Model Boat Mayhem
The Shipyard ( Dry Dock ): Builds & Questions => Navy - Military - Battleships: => Topic started by: dlancast on December 14, 2016, 05:23:13 am
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Hello Folks, Got my Christmas present early. The Trumpeter kit of the U.S.S. Arizona BB-39 at 1/200 scale. Model will be 36" long. After a long search and research, I decided that I wanted to do a memorial build of this famous WW2 Battleship, sunk at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii ... December 7, 1941. Good reviews on the Trumpeter kit helped me to decide to go ahead with the build. The kit will be enhanced with a PE kit from MK-1 out of Korea and possibly the purchase of a few others. Not a cheap investment, but I think worthy of the effort to build and I hope you folks enjoy it as much as I will. The hull is split in half at the waterline. I have started with the bottom half, by first lightly sanding the hull and adding reinforcement battens or strakes by using a thin tape. I have dry fitted the rudder and prop shaft struts and applied a coat of brass paint on the screws, wheels, or propellers, whichever one you want to call. Winter is here, with snow on the ground. Fitting for the Christmas season. Here is wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and prosperous and healthy new year. Build on! Best regards, Dennis Lancaster
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Eyes down, look in - Dennis is at it, yet again... {-)
Serious note; Sorry for the little ditty Dennis - as always, your builds are fascinating and this one should be no exception. Looking on as you progress.
Regards,
Ray.
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hahahahah... that's funny Ray. Yea, this will be a fun build and I've already got some ideas for extra detail. Take care, Dennis
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This is going to be excellent, knowing you, which is why I shall be following this thread with great interest.
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Dennis.......it appears she went through many design revisions between her commissioning in 1915 and her final days in Pearl Harbour of 1941
Looking forward in seeing the detail in the twin masts.........the original BB39 must have been nearly 1/3 in height over length ;)
Derek
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I agree Derek... many changes indeed. Fortunately (I think), the model is so famous, that a ton of research has already been done, along with some criticism about the errors Trumpeter made). Oddly, the biggest issue has been her paint color just before she was sunk. I think that has been nailed down and I will probably try to represent her with her last colors. About ready to apply bottom paint. Cheers, Dennis
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Another enthralling winter build to watch out for :-)) I cannot wait for more updates Derek.
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Just a word about changes in plastic model making. I've been away from this form of modeling for some time and just recently.. well, in the past two years, have jumped back into this hobby. I started with BlueJacket kits, which have a wood hull and cast brittania fittings and some brass fittings. Very accurate and made for a nice model. It wasn't until I purchased a Technoart kit that included resin hull and fittings and cast bronze and brass fittings and several sheets of PE for fine scale fittings that really pushed up the mark for scale quality, and of course the price point took a huge jump. That Technoart kit was close to $1,000 U.S. Then I moved back in to plastic kits and discovered that a new cottage market has been created to enhance the scale of any plastic kit. Called an Upscale kit, one could now produce a true museum quality model by adding an additional Upscale kit and, at a substantial cost. As I was to discover, the Trumpeter kit of the U.S.S. Arizona was not bad in scale accuracy and even included a few sheets of PE and at a hefty cost of around $218 U.S. depending on where you bought the kit, plus shipping. But, to really do the kit justice, one needed to purchase one of the fine Upscale kits. I chose, based on research and reviews, to purchase the MK-1 Upscale kit out of Korea. I paid "more" than the basic Arizona kit, at a price of around $250 U.S. I just received that kit and frankly, I was a bit shocked at how little I got for my money. The kit essentially includes 3 finely printed, laser cut wood decks and 5 sheets of PE. True, the parts are fantastic and highly accurate and will yield several hundred 3D brass parts, which are going to make the model look wonderful. Who am I to complain, but quality comes at a price I suppose. And, why, I ask, don't the main kit manufacturers just include the upscale kits?? Cost is probably the answer. And so, a new industry is born that has probably spun out of the microchip semiconductor industry... of which I was a part of for 23 yrs during my working years. Just thought you folks might find my blab interesting. Well here is a pic of the Upscale kit for you to ponder. Dennis
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Busy working on the top half of the hull. The bottom is now fully bottom painted, with screws and rudder added. I am currently drilling out all the portholes on the top half and will paint when that is done. For the number of portholes, you would think this is a cruise ship! I ran into my first snag of the build. The Upscale kit from MK-1 provides wood decks. Actually, they are very precise for fit, etc. only one problem. It appears that Trumpeter has changed the mid deck configuration since introduction of the kit in 2012. There is now a raised section that will define the 5" gun placements. Only thing I can figure is that Trumpeter is trying configure for R/C conversion and creating an access place into the hull. What this does, is prevents the wood deck to lay flat in that area. I had to carefully lay that deck upside down onto the wood deck and scribe the cutout onto the deck, which will then be cut away to allow the wood deck to lay down flat. I attempted to write to MK-1 and inform them that their wood deck is now not correct and cannot make contact over the internet. Oh well, buyer beware. It is not a game changer, but just adds another step. Cheers, Dennis
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It is lucky that ara of the deck and superstructure are symetrical because you would have had added isses in getting the modified fit right.
