Now, that's a neat thing I didn't know about!  

The bow starboard and port weapon sponsons I had built back on Page 18 of this model thread are now DOA.
That represented the "second iteration" of trying to rebuild new bow weapon sponsons.

So now as the old saying goes, Third time's the charm? Right?
As I previously mentioned in Post # 317 on Page 22 of this thread, I'm going to use engine inlets from a Testor 1/32 scale YF-22 aircraft.
One major thing I'd like to do is try and make sure the new port and starboard bow weapon sponsons are at the same level/height to each other if a person were to look at the bow from head on. Whether or not I can do this and it will work and look good, only time will tell. For right now, the next week or so will be to clean up and sand the areas where the older "blocky" sponsons were. Wish me luck on this third round of scratch building. 

And a few other things I forgot to mention.............

I might be changing the name of this ship. Not sure yet. Instead of the USS United States, I might rename it the USS John Adams. Supposedly, John Adams, one of America's "Founding Fathers", was quite instrumental in the founding of the US Navy. He has often been regarded as the "father" of the US Navy.

And secondly, Gondor is still right. Back on Page 18 of this model thread, he posted the following:

Quote from: Gondor on October 16, 2024, 01:38:26 PMI would be careful with how high up the hull the port sponson goes, the end of the "runway" is above it so you don't want any errant jets falling onto that sponson. Those parts look good. Nice recycling which ever parts you use 

Gondor

A picture further below shows the old "boxy" weapon sponsons I previously scratch built and how launching aircraft from the port side catapults may or may not be affected.
Depending on how far out from the hull the new weapon sponson made from F-22 engine inlets sticks out and how high or low on the hull it is, will it still affect aircraft launches from the port side? I won't know until I add the new sponson.
One thing that could help with aircraft launches from the port side is to add an upward angled ramp at the end similar to what past British carriers had. I'm not really a fan of this idea, but we'll have to see how things go as the building process moves along.

Quote from: seadude on December 30, 2024, 03:54:52 PMGondor is still right. Back on Page 18 of this model thread, he posted the following:

Quote from: Gondor on October 16, 2024, 01:38:26 PMI would be careful with how high up the hull the port sponson goes, the end of the "runway" is above it so you don't want any errant jets falling onto that sponson. Those parts look good. Nice recycling which ever parts you use 

Gondor

Where is the Embarrised icon when you need it 

Gondor

Quote from: seadude on December 30, 2024, 03:54:52 PMOne thing that could help with aircraft launches from the port side is to add an upward angled ramp at the end similar to what past British carriers had. I'm not really a fan of this idea, but we'll have to see how things go as the building process moves along.

The current ones do too, as they don't have catapults (but do have 'provision' for them.....) the ramp is vital to get the F-35s off the deck.

(I REFUSE to call them Lightnings, Lightnings have TWO engines, one above the other!)

Quote from: PR19_Kit on December 31, 2024, 05:08:51 AM(I REFUSE to call them Lightnings, Lightnings have TWO engines, one above the other!)

Or boomed Allisons either side of a pilot pod.

Quote from: Old Wombat on January 02, 2025, 01:23:50 AMOr boomed Allisons either side of a pilot pod.

Sometimes......... 

Quote from: PR19_Kit on December 31, 2024, 05:08:51 AM

Quote from: seadude on December 30, 2024, 03:54:52 PMOne thing that could help with aircraft launches from the port side is to add an upward angled ramp at the end similar to what past British carriers had. I'm not really a fan of this idea, but we'll have to see how things go as the building process moves along.

The current ones do too, as they don't have catapults (but do have 'provision' for them.....) the ramp is vital to get the F-35s off the deck.

(I REFUSE to call them Lightnings, Lightnings have TWO engines, one above the other!)

Yes, there will be F-35 Lightnings on my carrier deck. I also wish I could add A-12A Avenger II stealth attack jets to my carrier, but I don't think those are available anymore when Shapeways went bust. And I refuse to call them Avenger. I tend to call them Dorito after the snack chip.   

