At 'Em Arizona Fans!

[JFROHOCK]

I do see one cannon muzzle and It certainly is in the correct location. Should be easy enough to scratch up a couple of 3 pounders. Salem still has hers in Quincy, MA. I have one pic so I will have to go aboard with a sketch pad and tape measure.
Thanks Guys.

[JohnD]

Hi dsk
I like the flat brown on the flag decks, it didn't occur to me to paint them that way, you are probably right about the admirals. The hawseholes and fuel pipe are not much trouble to fix, but when
you pay over $200 Aust. for a model, you would think the manufacturer would get it right! Are you going to paint the turret tops red? That would really make for a colourful ship.
Thanks for the advice John

[dsk]

Yes I intend to add the red to the turrets before I'm done. The model looks nearly complete but I still have a ways to go. Regarding the aviation line, actually I'm glad they omitted it because they'd probably have put it on the starboard side like in Tom Freeman's paintings, which is the wrong side. It took me all of about 10 minutes to add it to the hull- in fact studying the pictures and figuring out how it is routed took longer!

[JohnD]

Just checked pages 220-221 in Paul Stillwell's book, I'm surprised Tom Freeman got it wrong, he's a talented artist. I've owned this book for nearly twenty years now, never dreamt I would be using
it as a reference on such a great model. I was excited when the 1/350 scale Arizona was released, but the Trumpeter model would have to be the best model of any type I've seen, and I've been
building models since the 1960's (if that doesn't show my age, nothing will). Your Arizona looks good as it is, look forward to seeing it finished. If I can get some progress pics of my Arizona, will post
them.
John

[dsk]

I strongly suggest you take the time to read through not only this entire thread, but also "Unboxing Arizona" (viewtopic.php?f=2&t=62452) in the main section. Between the two pretty much every snag and shortfall regarding building the kit has been discussed, and for the most part resolved (such as how to get the main guns to elevate properly, and the things Trumpeter forgot to add such as the aviation fuel line). It's a great kit overall, but it has taken me awhile to get as far as I have thanks to being slowed down by one small problem or another. One immediate caveat to give, the brass PE Trumpeter includes is very SOFT and has to be handled carefully. The $15 upgrade kit from Trumpeter adds ladders and brass 5" barrels, and replaces some plastic parts with PE. However a lot of folks have been holding off and waiting for White Ensign Models to release their own PE upgrade set (supposedly sometime this month). I've used some of the Trumpeter PE on mine, but so much of it is hard to work with that I purchased some extra generic 1/200 rails from Gold Metal Models to use instead.

[SeanF]

In Stillwell's book, on the deck plan for the Flag Bridge, it shows two saluting guns, one on each side just forward of the signalmans platform. The kit does not provide these that I can find. Stillwell's book pages 160 and 195 has undated photos showing twin slauting guns where the deck plan shows singles. Appendix E lists 4 3-pounder saluting cannons. This was after the 1931 modernization. While not difinitive, I would say that she carried two 3-pounder saluting cannons on each side of the flag bridge in December '41.
Comments anyone?

Assuming the page numbers haven't changed in the book: See page 374, showing the June 1941 flag bridge with one saluting gun each side with a circle next to it; compare with page 375, showing the flag bridge in 1936 with two on each side. Now, see page 215, showing only one on the starboard side in 1939; see also page 220, where it appears there is only one on her port side, with a searchlight or somethng mounted just aft of it (where that circle was in the drawing) in January 1941. My conclusion is that one on each side by the time of the attack is probably the case.

- Sean F.

[JohnD]

Just finished reading "Unboxing Arizona", very useful info, although my eyes are ready to drop out! With what I can find here at Modelwarships and all the books I've collected over the years, I'm
sure I can build an accurate model. One other point about the kit, which I haven't seen mentioned, why didn't Trumpeter include a stand to put the thing on? I know I can make one myself but
geez, it's not asking too much is it?

JohnD

[stef76]

hello john d and dsk

where is the the aviation fuel line i haven 't document and photos for this and i want to make it
thanks
bye
stef

[JohnD]

Stef76,, If you have it, Paul Stillwell's book shows the aviation fuel line on the port side of the ship, look on pages 220-221. Otherwise you can try Google Images you might find something there.
If you can't find the pictures let me know I will try to find another source. I was looking at the pics of your model, I hate to point out mistakes but it appears the smokestack is back to front in the first picture, hope it wasn't glued down.
John

[stef76]

Hello john d
And thank you for your remark .the smokestack is not glue for l instant.je have to finish it and I posed on the ship without making attention.i go tried to find images on Google as you me l recommended.i dont have the book.
I thank you for your answer (sorry for my bad english i hope you undestand me)
Thank you
Stef

[JohnD]

Stef76, Try www.navsource.org/archives/01/39a.htm .Look at the years 1938 to 1941 USN photo#123. The picture is not very clear but you see the aviation fuel pipe under the lower row of
portholes. Hope this is of some help. Glad to hear about the smokestack.
John

[JFROHOCK]

Sean, You have a sharper eye than these old ones. I missed the 1936 flag bridge altogether. Given your observations I agree, One saluting gun per side.
Here is a 3 pounder on Salem.