Your observations on the etched sheets make sense, as if you want a million TVs, you will need at least a million etched circuit boards if not more and no cottage industry can meet that demand. I have heard that in a similar vein, some Chinese styrene kit manufacturers are also manuacturers of other industrial plastic castings and do the kits as a sideline. I am not sure how true this is though.
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So true. Its been fun. I'm in the process of painting the upper hull half. My research is pointing towards a Dark Gray. Quite the topic on the final colors of the Arizona, from a lighter gray to a dark blue, almost black for upper hull and verticals. I'm having to apply 3 coats to cover, as I brush all my paint. I'll be attaching the upper half of the hull to bottom when the hull painting is done. Then I can begin applying the wood decks. The Trumpeter casting is very well done with minimal flash and very close fits. Its a delicate process, as I have to be mindful when plastic parts are being replaced by PE, filling in attachment points that won't be needed, etc. cheers, Dennis
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Final hull color is now painted on. I think the dark gray will be fine. I added bilge stringers by using pin striping tape to simulate, as the casting did not include them. The top half of the hull still needs to be glued and screwed down before I move on to the wood decking. These old Penn. class dreadnaughts sure had the look of an old bull dog. Heavy at over 29,000 long tons disp., length over 600ft and beam around 100ft... she was massive and probably could hit 21 knots full out. Still, sadly, it only took one bomb to sink her at Pearl. I realize that the Arizona was not the only ship that suffered loss at Pearl, but who knows, I might choose to model some of the others as well. Dennis
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Just out of interest, are you building her with the cage masts? I ask because in Military Modelling this month a period ship model was built in 1:700th with 3D printed cage masts thus saving many hours of bending and shaping the convex spiral. Perhaps a 1:200th scale one is available?
There is something quite bluff about her Derek, not imposing and intimidating like the Borodinos and similar Russian behemoths, but still workmanlike and no nonsense.
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No, the cage masts were earlier, she was coverted to 3 pole masts I think in the late 30's. I can only imagine what the cage would be like to build, even with PE. Ok, the wood deck is being cut to fit... what a job and alot of material is coming out. I wrote both to MK-1 and Trumpeter as to what this is causing me to do to get this deck to fit. Guess they don't really care actually. It will be fine in the end. Dennis
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Ian...... %)...the builder here is a Dennis......he may be building a 3 legged mast but he's not a Derek {-)
PostedfFrom the Land of OZ................
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hahaah :} .... well, sometimes I think I'm 3 legged, but yes, name is Dennis.. tks. Ok, the wood main deck is on. Actually, it went very smoothly, once I got the center cutout made. The adhesive is just right and the deck is self-aligning with all the deck openings and raised areas. It is amazingly accurate, so other than that original snafu... my hat off to the manuf. Very happy with the results. Now on to 10 5" guns. Dennis
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A superb surface finish for a brushed application Dennis %)
Posted from the Land of OZ................Derek ;)
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Sorry Dennis, I got you and Derek (Derekwarner Decoy) mixed up! It often happens. Tripod mast it is :-))
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Never a problem sir..... Build on! Dennis :-)
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5" AA cannon complete. I'm very pleased with Trumpeter's detail in casting and the PE Upscale kit from MK-1 is providing nice to scale railings. Happy New Year folks! ok2 Dennis
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A nest of 5" AA's
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Ohhhhhh.....
US 5" AA mounts projectile shells [casing shell & bullet bit].......would each weight approx. 40 lbs >>:-(...certainly not for the feint hearted gun crew :-X
Derek
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Young fit sailors and a serious interest in their longevity would make them less of an issue to handle. (says he who hasn't ever rapidly fed a gun with heavy shells:O)
Lovely work Dennis :-))
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The largest calibre considered to be capable of manual loading was the 6 inch - 100lb shell.
There were some interesting discussions in the RN in the 1930s about new cruiser designs. Single mountings were considered to be more useful in some respects than turret mountings as they could be more widely distributed about the ship and less likely to be put out of action but the downside was that the gun crews would rapidly tire and rate of fire would soon fall off compared with power loading turret guns. Also the turrets provided weather protection although they were not armoured and just had splinter protection.
Colin
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Yes, lots of WW1 cruisers and support ships as well as a plethora of Pre WW1 ships had single mounts with shields, so much must have been learnt about these issues from serving those ships. I recall reading that the crews of AA guns on ships doing the run to and from Crete being absolutely exhausted even for fit and young bloks, and these were just 4 and 4.7inch weapons!
