1/350 scale USS Solace LHD Amphibious Hospital Ship

[Captain Canada]

I'm swinging my vote back the other way. I was thinking about my Pine Island that is now a 350 scale boat, but I only added a/c and you can't really tell. I am not using accessories of 2 different scales.

[seadude]

I bought a bunch of GHQ vehicle sets last night........just for the hell of it to see if they might work. I ordered the following: (1 pack of each)
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n96.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n95.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n129.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n128.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n117.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n120.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n105.html

Since I'm building a hospital/humanitarian relief ship operated by the US military and/or a civilian agency, then it only makes sense that I'll need a lot of "cargo/transport" vehicles to put in the LCAC's/LCU's as well as the interior vehicle storage deck. Now........what should I paint them? Should all the vehicles (as well as the LCAC's/LCU's & aircraft) all be painted white with red crosses on the sides? Or should they be painted some other colors?
I was also considering adding UN markings on some of the vehicles too, but am unsure about it. Can a amphibious hospital ship get away with transporting white "combat" UN vehicles (To help guard hospital/relief supply convoys) or would that violate international laws by having UN armaments and armed vehicles on a hospital ship?

[sandiego89]

Should all the vehicles (as well as the LCAC's/LCU's & aircraft) all be painted white with red crosses on the sides? Or should they be painted some other colors?
I was also considering adding UN markings on some of the vehicles too, but am unsure about it. Can a amphibious hospital ship get away with transporting white "combat" UN vehicles (To help guard hospital/relief supply convoys) or would that violate international laws by having UN armaments and armed vehicles on a hospital ship?

Overall white would be fine, although a mix of some vehicles in another color may provide some more interest- see below.  The red crosses are primarily a western marking, and may not be welcome/appropriate for the theatre the ship is operating in.  The red crescent may be more welcome in certain countries.  

Armed relief vehicles is highly dependent on the host nation, and the nature of the response. It depends on the type of situation you are entering. If there is an absence of host nation security, ie there are unable or unwilling to provide security, then yes you could have a situation where armed vehicles could be needed to provide security for the relief operation.  Sometimes you must secure the area before allowing relief.  This could be authorized by the host nation or via UN resolution, or other resolution (NATO, EU, etc). Generally a relief nation will not send in armed persons, vessels, aircraft or vehicles without permission or authorization, as this would be an invasion.  In cases where there is a near total breakdown of a host nation (like Somalia), a commander may be given authorization to provide a self protection capability.  

Armament for relief missions is usually defensive in nature, although that can be stretched quite a bit to include APC's, both wheeled an tracked and other heavy equipment.  Operations such a Kosovo (KFOR), IFOR, Darfur, etc have seen some heavily armed vehicles. Some may stay in military colors, but will usually have clear markings representative of the operation: ie will not have national roundels/markings/flags.  

If your model is a generic response vessel prepared for both permissive, and non permissive environments, then yes you could have both armed and unarmed vehicles.    

You could go with US equipment alone (normal load) or I could also see your LHD used to transport other vehicles from other participating countries and agencies.  This could provide some more interest to your model and you could have civilian trucks, water tankers, etc in all sorts of colors.  And even helos from other countries. Your scenario could be a UN/NATO/EU/SEAN etc sanctioned relief effort in a non-permissive environment and has all sorts of trucks and combat support vehicles, vessels and helos. The LHD could be the flag HQ for the where the Joint Task Force commander sits, and acts as the lead support vessel. A MiL-17 and some non standard trucks would add some color on deck.        

[kerick]

Don't forget non-government organizations, NGOs. They would have any number of civilian aircraft and vehicles.

[zenrat]

I haven't checked through all your shopping to see if you have them already but the backbone of the UN is the Toyota Landcruiser.  You need some of them.

[seadude]

I haven't checked through all your shopping to see if you have them already but the backbone of the UN is the Toyota Landcruiser.  You need some of them.

You mean something like this?
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n133.html
I haven't fully decided if I want this ship model to carry other vehicles from other countries, or even to have any UN markings on any of them. Right now, it's just an "option" I'm considering.
Right now, this model project "represents" my idea for a What If hospital ship to replace the US Navy's MERCY class hospital ships.

[Captain Canada]

That's a great selection there. I hope the scales work out, but I'm skeptical now....especially with the size of something as bi as a HEMMT

[seadude]

That's a great selection there. I hope the scales work out, but I'm skeptical now....especially with the size of something as bi as a HEMMT

Yeah, I'm a bit skeptical too. Well, if the GHQ vehicles don't work for any reason, I'll just sell/give them to somebody else who might have a use for them.

So.........a recap of my plans and ideas so far for this huge project:

1. Build the Wasp as a What If hospital ship replacement for the US Navy's MERCY class hospital ships.

2. Paint it all white with a green stripe and red crosses along the hull sides as mentioned in this thread:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,37885.0.html

3. Add a selection of either MRC cargo/transport vehicles:
http://www.modelrec.com/search/product-view.asp?ID=12472
(But only the Humvees & cargo trucks)
........or GHQ cargo/transport vehicles (As described in Post # 91 further above) as well as palletised cargo on the LCAC's/LCU's and in the upper vehicle storage deck.

