So my next build will be another 1/350 scale Iowa class battleship. But this time, the whiffery won't be quite as extreme as on my last Iowa battleship project I had made. Oh, there will be some whiffery, but there will also be some technical believeability also. It's like a 50/50 mix.
I plan to build the USS Iowa if it had been rebuilt/refurbished after the 1989 turret #2 explosion.
A few particulars:
Remove turret #2 and replace with 64-cell VLS.
Keep the modifications on the ship to a 1992-1996 timeframe.
All other modifications are shown in the below pic. But.........I also have some questions as follows:
1. I'm going to need/have four Mk.95 "bug eye" illuminators for Seasparrow tracking, etc. But I am undecided on the locations to put these. The port and starboard sides on either side of the front funnel are ok, but I'm not sure where to put two others in order to have good radar tracking coverage?
2. Do I also need to add the Mk.23 TAS (Target Aquisition System) radar or not? If I do, then what do you think might be a good location?
3. I was going to remove all the old Mk.37 gun directors since I am not having/using the old Mk.38 gun turrets. But will I need a SPQ-9B radar unit/dome for the modern 5"/54 guns? If so, then what might be a good location for that?
(https://i.imgur.com/3Coh6rkh.jpg)
Not much going on. Progress will be a wee bit slow as I "get out the gate" so to speak. Used Testor Acrylic Insignia Red for the bottom hull and also Vallejo Model Air Color # 70.615 US Navy Light Ghost Gray for the upper hull side. The Vallejo color will also be the primary gray color for a lot of the ship superstructures, guns, etc., etc.
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A start is a start! Is good! :thumbsup:
More progress pics. :thumbsup:
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If you want to make sure your after VLS cells are the right height, Shipbucket's good source for planning, since they're all in the same scale (2pix/foot).
Quote from: scooter on January 22, 2022, 02:41:10 PM
If you want to make sure your after VLS cells are the right height, Shipbucket's good source for planning, since they're all in the same scale (2pix/foot).
Thanks, but I think I've got everything figured out on my own. ;)
All I can do is admire the scratch building going on :bow:
More progress. I need help and opinions on the last pic. What Phalanx Option should I go with?
Look at the "foundations" that the CIWS sits on. Which one do you feel looks/works best?
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Two more pics for today. ;)
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Coming along nicely! :thumbsup:
CIWS: 'Coz It Won't Stop!
More progress pics.
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Movin' along nicely! :thumbsup:
I'm actively trying to avoid this thread, not to be lured into dragging out the 1/700 shipyard, but rather stay on focus with the 1/72 Shelf of DoomTM aircraft.
You're not making it any easier.. :wub:
Quote from: Pellson on January 30, 2022, 03:05:07 AM
I'm actively trying to avoid this thread, not to be lured into dragging out the 1/700 shipyard, but rather stay on focus with the 1/72 Shelf of DoomTM aircraft.
You're not making it any easier.. :wub:
Soon, you shall join me, my young Padawan apprentice. Join the Dark Side of what if ship modeling and together we shall rule the forums. *evil laughter* :wacko: :wacko:
We all know ships are great fun to re-arm and re-history, so give in Pellson.
I like the idea of this project. :thumbsup:
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I'd keep the 40' Utility Boat (everyone needs a Jack-of-All-Trades) & the 33' Personnel Boat (Admirals like to ride in style) & replace the rest with various RHIBs.
Really is coming along well, mate! :thumbsup:
Quote from: Old Wombat on February 03, 2022, 05:34:00 AM
Really is coming along well, mate! :thumbsup:
Early contender for understatement of the year award there Mr Wombat ;)
I'm dumbfounded by the level of detail and how much there is. I always think of modern warships as being fairly uncluttered and devoid of this type of infrastructure. Coming along tremendously :thumbsup:
Thanks for the compliments, guys. :thumbsup:
As for your comment, Old Wombat, I would probably agree.