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The effort needed in loading AA guns is documented as being particularly onerous as the shells needed to be pushed into the guns at high levels of elevation.
Colin
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Sounds about right Derek. What amazed me is that these guns were crewed by 15 men each! Here is an original op manual for that gun: http://maritime.org/doc/destroyer/fiveinch/index.htm for those so inclined to read more detail. Of note, note all detail is in the model.. such as sighting scopes, etc. Can't have it all I guess.. still, not bad for this scale. Dennis
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I think the reason for the 15 men is to literally spread the load and keep up the rate of fire.
Colin
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mmmmmmm Chapter 30 of the 5" gun mount Manual notes.... "the 54-pound weight of the projectile"..... <*< & quite a bit heavier than I thought for AA mounts
[54 pounds is also the nominal weight of projectiles used in the Vickers 4.5" single and twin automatic gun mounts]..... I remember only to well lifting <*< dummy rounds in the same gun mount during refit of the mount on HMAS Parramatta]
The Manual doesn't mention, but I think all personal tasked as loaders would need to be right handed as the projectile is lifted and balanced over the left forearm 8)
Derek
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Interesting reading chaps!
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Lost in details.... so much to assemble and fit. Have to say this Trumpeter kit is amazing and parts fit very well. I have installed the mid deck and all 10 five inch cannon. Hard to see the cannon detail, but its there. I also completed the stern catapult.... this is a PE replacement assembly from the upscale kit I purchased from MK-1. Nicely made out and very delicate. A real positive change from the plastic casting original.. well worth the price to upgrade I think. I'll have a better picture of that cat later. This thing is keeping me busy. Looks like I will have the model together in a few months maybe. Next project?? Dennis
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This PE work from the upscale kit is like working with fine filliagree. I've never work with finer except for the 350/1 scale Minesweeper model. I use CA to weld the metal parts together, trying not to make a mess with it. Its maddening, but somehow I slowly get it on there. piece by piece. Wine does help some. D.
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Pretty tidy work Dennis. PE can get very warped and rubbish looking if you don't work with care. Lovely :-))
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Aft crane finishes out, interior is painted, hard to see, but there is framing inside, very tedious, but good result. I had to add additional reinforcement framing not included in kit. Cheers, Dennis
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Where would we be without Etched metal! I remember a friend soldering loads of bits of brass together to construct parts for an architectural model and these days you can design your own etched frets and save hours of time.
Lovely job Dennis.
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Thank you kind sir.... true.. true... PE is a huge jump towards fine scale work on any model. Yes, you can purchase the equipment to make your own and even 3D parts.. its endless and so is the pocketbook. (not mine). Working at 1/200 scale is nice, but you get a huge model and I'm running out of room in our home.. case upon case of model ships.. I think I have a maritime museum. I did one model at 1/350, including PE parts. Talk about tiny parts, it was a real stretch to build something like that, but the model size is really small and I could build me a fleet of battleships at that scale and some folks do. Cheers, Dennis
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Working on the second of the two aft cranes. One of those cranes will be used to lift the aircraft onto the catapult that is mounted on top of number two turret. At first, I didn't think it would be large enough or have enough reach, but it does, easily. I paint the inside of the PE before folding to 3D. Those PE simulated cables are might fine, but work great. Dennis
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Is the serrated edge of part of the crane jib rivet detail? If so fantastic.
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Oh, that is just pixalation in the digital file. However, on the other side is the outside after folding and yes, there are rivets... it is that detailed. D.
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Remarkable. Definitely the high standard I have admired from your previous builds.
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Mid Cranes are now completed. Very fiddly, but am happy with the detail. On to the main guns now. Dennis
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First turret is together. I had to scrape off the molded plastic railings and ladders, then drill holes for the PE railings on the shell top and add PE ladder on the Port side only. The barrells are aluminum and beautifully rendered... why would I even want them to be brass? Going to paint. Top of the turret shell will be red (this was done in order to identify each flight squadren I believe.. easily spotted from the air), rest will be dark grey. Trumpeter gives you a choice if either rendering the barrells with boots on or off. I have pictures of the actual ship done both ways. I think the boots on look is better. Boots will be painted light tan or canvas color.
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Definitely agree with "boots on" Dennis, the appearance will be much more pleasing to the eye. O0
Regards,
Ray.
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Having boots on feels right Dennis. The shape of the turret is very attractive.
Your cranes are astounding! I assume the inner hook was nearer the mast for lifting heavier loads?
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Hullo Dennis......you could consider chemically blackening the aluminium barrels......the process does penetrate the substrate and the surface finish is only a few microns external oxidation in depth. This can be waxed or oiled just like the BLUED surfaces applied to rifle & other gun parts
It will also maintain the machining marking in the barrels & be so lifelike
As the other Guys have mentioned the baggy boots are fine & left a Karki of washed light green tone would be best............. Derek
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Hi Derek, Yes, its called "Blacken It" and I have some. I would certainly consider it, but it appears the Arizona had her barrells painted. Tks for the good suggestions sir.
