 1:72 Virginia R/C built by a modeller in Australia, hopefully they are of some help.















Unicorn