4. Add extra lifeboats/launches/RHIB's to the port/starboard sides of the ship. 
3 x 1/350 Veteran Models Modern US Navy Rigid Hull & Personnel Boats, 2 Personnel boats & 2 RHIB's per pkg x 3 pkgs = 6 Personnel boats & 6 RHIB's total.
http://www.freetimehobbies.com/VTM35011/

5. Remove all weapons and weapon systems radars.

6. Medium/large cargo crane to be added in place of where the forward Seasparrow missile launcher originally was.

7. Unknown on what to put in the aft area above the well gate where the aft Seasparrow launcher and CIWS guns are normally located.

8. Massive amounts of "humanitarian cargo and supplies" has already been bought:
5 x 1/350 Niko Model Cargo Wooden Boxes Small, 12 pcs per pkg x 5 pkgs = 60 pcs total.
5 x 1/350 Niko Model Cargo Wooden Boxes Large, 5 pcs per pkg x 5 pkgs = 25 pcs total.
5 x 1/700 Niko Model Cargo Wooden Boxes,  14 pcs per pkg x 5 pkgs = 70 pcs total.
1 x L'Arsenal 1/350 Accessory  85 gallon Oil / Fuel Drums (50 pcs)

9. Aircraft already in the Gallery Models WASP kit will be used as well as one extra pkg of MRC aircraft which was bought.
http://www.modelrec.com/search/product-view.asp?ID=12471
Aircraft for the flight deck/hangar bay to possibly include:
V-22's x 6
SH-60's x 4  (Might add another 2 from my spares box at home)
CH-53's x 6
CH-46's x 6  (Not sure if I will use this helicopter)

10. All flight deck vehicles to be used from the Gallery Models WASP kit as well as 1 extra MRC pkg.
http://www.modelrec.com/search/product-view.asp?ID=12474

11. Both LCAC's (x2) and LCU's (x2) will be used from the Gallery Models WASP kit.

12. Since the WASP kit does not have a waterline hull option, I will be making a display/diorama similar to this:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/am/lhd/350-py/lhd1-21.jpg

13. Most aircraft, LCAC's/LCU's, cargo/transport vehicles to be painted white unless otherwise noted. Flight deck vehicles to be painted yellow.

14. No LED lighting to be added in the hangar bay/well deck.

15. To make the well deck, hangar bay, and upper vehicle storage deck more "visible", I have decided to cut certain sections out of the flight deck as well as the hangar bay floor, and replace them with clear acrylic sheet similar to what is shown here:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/am/ijn/shimokita-700-pv/shimokita-index.html

16. May possibly paint all life raft canisters orange to make them more visible against a white hulled ship.

17. Scratchbuild some 20 ft. hospital cargo containers as mentioned in Post # 61 here:
http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,35600.60.html

18. Unknown on how much or if any, photoetch will be used as my eyesight can no longer handle small stuff like that.

[Captain Canada]

Wow...this is gonna be huge !

I'd probably scrap the H-46 idea as well. Since you have the V-22 it would be unlikely that they'd still be on deck together. But having said that, it is such a good looking helo !

[seadude]

As I mentioned before, I bought one pkg of each of the following. They arrived in the mail today.

http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n96.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n95.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n129.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n128.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n117.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n120.html
http://www.ghqmodels.com/store/n105.html

Below are some test shots comparing some of the grey 1/350 scale MRC vehicles next to the GHQ 1/285 scale shiny pewter vehicles. Sorry for any blurriness of pics. If I decide to use GHQ vehicles, I don't plan to mix them with any MRC 1/350 vehicles nor do I plan to put any 1/285 vehicles on the flight deck in any way. The only 1/350 vehicles will be those on the flight deck like crash trucks, tilly crane, etc. All GHQ vehicles will be on the LCAC's/LCU's, in the well deck, and in the upper vehicle storage bay. The only 1/350th vehicle that may be near any 1/285 vehicles are any forklifts.

[NARSES2]

The GHQ stuff is lovely but it is a case of "will I be as big as you when I grow up ?"

I think your plan of action is workable

[Captain Canada]

They are nice ! Definitely noticeable side by side.

[seadude]

This is gonna be a multi-part post.

PART 1

Maybe most people know this already or maybe they don't. For those that don't, let me try to explain. Gallery Models has gotten the upper vehicle deck and the starboard side cargo/vehicle loading hatch all wrong.

Some people may already know that I have talked about converting my Wasp kit into an amphibious hospital/humanitarian relief ship. But I'm not content to have the well deck, hangar deck, and upper vehicle bay deck covered and not very visible. I don't want to see stuff through the stern well gate or the hangar elevator openings. I want to do something like this:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/am/ijn/shimokita-700-pv/shimokita-index.html
........and cut out certain sections of the hangar bay floor as well as sections of the flight deck and insert clear acrylic sheet so that onlookers can see down into the hangar bay, well deck, and upper vehicle deck.
But in order to view the upper vehicle deck, here's where Gallery screwed up. Mind you, I want to show the ENTIRE upper vehicle deck.