Dennis
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Final paint and colors on the cannon. Three more to go. Actually, the cannon that will have a catapult mounted on top of it will not have the red top. I'm having some problem liking that red top, but I have too much confirmation that it was used when the Arizona was at Pearl Harbor. Dennis
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Coming along nicely Dennis. I agree with you about the red turret tops. That red hits you between the eyes and it feels like they will be the most prominent spots of the finished model. Perhaps tone the red down a little? I don't want to start a debate on scale effect, but very bright colours are only very bright close to. Distance always tones things down and in my view muted colours give a more convincing appearance when viewing a model. But that's just my view. %)
Greg
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It is good fun modifying the colours. Medievil figures are often painted way too brightly.
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Good suggestions and I agree. I'll tone it down some. Cheers... Dennis
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Dennis....you could also block the rectangular swatch in....ie., a uniform grey border width on all four turret top faces, and the swatch within that grey border..........Derek
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I considered that, but I found it a mixed bag, some modelers took the color to the edge, others created a setback border. I could not find any color photos of U.S. Navy battleships, but did find some black and white which shows the color change, whatever it was, going right to the edge. So I decided to take mine to the edge. Dennis
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Anyone know why the turret tops were painted red? Were any other battleships given the same colour scheme?
Colin
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Different colours were worn by each squadron - red being for 1st Squadron. :-))
I'll try to re-find the link where I got that from....
Regards,
Ray.
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Here you go Colin: http://www.researcheratlarge.com/Ships/S19-7/PearlHarborBatDivMarkings.html
Regards,
Ray.
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Wow....this is rather definitive........ :police:
________________________________________________
U. S. FLEET LETTER NO. 1 USL-41
From: Commander-in-Chief, United States Fleet
To : FLEET
Subject: Turret Markings for Identification by Own Aircraft
1. This letter replace U.S. Fleet Letter No. 13L-40, which letter is hereby cancelled, since colored tails for aircraft are being eliminated.
2. Battleships and cruisers shall paint the tops of any or all their forward turrets or enclosed mounts with the following colors for identification by their own aircraft. When stripes are involved, they shall be painted parallel to the axis of the guns.
BATTLESHIPS
Battleship Division ONE . . . . . . . . . . . . . Red (Solid)
Battleship Division TWO . . . . . . . . . . . . . White (Solid)
Battleship Division THREE . . . . . . . . . . . . Blue (Solid)
Battleship Division FOUR . . . . . . . . . . . . Black (Solid)
Battleship Division FIVE . . . . . . . . . . . . Yellow (Solid
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That is very interesting - thanks guys, you do learn something new every day.
Colin
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The Trumpeter kit cleary shows on its paint sheet turret tops to be painted insignia red. This colour is very much like the colour of our post boxes.When I get round to building my model because of all the uncertainty of the colour scheme at the time of Pearl Harbour will go for a standard navy grey pre attack.Dennis Is right to use a dark grey paint scheme for is model think this measure one.Look forward to more pictures of this build.
Stan.
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Excellent link and information gentlemen, much appreciated. Though I originally painted my turret tops Insignia Red per plan, I have changed to British Crimson. It does tone the bright red look down nicely. I'll have pics later for you. I have also taken the liberty of bringing my color out to the edges of the turret top based on the photo's I could find of another US Battleship. If anyone can find a photo or proof that I should place a gray margin on those tops, please let me know. So much controversy on the final hull and vertical colors. Most saying that her major color was a dark blue or blue called Meditteranian blue, I found an article that strongly suggested a Dark Gray and provided a color chip. I printed that chip off and the color that printed out was an exact match to a dried splash of my Dark Gray paint. So, I decided to go with it. That dark blue almost looks black and I think that was a bit much. Bottom line is that I will never produce a true look of what the Arizona looked like in her last hours, but it will be close I think. Thanks for all the help sirs. Dennis
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Ok here is the final colors on the cannon.
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Ok here is the final colors on the cannon.
Morning Dennis, looking Good! :-))
Any reason you call them "cannon"?
Americanism?...
( PS. Good luck with the new President )
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Yes, that's better. It doesn't shout at you like the original did. And if Derek's quoted message is the only instruction given then the exact shade of red is not specified, so who's to say that your rendition is wrong?
Still loving your build log :-))
Greg
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As has been discussed previously, it's not worth agonising over exact shades when painting model warships. In reality the perceived colours of the ship would differ considerably depending on the ambient lighting conditions and the reflectivity of the paint finish. It strong sunshine the turret tops might well show up as bright red with the light behind you but in cloudier conditions or against the light the colour would be much more subdued.
