LCS-2 Independence Multi-Mission Combatant WHIF

[seadude]

Ok, here's the preliminary pics of when I added the SPY-1 radars last night. I still have more work to do this weekend on adding more hull panels and such. But I think the basic layout should hopefully work. Sorry about any blurriness in the pictures.

[philp]

This is looking really good but I have a slightly off topic question.

How long is this kit?

Reason is I have been thinking of trying to modify one into a 72nd scale yacht but need to know if it is big enough or too big (in which case I would look at the 700 scale kit).

Any help greatly appreciated.

[Popeye]

very nice looking kit........I'm seeing so much I've never seen before!  I've done it on a few larger builds....but looking at all those windows......a fellow could go nutz with a needle file and some testor's window maker

totally agree with your signature,  by the way

[Mossie]

This is looking really good but I have a slightly off topic question.

How long is this kit?

Reason is I have been thinking of trying to modify one into a 72nd scale yacht but need to know if it is big enough or too big (in which case I would look at the 700 scale kit).

Any help greatly appreciated.

Phil, it'll be around 14 inches/360mm in 1/350, or 7 inches/180mm in 1/700.  In 1/72 scale, the 1/700 kit would be a 40ft yacht, in 1/350 it's be an 80 footer.  Depends what you're after, the smaller one would do for a pleasure yacht, the bigger one for a big luxury yacht (and still be quite a bit smaller than Revells Sunseeker Predator).

[seadude]

....but looking at all those windows......a fellow could go nutz with a needle file and some testor's window maker

If you look carefully at the very first and second pics from my post further above, the only windows the LCS has are the front bridge windows.
Sample pic with blue bridge windows:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/misc/lcs/lcs2-350-hsk/lcs2-05.jpg
All the other small squares or rectangles are where photoetch pieces go for vents and such. The kit I have has so much photoetch in it that I may not add it at all. My eyesight is too bad right now, especially since I still have a cataract to get taken care of. I may just "cheat" and paint all the tiny squares black or some other color to "represent" all those vents and such. If I do add any photoetch, it may just be the safety netting around the flight deck, and a few hand rails. 

[philp]

This is looking really good but I have a slightly off topic question.

How long is this kit?

Reason is I have been thinking of trying to modify one into a 72nd scale yacht but need to know if it is big enough or too big (in which case I would look at the 700 scale kit).

Any help greatly appreciated.

Phil, it'll be around 14 inches/360mm in 1/350, or 7 inches/180mm in 1/700.  In 1/72 scale, the 1/700 kit would be a 40ft yacht, in 1/350 it's be an 80 footer.  Depends what you're after, the smaller one would do for a pleasure yacht, the bigger one for a big luxury yacht (and still be quite a bit smaller than Revells Sunseeker Predator).

Perfect, thanks.

Guess I need to tweek my ideas based on the 350th version.  Hmm, Jacuzzi or helipad on the back deck...

[seadude]

This is a rough concept of the configuration I'm going for. The main radar mast will be more stealthy. I took the mast from a 1/400 scale La Fayette frigate kit. I want to make small sponsons for the torpedo launchers so that they are not sitting at the edge of the flight deck and in the way of copter operations.
I am still unsure of where to place 2 quad Harpoon launchers. Anybody got any ideas? The last pics show possible gun configurations with 3 different gun types: Gun from the kit, Scratchbuilt gun I made, and a normal modern 5" gun. I'm not sure which one I want to use.

[darthspud]

Rather than obstructing Copter flt ops, how about putting the launch tubes on rails to allow them to 'drop' over the hull/side to fire torpedoes?
A bit like the gun mount on the Space Marine battle bus in Aliens?

[NARSES2]

I like the scratch built gun 

Until I saw the helicopter sticking its nose out of the door I didn't realise the size of this thing in "real scale"

[seadude]

Where the heck do I put the Harpoon launchers? I was thinking on top of the superstructure between the SPY-1 radars and the Phalanx's as shown in the following pics. Instead of using the non-stealthy Harpoon launchers so common in today's Navy, I found a small angular black plastic spare part to use. Unfortuneately, I only have one piece, so I'll have to scratchbuild another one. What do you think? Could it work? Or should I just forget about it and not do it?

[Gondor]

I can see a problem with using that location as above the hanger, consequently a lot of equipment associated with operating and loading the launchers will be intruding into the top of the hanger space leaving less space or spares for the helicopters that you are carrying, alternatively you could reduce the number of air assents that you are using and have the launchers offset to one side.
Other locations could easily hide the associated components below deck and could easily be accounted for as a "rearrangement" of the internal space about your ship. It is a whif and it is your ship, you will do what you want to do, I personally think that a whif works best if there is a large degree of technical thought associated with any "conversion" as it then becomes more of a variation and much more readily acceptable to those who think that if it is not real it should not be modelled.

Gondor

[kerick]

You definately want to get rid of the non stealthy traditional launchers. I was thinking of a hatch in the side that would open to launch then close again. You could build one or two hatches open to show what its for.

[seadude]

You definately want to get rid of the non stealthy traditional launchers. I was thinking of a hatch in the side that would open to launch then close again. You could build one or two hatches open to show what its for.

I thought about that, but then changed my mind and decided against it. The "official" LCS USS Independence Multi-mission Combatant shows VLS on either side of a not-as-wide helo hangar.



I could do something similar to my model with a small VLS system for Harpoons. I'm playing around with a few ideas right now and won't have pics till later sometime. I don't want to put too much against the sides of the hull as I don't want the sides to be too crowded with stuff. Other things I still have to decide on and/or make are:
* New windowed helicopter landing control room/station.
* New stealthy ECM system.
* New stealthy Nulka decoy launchers.
* Rebuild new exhaust/smokestack area.

[seadude]

As far as the Harpoon launchers go, I've been doing a bit more thinking on that. I won't use the current ones as shown in pics further above as they are not stealthy launchers and they are angled too high. I thought about using some Gundam robot missile launcher parts as shown in the pic below. I could either have two (One on either side near the CIWS's) black colored launcher pieces (Each holds 9 missiles).......or, I could have two (One on either side of the hull) blue colored missile launcher pieces (Each piece holds 4 missiles). But after doing some heavy thinking, I didn't like the looks of either colored launchers nor the locations they were in.




So then, I started to rob the Exocet missile launchers from a 1/400 La Fayette frigate kit I had and assembled those to see what they'd be like. I actually kinda like the look of them, plus they're not as highly angled as American Harpoon launchers are. If needed, I can add a bit more plastic sheet and other bits to them to make the launchers look a little more stealthy.






Another thing I scratchbuilt were some torpedo launcher platforms on either side of the ship. I'm not too crazy about these, but it's the best I could do for the moment. I just didn't feel like cutting holes in the sides of the hull and having the launchers "hidden" inside the ship. I'm going to make the torpedo launchers themselves a bit more stealthy as well in forthcoming days.

[tc2324]

Looking soooo good.