The 26 ft. whaleboats are like a throwback to the ship's boats from the 40's and 50's.
It's high time they got replaced and updated with newer RHIB designs.
Quote from: NARSES2 on February 03, 2022, 06:14:44 AM
Quote from: Old Wombat on February 03, 2022, 05:34:00 AM
Really is coming along well, mate! :thumbsup:
Early contender for understatement of the year award there Mr Wombat ;)
I'm dumbfounded by the level of detail and how much there is. I always think of modern warships as being fairly uncluttered and devoid of this type of infrastructure. Coming along tremendously :thumbsup:
Well, the ol'
Iowa's not exactly a "modern warship", having been laid down in mid-1940 & commissioned in early-1943.
We're talking about the modernisation of a, roughly, 50 years old structure at the time
seadude's build is occurring.
And I've already achieved the lead in the "Understatement of the Year" award elsewhere (Here (https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=47850.msg945181#msg945181), in fact).
Quote from: Old Wombat on February 03, 2022, 06:59:46 AM
Well, the ol' Iowa's not exactly a "modern warship", having been laid down in mid-1940 & commissioned in early-1943.
We're talking about the modernisation of a, roughly, 50 years old structure at the time seadude's build is occurring.
True. I'm just staggered by how much new stuff there is to be grafted on to her
Getting back to the below pic.........I need opinions.
I could possibly scratch build a whole new mast structure, but my eyesight isn't that good and trying to get all the styrene pieces either straight or at the correct angles won't be easy.
If I used the smaller platform that an RPV radome used to be on as shown in the upper left of the pic, I'm not sure if the platform could hold the weight of the Mk.23 TAS?
Anybody got any suggestions?
(https://i.imgur.com/9RYQprZh.jpg)
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About the above pic concerning the wood decks.........
The planking on the TAMIYA 1/350 New Jersey kit is exceptionally narrow. Probably about 0.50 mm or less wide. Maybe even 0.30 mm.
And the space/gap between planks is even worse. Not very noticeable and not very deep either.
THE PLANKING AND THE SPACING BETWEEN PLANKS IS EXCEPTIONALLY NARROW. Almost to the point of needing a microscope to see it.
There is one alternative, but I am hesitant to do it as I'm hoping some way to still paint the wood decks a wood color.
The alternative is to paint ALL the wood decks a non-skid gunship gray color just like what I've been doing for some of my other deck pieces on my model. In short, ALL the horizontal decks on the model would be non-skid gunship gray (Except for the aft flight deck.) just like all the decks on an Arleigh Burke destroyer are non-skid gunship gray color.
Would it look weird? Yes, but since my model is a what if fantasy project, I could just say the Navy was testing and/or implementing new deck concepts.
And if I'm not too mistaken, I'm pretty sure I've seen some real photos of Iowa wood decks, (Particuarly at the aft area.) that were "painted over" with a non-skid gunship gray coating. The wood deck was still left in place, but a non-skid coating was applied on top of the wood.
As I said, I'm hesitant to try this alternative, but....... :-\ :-\ Anybody have thoughts on this?
if plan A is a bust go with the anti skid, :thumbsup: it is just a line or 2 to add to the description to say that it was added due to reason X or y or due to admiral P realising that the wood was degrading too quickly due to the actions of the JMN beetle,,,
Some of our members who build WWI models might be able to help with the deck question ?
I'm running out of superlatives for this build, and I really like the inclusion of the saluting guns. Nice touch of detail that could easily be missed :bow:
Seeing the ship's boats I have a quick question. Do USN capital ships have an Admiral's Barge ? Or do they spruce up the 33 foot Personnel Boat when required ?