As far as models are concerned, the brighter the paint you use, the more 'toy like' the model appears so it is usually best to err on the side of toning down the shade for more apparent realism.
Colin
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As always, good info and thank you. It appears that some of you have tried to contact me personally through this forum. For some reason, I did not get many of those msgs. But, just to answer those questions: I purchased my Trumpeter kit and MK-1 Upscale kits from Amazon.com. The scale of the model is 1/200. My color scheme is all Model Master water based paint called Akryl. Low odor and works fine for me. Bottom color is British Crimson, Boot stripe is Flat Black, Main hull and Super Structure is Dark Gray. Above funnel height, will be an off white, not a bright white, more a dirty white..... haven't got there yet. Main gun casing tops are now British Crimson.
Sorry, my terminology is probably all over the place. I think the term "gun" is for the lower caliber. I use "Cannon" for the big boys and I think they were even called "guns" in the US Navy. I've built so many British old ships of the line where everything seemed to be called Cannon. Probably where I got that term...so, excuse my ignorance, its just me. Build on! Cheers ;) Dennis
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Ok, am beginning the build of the ships boats, 10 of them, Capt. Gigs, motor launches from 50ft to 26ft. So the picture is of a 50ft Capt.'s gig or some call them Motor Launches. That is an American dime next to it for scale. I believe this is the smallest model I have ever put together. It has a number of pieces, plus the upscale kit provided all the bronze railing. I think this will slow me down some. Cheers, Dennis
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Cannon calibre stops around the 40mm mark anything bigger is a gun, i.e. Gun 120mm Tank L11A1-6 RARDEN cannon is 30mm Bofors "gun" is 40mm so confusion there. :}
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Thank you sir! I knew it had to be that way. I seem to recall from my old navy days that a "Boat" was a boat, up to 50ft, and then it was called a "Ship" after that?? :-)
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3 of the 4, 40ft motor gigs done. Like building individual model kits. What fun! :-) Dennis
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Well, gentlemen, I need your help. I'm trying to find out what this part is called. It appears that four are mounted on the side of number two turret. I want to find detailed pictures of what the thing actually looked like. I'm thinking it has something to do with be towed behind the ship or from the side from poles... maybe a mine snagger or something to do with anti-sub warefare?? Would appreciate your help on this. Regards, Dennis
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Almost certainly a paravane: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paravane_(weapon)
Colin
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Thank you Colin...... yes, that's it. Now that I know the name of it, I can find tons of info on the net. You folks are great! :} Dennis
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Thanks for all the help, got my first one assembled with additional Upscale kit parts. This required removal of the cast tail fins and thining of the main cross members to allow more correct parts. Upscale made a big difference. Tedious working at this scale. Moving on (3 more to make) and back to ships boats. Dennis
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Good lord, even on a piece that small, the detail is amazing!
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Ok, the ships boats are now completed and waiting to mount at a later point in assembly. Fair detail went into these little kits and a ton of painting. Which brings me up to the point of detail. I happened to a build on the Model Warship Forum. A Mr. Jeff Sharp posted his entire build on that forum, finishing in May of 2014. Same Trumpeter 1/200 Arizona kit. He did a ton of research and discovered many errors in the Trumpeter kit. His main source was a movie that was taken aboard the Arizona just after her 1941 refit in the Seattle area. He was able to get freeze frames of various areas on the ship to prove the detail issues and make corrections. So, I have chosen to use his posting and pictures to help me with added detail. There is no way that I'm going to make all the changes that he did. I had to draw the line somewhere. I imagine the rivet counters might have issue with my thoughts here.. I'm not sure. I've just decided to do what I can, when I can, with my ability as a modeler. He chose to model the Arizona just before she arrived at Pearl Harbor and her colors reflect that. I'm leaning more towards just prior to the attack which destroyed her. I'd like to make a model that is in memory of those who lost their lives aboard her that fateful day. And so it is. Mr. Sharp has greatly affected how I am showing detail and I am confident in his research as being accurate. Even the expensive Upscale kits are not totally accurate, but are proving to be very good at adding finer detail into the model, so I deem them worth the expense. I certainly cannot compare myself with these other fine modelers and I hope you dear folks are enjoying the build as much as I am. Best regards, Dennis
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I suppose that if the basic kit is wrong the the expensive updates are only going to enhance the irregularities unless specifically designed to rectify these. Your boats are exquisite models in their own right Dennis.
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I salute your endeavours Dennis - those boats look fantastic - thanks for the update, you're doing great. :-)
Regards,
Ray.
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Thank you gentlemen. Here is an example of a scale correction I just completed on one of the mid cranes. Two ladders and platforms were added from extra PE I had from one of my earlier models. I think it was worth adding and makes sense. Cheers, Dennis
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What a complex structure. I like it :-)) Were the cranes supported by stays or free standing? The pipe used as the mast looks stout.
