'Spruance-Class Carrier "Francis Underwood", CVL-72, October 2016

[nönöbär]

'Spruance-Class Carrier "Francis Underwood", CVL-72, October 2016

The Ship:

When the last of the 31 Spruance-class destroyers was completed in 1980, Ingalls Shipbuilding offered the US-Navy a sea control ship based on the Spruance design.
Being a light carrier with the capability to carry 5 AV-8A Harrier and one helicopter (or three helicopters and 2 Harriers), Ingalls Shipbuilding pointed out that the similarities to the Spruance-class destroyers would reduce the building and maintenance costs.

Therefore, the USN ordered a total of 22 of those ships which were delivered between 1985 and 1997, designated CVL 50 - CVL 72.

Besides their air wings, the ships were initially equipped with 2 × 5-inch (127mm) 54 calibre Mark 45 dual purpose guns, 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS Mark 15 guns and  1 × 8 cell NATO Sea Sparrow Mark 29 missile launcher.
CVL65 - CVL 72 were also equipped with a A 61-cell Mark 41 VLS launcher for Tomahawk/ASROC missiles. As those ships nearly had the same armament than the original destroyer designs, the engines had to be reduced to only two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, with a total of 40,000 shp which were able to propel the ship to 25 kn.

The CVLs were widely used around the globe and also took part in major USN operations since their commissioning. During Operation Desert Storm, CVL-54 was hit by an Iraqi missle while Harriers on the flight deck prepared for take-off. The missile impact caused several secondary explosions which lead to the loss of the ship.
In 2008, CVL-69 was rammed by an oil tanker in the Street of Hormuz after a major engine failure. Although being badly damaged, the ship could be saved.

While all Spruance-class destroyers were decommissioned by 2005, the Spruance-class carriers were activly used much longer. By 2016, only the first 8 ships were mothballed, the rest is still in active duty.

The model shows the last commissioned ship of this class, the CVL-72  "Francis Underwood" in October 2016.













The Model:

The model is based on a 1/700 scale Minicraft kit. The superstructure was build using the original one, but making it much narrower. Flight deck and hull extensions were made from polystyrol plates.
The aircraft are made by Trumpeter, the helicopter and some of the armament comes form the spare part box. The model was airbrushed with Revell Aqua color and additional PE parts & crew form Eduard was added.
Antennas were made form EZ-Line.

[Crackingjob]

I like it...a smaller invincible carrier from UK.....though I think a ski jump may had been added....Crackingjob!

[NARSES2]

That has come out really well 

[Blackbat242]

>casts "Raise Thread"<

I know its been almost 3 years, but I missed this the first time around.

The hull numbers are right out.

The USN numbered all of its CVLs in the main CV hull sequence - with the Independence class (CVL 22-30) fitting into the sequence in the middle of the Essex class, between CV-21 Boxer and CV-31 Bon Homme Richard.

Likewise the two ships of the Saipan class (CVL 48 & 49) fitted between CV-47 Philippine Sea (Essex class) and CV 50-55 (Essex class, canceled 27 March 1945 before laying-down).

https://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/OnlineLibrary/photos/shusn-no/cv-no.htm


May I suggest a new type designation, with hull numbers starting from 1... or perhaps, since the "Sea Control Ship" concept was very much an aviation escort concept, just resume the CVE hull sequence with CVE-140.

[Captain Canada]

Oh my ! That is so very cool ! Always loved the shape of that ship class, so this really works for me. Of course, having two of my favourite aircraft on the deck doesn't hurt either. Great stuff !

[zenrat]

How did I miss this back then?
It's excellent.  Good work.

[tigercat]

Nice House of Cards reference 

[nönöbär]

Nice House of Cards reference 

Interesting as this older model came up again.
I always have problems of finding good names for my ship models, and as I was watching Hourse of Cards when making this model, well, this is how I got the name

[Dizzyfugu]

Very nice and compact! 

[tigercat]

You might think so but I couldn't  possibly  comment

[TomZ]

Very good!

TomZ