Didn't Fantastic Plastic do an A-12 at one stage?

Ah, yes, but that would have been in 1/72 scale of course, a bit large for your ship...................

An A-12 in 1/350 scale shouldn't be too tough to build in 1/350 I'd have thought, it's almost flat and it's a tri-angle.

Quote from: PR19_Kit on January 02, 2025, 06:38:03 AMDidn't Fantastic Plastic do an A-12 at one stage?

Ah, yes, but that would have been in 1/72 scale of course, a bit large for your ship...................

An A-12 in 1/350 scale shouldn't be too tough to build in 1/350 I'd have thought, it's almost flat and it's a tri-angle.

Anigrand made one in 1/72 scale.
https://fantastic-plastic.com/general-dynamics-a-12-avenger-ii-by-anigrand.html
And Planet Models made one too in 1/72 scale. Pic below. I have the Planet Models A-12 in my stash, but probably won't build it as I am waiting for Modelcollect to make the bigger (and hopefully better detailed) 1/48 scale A-12 (Pic below) which I hope will be released soon.

Well, you're not going to like this.
I've got bad news, and then I've got bad news. Which do you want first? 
Actually, it's all bad news.
I might be ditching the idea of using those 1/32 scale engine inlets from a YF-22 aircraft to make new port and starboard bow weapon sponsons.
I keep going over and over in my mind on how I am going to make those weapon sponsons and trying to design something.
But most of my designs are too small, too big, look ugly, look bulky, or something else.
I am no closer to finishing these than when I originally started long ago.
And now, I've come up with a fourth iteration.
The questions is: If I use this new configuration, do I have just the laser turrets on the sponson and no VLS? Or do I put smaller VLS on either side of the laser turrets?

I think you have got to the stage where you are overthinking things. The sponson problem is a bug bare all right, and I agree that unless it looks right it's not going to work. Try working on the rest of the ship and then come back to it if you can. Cardboard and blu tack shapes together and keep trying occasionally between working on other things is the best I can suggest.

Gondor

Quote from: Gondor on January 04, 2025, 02:01:00 PMI think you have got to the stage where you are overthinking things. The sponson problem is a bug bare all right, and I agree that unless it looks right it's not going to work. Try working on the rest of the ship and then come back to it if you can. Cardboard and blu tack shapes together and keep trying occasionally between working on other things is the best I can suggest.

Gondor

I hear you about "stepping away" and working on something else, then try coming back to it. I may do that.
One of the reasons I do big model projects like this carrier for example, is that I see it as a challenge. I'm constantly looking for model subjects that will test my creativity and imagination as well as my modeling skills. Eventually, something will work for these sponsons. I'm not giving up on them. I don't give up that easily. 

Looking at other ships might help. Unless you've already done that. Or completely different things like buildings or something for inspiration.

INSPIRATION HAS STRUCK!       But will the following work? 
About 4-5 times I have tried different ideas and solutions to rebuild the bow port and starboard weapon sponsons.
But none of those past iterations has worked for one reason or another. They all failed.
I think I can finally say I've come across a new plan (and hopefully the final one) that will work. But I'm not very fond of it.
Simply because I'm robbing parts from a kit that I really didn't want to rob parts from and wanted to keep together.
But.............sacrifices must be made in the name of whiffery! 
You know those large squareish landing leg pods on the Space 1999 Eagle transporter spaceship? Well, I may be robbing parts of those to help build the port and starboard bow weapon sponsons. They appear to be just what I need. And they're angled too which adds to the stealthiness of my carrier.
Will they work? I don't know. I'm going to need several days or a week or two to plan this out. So don't expect any new progress photos right away.
But if I use these parts from my MPC 1/48 scale Space 1999 Eagle Transporter, then how will my Eagle land or fly, or whatever? It won't. I was thinking of removing all four landing leg pods and replace each one with large off road wheels/tires. Turn the Eagle into a large roving vehicle. But, that's a model project far, far away yet.