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Free standing, no stays that I could find. She designed to pivot
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Right oh. I wondered if they had stays in the areas where the cranes did not work, but there's no need for them if the columns are strong enough.
Lovely work Dennis.
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Amazing work Dennis, the American battleships certainly did things different to the European powers of the time. They look very substantial compared to the derricks the RN used on their ship's.
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Stairs and ladders starting to go in from the PE Upscale kit. Great improvement over the plastic ones provided in the kit. A bit fiddly, but worth the effort. Dennis
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Yes Dennis.....those fine ladder assemblies look great...not sure if you will paint them to scale.......however I believe the following would have applied
Hand rails = White
Lower structure = Ships Grey
Stair tread top surface = Ablative Charcoal
BTW....when twin [side by side] ladders were installed, the Port side ladder is UP.....the Stdb side ladder is DOWN..no exceptions permitted <*<
Derek
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Thank you Derek, I will give that consideration. All I remember of my navy days aboard ship was everything was painted grey... and I could be wrong on that recollection. Aye, aye.. sir! Very rigid rules and you know what, you did them without question. I was a good sailor, but when my 4yrs active was complete, I was ready to be independant... and that is truly relative. There will always be rules. Oops, getting off topic here. Cheers! Dennis
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Dennis.......my only references for the USN ladders colours were from BB63 and a Ticonderoga Class during their attendance to our 75th Naval Centenary in October 1986 here in Sydney
Both amazing vessels, however for greatly different reasons
Derek
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Tks Derek, my brief research brings up the fact that some of the outside ladders were indeed done in the white rail, grey body, dark grey treads... however, many were done all grey, all over the ship and some were done all white inside. Because I think it looks cool, I did the doubles on the white and grey combo and the rest will be grey.
Dennis ;)
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Main stack is in place now. Or is it a funnel. I am curious the use of the inclosed platforms on either side of the stack.. I wonder if it is a control area for the 5" anti-aircraft cannon on the deck just below? Either way, it would be a hot location right next to the stack like that. Dennis
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Very nice Dennis :-))
If it was a RN battleship the enclosed area on the funnel would house searchlights and their controls but as there were none on the Arizona in that area it sounds feasible that they are the lookout positions for the AA guns below.
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Initial thoughts would be that the observers could only see out and not up, but as they are directing weapons with a good range, their upper limit of view would not be so restricted. That position would be a good one if sailing in the far north or south as it would be very cosy:O)
Lovely work as ever Dennis. I like the Galley chimney exiting an odd shaped box on deck.
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Tks gentlemen, that sounds about right, I'll keep checking into it. Yes, searchlights are located elsewhere. That black pipe is the vent for the incenerator. The face of that incenerator box is painted black per documentation, it is the loading point into the incenerator. I was tempted to paint the whole box black, but that is not how they did it.
Dennis
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As Dennis questions.... 'Either way, it would be a hot location right next to the stack like that'
No Dennis......boiler stacks [chimneys] were complex heat regeneration systems.....exhaust heat is not waste heat, it was used for a multitude of reheating procedures
Having said this, each pipe or trunking within the chimney stack would have been insulated with raw [waterproofed] ASBESTOS lagging
So, that open windowed lookout box would only be heated by scorching direct sunlight, or freezing in the winter winds from the frozen seas <*<
Derek
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Rear Mast is nearly completed and dry placed, looks pretty straight. The search light platforms were fiddly and railing about drove me nuts, but its done. As I do my research on the net, I come to find out that the Arizona has been modeled thousands of times already. Thats ok, I'm doing this for me as a tribute to whoever see's her long after I'm gone. Its been a fun and challenging build. I was correct that Trumpeter began to lag in sales for this kit and so retooled it appeal to the RC crowd in hopes of pushing up their sales.. don't know how that worked for them, but did cause some minor grief with the upscale kit makers in areas of the deck, which I have discussed earlier. Due to the tons of info out there, I am able to build a fairly accurate ship model. I have not made all of the changes to the things that are wrong with the kit, just what I can, I am doing. Lots more to do yet. Cheers O0 Dennis
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I always thought the outer jacket was for heat insulation but assumed that it was only partially effective, but I have learnt a lot about the space and its efficient system.
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Rear Mast railings and search lights are in now. Lots of detail on this beast yet to go before I glue the thing in for good. Dennis
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Complex old things aren't they with each platform having a job plus adding some redundancy in case of damage.