Here is a pic looking from starboard (Bottom of pic) to port (Top of pic).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC05469.jpg
The small piece of tape on the outside of the starboard side hull is where the starboard cargo/vehicle loading hatch is. The small piece of tape on the interior port bulkhead is where the port side cargo/vehicle hatch is. Now when you line the tape up going straight across the hull as in this pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC05470.jpg
..........both hatches should line up, which they sorta do.......almost.

Now look at this pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC05461.jpg
........with the starboard side at the top of the pic, and the port side of the ship in the middle of the pic. Look at the far right piece of tape going across the hull. When I was inserting parts for test fitting, I noticed there was no molded/scribed interior starboard side cargo/vehicle hatch doors. Also, Part H2 bulkhead wall would block where the starboard hatches would be. See instruction sheet pic here for Part H2:
http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/ships/misc/amphib/350-lhd1-mrc/instructions-06.jpg

Another pic below to help show what I am talking about:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/lineedits.jpg
What the interior starboard side SHOULD look like is this from what another modeler did:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/IMG_34623.jpg

And here's a pic of the upper interior vehicle deck. Notice sunlight coming through both the port side hatch (On the left) and the starboard side hatch (On the right).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/r3.jpg
Also notice the Conflag station on the right side of the pic, and how this looks exactly like what the modeler did in my link slightly further above.

So, in short........Part H2 is too long and should only be half as high. And Gallery forgot to mold/scribe the starboard side interior hatches. Granted, most everything I explained won't matter to a lot of modelers since a lot of people aren't going to show the interior anyway in their Wasp kits. But for me, it is important.

PART 2:

Concerning the upper vehicle deck again, it seems Gallery didn't make it long enough. Using this pic that I found on the Net as a guideline:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/interior.jpg
........the upper (and lower) vehicle decks should extend well forward past the RAM missile system (See red line). But in the pic below, the decks don't.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC05466.jpg
The upper vehicle deck should reach all the way to the piece of tape on the right, but the deck is roughly 1 1/8 to 1 ¼ inches too short. Looks like I'm in for a bit of scratchbuilding.

PART 3:

Using these pics as guides, there is a ramp that goes down from the upper vehicle deck to the lower vehicle deck (See yellow line in first pic link).
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/interior.jpg
Opening in floor below the words "Live it" on the banner.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/Photo9_11.jpg
Green rectangle in this pic:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/lineedits.jpg

I want to create that same opening/ramp that leads down from the upper vehicle deck to the lower vehicle deck. Is the green rectangle in the third link a good enough approximate location? I'm not going to create a complete lower vehicle deck. I just want to show the floor opening/ramp.

PART 4:

I also want to cut out a section of the hangar bay floor and replace it with clear acrylic sheet so people can see down into the well deck. The following pics show a taped section I was thinking of cutting out. It measures approx. 7 ¼ inches long x 1 1/8 inch wide. I think the length might be ok, but I'm not sure on the width. Any suggestions? Further additional pics show red lines where cuts will be made, and green lines where the well deck wall bulkheads go.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC05463.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC04983.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC04985.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC04980.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC04981.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC05008.jpg

PART 5:

So if you've read this far, then congratulations. I still want to cut out certain sections of the main flight deck itself and replace them with clear acrylic sheet so people can look down into the upper vehicle bay and the hangar bay. But I'm undecided on where to cut and how long/wide the openings should be? Any suggestions?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/DSC05465.jpg

PART 6:

According to the bottom of this diagram:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/wasp.gif
........there is a ramp that goes from the flight deck down to the hangar bay. I'll assume it's this ramp here in this next pic that the Marines are walking up on.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/Amphibious%20Hospital%20Ship%20Model/jhgfds.jpg
Is this a special ramp for flight deck vehicles to go up/down from the flight deck to the hangar bay and vice versa?

[kerick]

This is very ambitious project! I wish I could help with this but I was USAF and not Navy or Marines. Don't forget you can always say it was a refit for the hospital quarters. Looking forward to further updates.

[seadude]

I've been doing some work on my LHD Wasp ship converted to a WHIF hospital/humanitarian relief ship. I just finished cutting out portions of the hangar deck floor and the main flight deck so that I can install clear acrylic sheet so people can look inside. The cutouts were accomplished with the new Dremel EZ Lock plastic cutting discs.
http://www.dremel.com/en-us/Accessories/Pages/ProductDetail.aspx?pid=EZ476
I'm not sure if it's the new cutting discs themselves or my lack of experience using a rotary tool, but the cuts/edges of the plastic sections need a lot of grinding and sanding cleanup. I probably blame myself. I haven't worked with a Dremel in a long time.    Anyway, I wanted to hopefully get the most maximum view as possible that a person can have when looking into the hangar bay as well as down into the well deck, and this is what I have come up with so far. I might still add some lighting to the well deck, but am unsure.