Sorry I didn't get back to you on you earlier mast question but I was torn between your choices. :-\
Now that you have the second mast installed, I'd suggest you extend the legs down to the deck, as that is where the load bearing structures are, not in the funnels (unless you decide that the legs continue down inside the funnels to the deck). ;)
I have no answers re: your wooden decks because, so far, I've only ever done anti-skid grey. :-X
As for everything else ..... Bloody awesome! :thumbsup:
Quote from: NARSES2 on February 06, 2022, 01:55:19 AM
Seeing the ship's boats I have a quick question. Do USN capital ships have an Admiral's Barge ? Or do they spruce up the 33 foot Personnel Boat when required ?
I don't think there's an Admiral's barge that is used. If there was, it may have been discontinued from service long ago. I think the 33ft Personnel boat is mostly used now.
As for the decks........I'm not sure what to do yet. I'm still thinking. If I do the tan decks, the deficiencies won't be noticeable if someone were 6 or more feet away. But have a spectator or contest judge get really up close with their flashlight poking around the model........and I'm screwed. With the non-skid gunship gray, at least I could make up any plausible explanation for that and maybe some people would believe it and go with it.
If I go with the gunship gray wood decks, there's 2 spots that I may leave painted the tan wood deck: the fantail area where the former two 40mm gun tubs are, and the 03 Level Signal Deck below the bridge area. I would leave these tan as a "reminder/nostalgia" for when the ships actually had teak wood decks to show.
Quote from: seadude on February 06, 2022, 07:26:12 AM
If I go with the gunship gray wood decks, there's 2 spots that I may leave painted the tan wood deck: the fantail area where the former two 40mm gun tubs are, and the 03 Level Signal Deck below the bridge area. I would leave these tan as a "reminder/nostalgia" for when the ships actually had teak wood decks to show.
That sounds a neat solution :thumbsup:
Thanks for the answer to my Admiral's Barge query :thumbsup:
I wouldn't exactly say I'm getting close to the finish line on this model, but I am still making good progress. I was hoping to have this model "maybe" done in time for a March 5th contest. But the more I look at it and the things that still need to be worked on it, the more I realize that won't happen.
So the laundry list of To Do things is the following. This is not a complete list by any means.
Build and paint one deck tractor.
Build and paint #'s 1 and 3 main gun turrets.
Paint all wooden decks.
Finish 2-3 helicopters.
Add various whip communication antennas.
Build and paint flight deck safety netting.
Paint helicopter flight deck.
Add refueling hose reel in fantail 40mm gun tub.
Finish painting portholes in some superstructure assemblies.
Add decals to ship.
Build display stand.
Paint 5"/54 Mk.45 guns.
Add photoetch fire hoses.
Add photoetch stairs in some areas.
Buy, paint, and add VLS missile cells.
Add "rigging" to bow area NTDS antenna.
Paint bow deck area and anchor chains.
Finish building starboard main refueling kingpost and hose lines.
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"Limited eyesight" working on 1/350 scale ships ..... I share your pain, brother! :-\
Whilst being in awe of your skills! :bow:
Quote from: Old Wombat on February 15, 2022, 02:31:18 AM
"Limited eyesight" working on 1/350 scale ships ..... I share your pain, brother! :-\
Whilst being in awe of your skills! :bow:
You and me both squire :bow: :bow:
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:o :thumbsup:
Nice work!
"drain spouts" on ships are called scuppers.
I wonder if the aft storage container for the UAV/tractor could handle the overpressure from a salvo from the aft turret?
Quote from: sandiego89 on February 21, 2022, 06:33:44 AM
I wonder if the aft storage container for the UAV/tractor could handle the overpressure from a salvo from the aft turret?
Only if it was well armoured, but the thickness of the styrene in 1/350
probably equates to about 12"-18", which
might be sufficient.
One thing I did miss for my model is to eventually add a jettisonable fuel storage bladder as seen in the starboard side fantail gun tub in this pic of the USS Iowa.
http://www.navsource.org/archives/01/0161028.jpg
It was used for fueling purposes for the Pioneer RPV's. While the JP-5 fuel for the helicopters would come from tanks 2 decks down inside the ship.