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Yes, they were very complex for the day. Can you imagine being up in that crows nest in heavy seas, swinging side to side... I wonder what degree arc those battleships would take? I do get seasick and was thankful to be stationed aboard an aircraft carrier during my Navy years... I worked in the message center and we would tie a coffee cup to a string to the overhead and watched it begin to swing side to side in heavy seas... otherwise, you hardly felt the movement... USS Ranger.... Forrestal Class...huge. Dennis
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Aft Mast is 90% complete and now cemented in place. Also finished the Catapult on Turret 3 with associated railing and ladders. Also installed all boat cradles on aft main and 5" gun deck aft. She is starting to look like the "Zona" at last. Dennis
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I imagine it would have been character building! I read in a book recently about a Sovereign class Pre dreadnought and how they were not designed with bilge keels. So likewise anyone in the crows nests would have been dutiful souls.
Lovely work Dennis.
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The Arizona does have bilge keels and with her wide beam (over 100ft), perhaps she was stiffer than I imagined. Tks, Dennis
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I admire the amount of detail being added to the build and at such a small scale it must be a nightmare, to get in and around obstructions, without any major breakages - looking great Dennis. :-)
Regards,
Ray.
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Thank you Ray. There are a number of Upscale kits offered for the Arizona kit from Trumpeter. I selected MK, but have since discovered that some of the others offer additional detail. I am realizing that I won't be able to make all the corrections or add all the extra detail, as these Upscale kits can get very expensive. It will be what it is, close to what the ship looked like in 1941, but not perfect. It has really been a fun experience and I'm already thinking about the next one. Yikes..where am I gonna put all these models?? Cheers, Dennis
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It will be a fitting memorial to those who perished Dennis. I am sure those who passed away will look kindly upon your efforts especially as the build is to honour them. A few minor irregularities will not spoil the model.
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Amen! That is what I am trying to do and the real reason for building the model. Thank you for that insight. :-)) Dennis
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Bridge is in. Alignment is good, a testiment to the changes Trumpeter made on this Arizona model. Dennis
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Amazing Dennis :-)) In twenty years, a bridge went from a wooden summer house on a platform to a structure more complex than the hull it was sat on.
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Hi Folks, this is an example of the PE work covering the surface of the fore mast gun control station to be mounted on the fore mast top of the tri-pod supports. What I was supposed to do was trim off all ridges surrounding the windows and then lay down the PE covering. However, the detail on the PE for the window surrounds was not pronounced enough, so I left the ridges as cast and trimmed the windows out of the PE and applied the covering on the surrounding area. The detail this gives is just mainly rivets, which comes out quite nicely after paint is applied. Bridge deck is now installed as are the tri-pods. Dennis
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Foremast observation tower rigging supports from PE. Later, the signal flag halyards will be rigged to these supports. Very delicate and amazing detail that can be achieved from PE. Model is at around the 90% point to ccompletion. Ships boats install, anchors and chain, main rigging, main railing and a few more ladders remain.. does not sound like much, but all that will be time consuming as final details usually are. Dennis
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Oh, I forgot... 3 aircraft have to be built and installed. D.
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Brilliant work :-)) I love the rigging supports, very straight and tidily cosntructed. Imagine scratch building those in 1:200th %%
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thank you sir. I saw an ad for your own Photo-etching kit. Now I can make my own parts. With a home 3D machine, I can start making my own kits! ;)
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Flag halyards and signal flags are in. Ships boats are mounted. Cranes secured. Range dials mounted. Almost there. Thinking on my next project will be for a friend. A WW2 flush deck 4 stacker destroyer. I will use the USS Ward as a base point, since that class (Wilks) were all so similar. Scale will be 350/1, which is about my limit for detail work. After that, something big. Cheers, Dennis
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You continue to impress Dennis:O) Does your friend know he will the recipient of such a lovely present?
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No, it will be the element of surprize. %% Dennis
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You star Dennis :-))
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First of two Kingfisher observation floatplanes is completed and mounted on catapult on top of number 3 turret. Simply turning turret for launch, either port or stbd. They say the launch was brutal. A gunpower charge in an 8" casing was used to fire the cat. By the time the aircraft was at the end of the catapult, it was doing about 70mph. Pilot and radioman had to really brace themselves for takeoff, like being shot out of a cannon. Probably really got ones pulse going {:-{ . I took some liberty, it is documented that typically the vertical tail fin was painted the color(s) of the ships squadran, in this case, the Arizona was red, as were turret tops on numbers 1,2,4 were painted red. I suspect that at some point, maybe before Pearl attack, the fins were painted dark blue. I can't find that to be fact, so I went ahead and painted it red, because it was done that way and is cool. Before Pearl, the aircraft were painted grey on body, with wings yellow and vertical stab, red. that color was changed at Pearl to dark blue on body and top of wings and light grey on bottom half of body and under wings and floats. I also added wing tip float stabilizing rods as was proper. Dennis
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Given the use of slower burning propellants at this time than Black powder of an earlier era, would the acceleration be less brutal? Interesting to know how it was done though. I always thought catapults were steam powered, but then how do you get steam up to the turret roof without compromising protection and reliability?
