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CV-9 USS Essex, 1943 - 1:350


Rob 1

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Hello Rob,

 

Following your WIP on the USS Essex. Compliments on your achievements so far.

Regards, Orion / The Netherlands.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Progress is slow but steady, have painted all the inside and got the main flight deck fixed yesterday, including filling the joints (which went surprisingly well) - its starting to look more like an Essex class carrier now.

Almost ready for the full paint job now so it should progress fairly quickly with the next stage.

 

I have some photos but since Photobucket crashed out, and my replacement image hosting site has also suddenly stopped working, I'll need to do a bit of homework to find yet another one and get signed up.

 

 

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  • 2 weeks later...

The painting's gone well, I'll try to get a new photo hosting site at the weekend and post some progress images.

 

One recommendation: the two deck numbers and white lines come as decals, but I've made some masks and sprayed them on, which looks so much better as they are less stark and none of the deck texture is lost. They are fairly simple shapes so the masks took only a few minutes to cut out (carefully) in thin card, and spray on.

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Progress so far (hope these photos show up).

 

AAiTWZJ.jpg

 

Above is the interior, done to a basic level but probably mostly pointless as not much will be visible. Below is progress up to today.

 

The light is playing tricks with the top of the elevators, which are the same colour and shade really - I'll move away from the window for future photos.

 

Also having the usual thing with photos - little errors that are not noticed on the model show up like a sore thumb on the photos (need to correct that elevator edge netting).

 

Anyway, I'm fairly pleased with the painting, particularly the lightly worn effect on the flight deck.

 

Next jobs are the searchlights, the 40s and 20s, the boat, and the arrestor wires and rigging.

 

6iFWNDc.jpg

 

eF8wRc7.jpg

 

3sCgo64.jpg

 

Hm3C38K.jpg

 

 

 

 

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Very very nice paint work. The flight deck wear and the hull weathering are subtle and very realistic. I really like the look of the paint on the hangar deck that shows the "plates". How did you go about getting that effect? Looks like the flight deck decals went down well. Are they the kit decals?

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Many thanks Gentlemen.

 

The hanger deck was just sprayed and a darker shade sprayed in the middle of each plate, but didn't spend too long on it as I knew they won't be very visible.

 

I decided to replace the deck decals with sprayed on markings using masks made from card and the air pressure turned down low. This gave good results as it seamlessly retains the deck texture. The masks took about 10 minutes to make (using the kit decals as a template).

 

I agree about adding tyre marks, I'll subtly add a load in the landing area, which will be easy to do with a Tamiya Weathering Master set and a simple mask (something as simple as a couple of small 'Post It' notes stuck on the deck about 1/2mm apart would probably work fine, I've used this method to pick out random individual plank shades on wooden decks before).

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  • 4 weeks later...

Making frustratingly slow but steady progress.

 

The Veteran Models quad Bofors were a real pain; the detail of all the small parts is exquisite, but they just don't want to go together and stay together, particularly the barrels which have no locating holes or anything to align or help them stay in place. Still endlessly tweaking the barrels to get the best alignment, which can be seen in these photos.

 

Moving on to the 20mm mounts next, should be a lot easier, even the rigging should be a sinch in comparison.

 

v6udc3.jpg

 

2qdofft.jpg

 

ojnlv4.jpg

Edited by Rob 1
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This is perhaps a better view of four of the eight mounts.

 

2gtyvj8.jpg

 

(Note to self: Hmm, the cover plates over the arrester cable pulleys need dulling down quite a bit)

Edited by Rob 1
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They really were a struggle to build, and I'm not pleased with the outcome considering the time expended - not really worthy of any close ups (may still need to come off and have some rework done).

 

Anyway, moving on now - the 20mm Oerlikon mounts -

 

First one built up as a trial (needs a bit of tweaking) - although much smaller, this went together much better than the 40mm Bofors mounts!

 

aCINR5S.jpg   5kVhdSp.jpg

 

Just 42 more to make up now :speechless: :worry: - will report back probably some time in 2019 :D

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They are nice little models, made by Master Models from their 'Sea Master' series, and come in packs of 20. These I would highly recommend.

 

http://www.master-model.pl/product/sm-350-050.html

 

Actually, I've just noticed Master do their own quad 40mm Bofors mount, I wonder whether to get a set to try them out :think:, their build method looks so much better than Veteran's.

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  • 1 month later...

Well, finally got the 43 Oerlikons built, painted and fitted, only to notice I'd miscounted and needed and an extra 6 - so finally also got those finished and fitted - now well into fitting the rigging.

 

Very close now to her finishing at the builders yard and being handed over to the Navy - that will mean starting the aircraft, crew, and accessories (at long last).

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  • 3 weeks later...

Thanks Bendinggrass.

 

Well, she has now been handed over to the Navy, the ensign has been raised and there's a small crew on board (about 20 figures so far).

 

Time to start on the aircraft now, and will add a load more deck crew later.

 

fBebEFL.jpg

 

8UEHcEX.jpg

Edited by Rob 1
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