The fuel bladder in the tub could be jettisoned quickly over the side in case of fire.
Iowa had hers in the starboard tub while some of the other battleships had theirs in the port tub.
Also, I'll have to add the landing signal aid for helicopters as shown on the right side of that tub.
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:thumbsup: :thumbsup:
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:thumbsup:
Fantastic work :thumbsup: :thumbsup:
Nice work!
For terminology sake, the stairs are called "ladders" and the deck hatches are called "scuttles" in US Navy service. Not a criticism, just trying to help! Gotta sound salty if you ever encounter those docents at the battleship museums :thumbsup: (highly recommended!). I have had the pleasure on being on five battleships: North Carolina, Massachusetts, Alabama, Missouri & Wisconsin, and have seen the Iowa and New Jersey from pierside. I think the North Carolina is the best from what you can tour and see, and Missouri for historical sake as the surrender site.
Quote from: sandiego89 on March 09, 2022, 03:20:35 PM
Nice work!
For terminology sake, the stairs are called "ladders" and the deck hatches are called "scuttles" in US Navy service. Not a criticism, just trying to help! Gotta sound salty if you ever encounter those docents at the battleship museums :thumbsup: (highly recommended!). I have had the pleasure on being on five battleships: North Carolina, Massachusetts, Alabama, Missouri & Wisconsin, and have seen the Iowa and New Jersey from pierside. I think the North Carolina is the best from what you can tour and see, and Missouri for historical sake as the surrender site.
My best friend got to go see both the Missouri and the New Jersey years ago. He gave me a copy of all the Missouri pics he took when he toured her. He says he eventually wants to see the Wisconsin and he'll take me with him. But for various reasons which would take too long to explain, I highly doubt that trip will ever happen.
Quote from: seadude on March 09, 2022, 03:27:27 PM
My best friend got to go see both the Missouri and the New Jersey years ago. He gave me a copy of all the Missouri pics he took when he toured her. He says he eventually wants to see the Wisconsin and he'll take me with him. But for various reasons which would take too long to explain, I highly doubt that trip will ever happen.
The Wisconsin is absolutely immaculate, just like the crew walked off. They have opened more of her up in recent years now that she is no longer on recall status. For years only a few spaces were opened and most spaces were carefully sealed and had de-humidifiers running. I can see her topside for my office window at work.
Almost done. Still have to do the following yet.
But getting the photoetch fire hoses, and the VLS's has to wait till I get my tax refund so I can buy them. :banghead:
To Do list:
Add various whip communication antennas.
Build display stand.
Add photoetch fire hoses.
Add photoetch stairs in some areas.
Buy, paint, and add VLS missile cells.
Finish building starboard main refueling kingpost.
Add 5" guns.
Add American flag decal on top of turret # 1.
(https://i.imgur.com/LUhWQ0Mh.jpg)
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Well, it's getting down to the wire so to speak. Just have the following left to do.
But, I've hit a slight snag. :banghead:
To Do list:
Add photoetch fire hoses.
Buy, paint, and add VLS missile cells.
Finish building starboard main refueling kingpost.
Add American flag decal on top of turret # 1.
I was hoping to get this VLS from Shapeways.
https://www.shapeways.com/product/NVR3CF8NE/1-350-64-cell-mk-41-vls-x2
But after adding up all the manufacturing charges, taxes, and shipping charges, I can definately say this is NOT going to happen. :banghead:
With the way the economy is due to inflation and such, I'll have to go the cheaper route and buy the following square tile instead.
It may not look as good, but it can't be helped.
https://evergreenscalemodels.com/collections/040-1-0mm-opaque-white-polystyrene-sidewalk/products/4502-1-12-x-1-12-opaque-white-polystyrene-square-tile
Moved as per request :thumbsup:
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Quote from: seadude on February 20, 2022, 06:25:01 PM
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Those drains on the Aa gun tubs do two things..yup allow water to drain out but its also where they would sweep all the empty 40mm shell cases to clear the gun pit ..it saved the crew from having to pic them up and throw them over the side dew to the huge amounts of ammo used in combat.