Lovely work as ever Dennis :-))
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Here is a good link that explains the catapult mech. system: http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/57l.htm Using pistons that react to gases from powder charge and pulley and cable system. Tks, truly enjoying this build. Dennis
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More details. All PE work. Dennis
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Ok gentlemen, I have another question. I have been dutifully placing about a hundred of these tiny brass discs onto locations on my main deck fore and aft that are painted dark grey per plan. I havn't a clue as to what they were used for on this ship. I can guess and say that they are deck lights to allow natural light down below, but I don't think that is what they really are. Any ideas?
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They look like scuttles to me Dennis. Coal fired ships had them for loading coal down into the bunkers. Arizona was oil fired but may still have had them for other reasons.
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Hmmmmm.... didn't think of that application. Could be. Tks. Dennis
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The deck by the gun mounts on BB 39 was 3" of armour plate under the teak.....it is difficult to accept that the armoured deck could be compromised by any form of deck [natural] thru-lights
Does the plan offer any clue?..... Derek
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Tks for insight Derek. You are correct and you bring up a point that has caused some question for me. The plans give the builder the option to include the plating or not. Most of the builders I have researched do not include that plating. The wood decking just shows a marked outline for the plating area with no explaination as to what it was and why were we given a choice. Frankly, not until you mentioned what it was, I had no clue and blindly went on ahead to add the covers or hatches or whatever they really are per "Upscale Plans and visual number guide".... main Trumpeter plans do not offer these openings. So, something new to ponder. First, I would want to really understand what those holes were for, if indeed they were for coal or fuel access points, the size would not be an issue in compromising the integrity of the additional deck plating. My guess only. Regards, Dennis
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Sorry folks, I am in error completely. Derek is referencing the under deck area of the sides of number 2 turret. I was thinking of the area just the side and forward of turret number 3. Yikes! :embarrassed: Dennis
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Dennis...these plans are from the original BB39 design/build...rather amazingly well detailed......however I find no reference on deck level to the ports in question.............. Derek
http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjououJgunSAhXFvrwKHfqZCAcQjhwIBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.researcheratlarge.com%2FShips%2FBB39%2FBOGP%2F&psig=AFQjCNFZSJ2UpMWGU5zv6Keq65C_BcwFpw&ust=1490233988088979
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Its a mind blower for sure. Could they have been "vents". I did come across pictures of the Arizona that show those "holes" or vents in the location same as the wood deck marking. Dennis
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I decided to scratch (partially) a small diorama of the Arizona Memorial in Hawaii. I found a company who does very good 3D printing and they offered the memorial in various scales. I chose a scale of 700/1. I must say that the printing came out beautiful and exact in detail to scale. Interior and exterior are all there except the engraved names of those whose lives were lost. I proceeded to build a diorama using brass sheet, leather and wood for frame. I flooded the interior with epoxy resin. I used a line drawing from a book I have of the wreck that happened to be darn close to the same scale, so I traced that outline and bent my brass to fit. The leather made a great base to work from. I then painted the leather dark blue with some green. I glued the memorial model in the location where she is across the wreck. I think it came out ok and gets the message across. I plan to mount that diorama onto the base when the model ship is completed. Dennis
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I'd be touched to know that my late relations lost on that day were being remembered in such a fine way :-)) Lovely piece of work.
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Well folks, as I begin rigging on the Arizona, I realize that it will take me a few months to complete the model. A dear friend has asked me to build him a model of the destroyer his dad served on during WW2. It is a Wilks class flush deck 4 stacker named U.S.S. Watters DD-115. Since he wanted a small sized model, I found a nice kit of the U.S.S. Ward DD-139 from Iron Shipwrights done at 1/350 scale. This will yield a model that will be 10-1/2" long. Parts are all resin and PE, with lots of detail. I only have pictures of the Watters to guide me, but there will be very few changes, in fact, I can probably get away with just changing the number. So, if you all don't mind, I am switching gears to get this model out for my friend as quickly has possible. I will post the build for you as I think you will find this type of ship very interesting. I am posting now, pictures of the Arizona as she is today, the rigging has begun in the stern area. Cheers, Dennis
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She's such a lovely model Dennis. I love the dreadnoughts as they have the look of the predreadnought but with the obvious evolution if the new Battleship concept.
It will be good to have a break, just be careful not to knock her while you move aout working on the DD.
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Thank you for your kind words sir. Yes, the ship has a real bulldog look to her. Here is a shot of where I am storing her while I work on the DD. That is cruiser Indianapolis she is sitting on top of. My plan is to lower the Indy on that wall and build another shelf to set the Zona on after she is in her case. It is a problem I'm having with these large models.. running out of space. The 1/350 scale is becoming more attractive as it yields smaller models and I can build a fleet that way! O0 Dennis
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:-)) 8)