[Timmy C]

The profile drawing in "USS Arizona Ship's Data: A photographic history" also shows the fuel line, though on the wrong side of the ship. Nevertheless, it should be useful for positioning.

[dsk]

One other point about the kit, which I haven't seen mentioned, why didn't Trumpeter include a stand to put the thing on? I know I can make one myself but
geez, it's not asking too much is it?

JohnD

I also was a bit surprised, but to be honest the stands usually included in kits are often pretty cheap looking, and sometimes don't support the model adequately in the first place. The flip side is that they're giving you added incentive to make a really nice one yourself. As for me, I'm going to get an acrylic display case for mine. There are too many thin and easily broken parts to risk having it displayed out in the open.

[SeanF]

Stef76,, If you have it, Paul Stillwell's book shows the aviation fuel line on the port side of the ship, look on pages 220-221. Otherwise you can try Google Images you might find something there.
If you can't find the pictures let me know I will try to find another source. I was looking at the pics of your model, I hate to point out mistakes but it appears the smokestack is back to front in the first picture, hope it wasn't glued down.
John

The photo on p[age 220-221 is excellent for both its size and nice resolution. The same shot, but not quite as clean, is on Navsource:
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/013921a.jpg
The fuel line runs along the hull from the bow back to the final hull notch, right near the fantail catapult. It angles slightly upward as it goes back, witha distinct jog just aft of the 1.1" gun tub. This shot gives the sense for the full length of the pipeline.
Another excellent reference for this is here:
http://navsource.org/archives/01/039/013933w.jpg
which shows the housing at the aft end of the line that, I'm guessing, contained the pump and hoses.

- Sean F.

[JohnD]

I agree, a varnished wood base and acrylic case are definately the way to go. Can you imagine keeping the dust off the model? Snapped rigging, broken parts, bent photoetch, no thanks.
I still have a couple of unbuilt Revell 1/426 Arizonas, might build one and paint it a mixture of 5-S, 5-O and 5-L, as has been discussed and debated. Should look different, if not strange. But the
1/200 is the one I'll be concentrating on for now.

[dsk]

Not only would the thing be impossible to dust, but those delicate PE foretop yardarms and the various railing and cranes would be just waiting for somebody to bend or break off.

Regarding colors, I made the decision to go with Gunship Grey after using two small Arizona models I had on hand as guinea pigs to try different ready-mixed colors on. I figured I'd rather ruin them first, but they actually both came out looking okay. I did try the closest thing to a 5-S/O/L scheme, but I didn't like it. On a scale model kit it looks too much like somebody wanted to have fun with colors and not actually make an accurate model of anything.

By the way stef76, here is the aviation fuel line I glued onto my hull. I thought I had bought round styrene strips, but I realized afterwards it was .010"x.020" instead. Turns out it made gluing it to the hull just a tad easier, since the flat side stuck easily instead of dancing around spreading glue everywhere. The one mistake I made was assuming the line ran above the grab bar near the bow. In reality it went underneath and passed through the reinforcing rib immediately aft of it. Aside from that it should be correct.

[JohnD]

Re: the Revell Arizona, it's just a thought, might never happen. When I was writing this a thought occured. How many spray cans/ bottles of Gunship Grey did you use? It would be a nightmare if
two bottles/cans were slightly different in colour. This happened to me using Humbrol Navy Blue, they must have changed the formula, when I went to use a new tin on my USS Essex I was not
a happy man when it dried to a completely different colour. Ah the joys of modelling.

[JohnD]

Sorry, forgot to add, nice work on the aviation fuel line.

[dsk]

How many spray cans/ bottles of Gunship Grey did you use? It would be a nightmare if
two bottles/cans were slightly different in colour.

Let me tell ya what happened. This model eats paint, and I went through nearly two spray cans just painting the hull and turrets. I finished the second can while painting the catapults, smokestack, and 5" shields, and switched to a third can I'd just bought. I soon realized something was wrong when the parts were still glossy several hours after painting, and in fact they were still tacky. Days went by, but they never dried. I had bought paint from a defective batch with apparently too much oil in the mix. I was quite upset as I'd glued PE rails on the catapults and smokestack prior to painting, and I didn't know how I was ever going to get the paint off without ruining the parts. Fortunately the guys here recommended I start with pure isopropyl alchohol, soaking the parts overnight. Fortunately it did the trick. It dissolved the paint enough that I was able to scrub it off with a soft toothbrush. I went back to the store and selected more paint from the previous batch that was OK, and I finished the remaining pieces with that and a second can. So four cans total, not counting the dud. The lower hull took one entire can of Tamiya's dull red, and I'm still on the first .5oz bottle of Gunship Grey for the small deck pieces and Dark Tan for the deck (yes, I painted the deck by hand). I used Camouflage Grey in a spray can for the fighting tops since I didn't want to leave brush marks, but they both took most of the can as well. There really isn't much paint in those short stubby spray cans, and when you try to spray small parts the waste is almost criminal. No doubt the guys here who actually know how to use an airbrush are laughing at me.