The Ship Model Forum

I recently purchased Trumpeter's 1/350 USS Ford, aiming to build a representation of the forthcoming USS Enterprise. The benefit is that you can apply a good deal of artistic license. The drawback is that (at this rate) by the time I'm done the real thing will leave port and I will see where I went all wrong.

The kit is beautifully molded with a generous amount of PE, and it better be given its price tag. Alas, and somewhat surprisingly, there is no hangar deck beyond a floor. No walls. But I like scratchbuilding, so no problem. I'm using a fair amount of artistic license with this interior, but did research a bunch of published USS Ford photographs to understand the general arrangement, placement of details, and markings. As I expected, there are no decals produced by third parties for the deck, so I produced these myself and have commissioned a third part to print them. If you're interested, let me know and provide your email via private messaging and I will email free of charge.

In the meantime, the hangar deck is the focus for the moment. This will occupy my time for awhile, in part due to the aircraft I need to build. I've started by building one F-35C and 1 F-18 Growler. Many more to go...

Wow, great work! That will be one spectacular model!

I also really like the weathering on the F18.

Beautiful start! Planes are amazing!

Very interesting!!

wow great start, did you found some 3rd party PE kits? I have seen the Nimitz and the Enterprise are supported but Tamiya's Nimitz is not equipped with F14's but only the older stuff.

Wooow those planes are amaizing...plus beautiful start

Very nice!

Sadly, my 1/32 Corsair dropped to the floor and smashed to pieces. About about 100 hours of work was lost. After about an hour of mourning, I purchased a replacement kit and in the meantime kept working on the 1/350 Enterprise (CVN-80).

The scratch built hangar is finished. Now comes the business of filling it up with planes, equipment, cargo, and crew. This process is likely to take a long time. First to be glued in are two MQ-25 autonomous refueler aircraft from 3D Wild. The printed aircraft are solidly made, relatively easy to paint, and the decals excellent. I assume these aircraft will be entirely gray in color once operational. In addition to the aircraft, I also started putting in various cargo, in this case a bunch of cardboard boxes on wooden pallets. I also glued in three pallet jacks - really tiny things.

Next on the list are two F-35Cs, maybe three F-18s, and an MV-22 Osprey, as well as ongoing addition of cargo, vehicles, and, eventually, people.

The objective is to make the cargo deck look busy and cluttered, a beehive of activity.