My Iowa model ain't done yet. It's only about 99.999999999% done.
I just ordered photoetch fire hoses which I need to add to the ship.
Once those are added, then I'll have final pics to show and I can call the model done. :thumbsup:
Fire hoses?! :blink:
Methinks someone's a micro-detailer! ;D :thumbsup:
Quote from: Old Wombat on March 27, 2022, 02:35:27 AM
Methinks someone's a micro-detailer! ;D :thumbsup:
Possibly ;) ;D :thumbsup:
Yes, I did finish this beast. My very last thing to put on was the photoetch fire hoses which I mentioned in an earlier post.
Now that that is done, here are some final pics of my model when I took it to two model contests this year. I got a 2nd Place Silver medal at each contest for my model.
(https://i.imgur.com/1xZqNVWh.jpg)
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Awesome results for a What If build in a general modelling contest! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: :bow: :bow:
Well done mate. It's not about winning or losing (although second is awesome), it's about messing with people's heads. :mellow:
Very nice work! :thumbsup:
P.S. - Here's some historical notes I wrote up weeks ago for my ship too if anybody is interested.
USS Iowa Historical Notes
What would the USS Iowa have looked like had it returned to service after the tragic April 1989 Turret # 2 explosion? Could the turret have been saved and rebuilt with replacement parts? Or would it have been removed and some other weapon system put in it's place? Would the rest of the ship have been further modernized as well?
During the early 1980's, the IOWA class battleships were modernized with what was then known as a Phase 1 design. This was intended to be a quick conversion at a limited cost to get the ships active and operational as soon as possible. This design phase upgraded the battleships with Tomahawk cruise missile armored box launchers, Harpoon anti-ship missiles, Phalanx CIWS gun systems, new radar systems, and many more changes both inside and outside the ships. This is the design most people are familiar with when they see pictures of the battleships from the 1980's or when visiting the battleships as they now sit as museum attractions at various ports in the U.S..
After Phase 1, the US Navy went further and planned for Phase 2 which included at least 10 (or more?) design studies. These studies were initiated to determine a conversion configuration that was to commence when one of these ships began her first regularly scheduled overhaul. Various Phase 2 designs were more "extreme" as some of them were to propose the following:
a) Removing Turret # 3 and placing a large flight deck and ski jumps at the rear of the ship (plus hangar space) for AV-8A/B Harriers or other helicopters and aircraft,
b) Removal of all three main gun turrets,
c) Adding massive amounts (300-400+) of VLS (Vertical Launch System) missile cells,
d) Addition of the AEGIS anti-air radar system.
But after much deliberations and design changes, all Phase 2 studies were cancelled due to extremely high costs as well as opposition from figures in the military (particuarly the U.S. Marine Corps) and from Congress. But the proposals didn't stop there. Around 1990, more modest and "conservative" updates were planned. All four ships were to have received the following changes as funding became available. These were to include, but not limited to:
a) A smaller VLS missile cell size of 96-128,
b) Adding two or more NATO Sea Sparrow missile launchers,
c) Addition of Mk.23 TAS (Target Acquisition System) radar,
d) Replace 5"/38 guns with 5"/54 guns,
e) Extended range EX-148 13" inch saboted rounds for the 16" guns.
The updates would depend on the ship, cost, and time of availability. But sadly, none of these modest updates were added as all four IOWA class battleships were decommissioned around the time of the 1990-1991 Persian Gulf War.
The model shown here is based on a 1994-1996 timeframe if some of the later "conservative" updates to the IOWA class were added.
Like the notes :thumbsup:
Nice work and congrats on the 2 silvers ! As always great to looks and and read about all of your additions. Great work and somat I'd love to do !
I saw your ship at Indy show and it was awesome in person! And your other ship with the blue hull too!