1/350 scale CVN-90 USS United States Stealth Aircraft Carrier

[kerick]

I've been on both ends of that. I know how you feel.
Here's hoping recovery is swift and 100%.

[seadude]

Update:

This project is on a bit of a hiatus right now. Not too long I should think. Just taking a break from it so I don't get burned out with all the hard work.
Also taking time off for the upcoming holidays too.
So I'm going to spend a bit of time thinking about how I next want to proceed on this subject and also need to save a little money for extra modification parts and other supplies.
Will hopefully get back to work on it later in November or December.

[kerick]

Sounds cool to me. It's hard to get much of anything done in November and December.

[seadude]

And with 2023 coming to a close and I just finished a what if stealthy hydrofoil in another thread............I guess it's time to get back to this huge carrier project for the 2024 New Year.
I don't have much choice as I'm trying to push myself to get it completed (Hopefully) for the 2024 IPMS Nationals in July.
But anyway, I should be back to work on it soon again...........after I take Jan. 1st off that is for more relaxation. 

[seadude]

I think I may have made a mistake? Maybe. I'm wondering if I made the starboard aft weapon sponson area too big. I don't want to exactly copy the size and look of the aft starboard and port weapon sponsons that the Gerald Ford class carriers have. But I do want to have something "similar" scratch built onto my Enterprise aircraft carrier. My Enterprise carrier would be a sub-variant of the Gerald Ford class. The starboard sponson still needs to be slightly large to incorporate a laser defense turret and VLS. But not too large.
But anyway, what do you think, folks? Should I shorten the starboard weapon sponson or not as mentioned in the below pic?

[kerick]

I think you should leave it as is. Not sure why the two sides should be different.
Where do you get things like the VLS hatches?
Interesting how on the Ford one sides looks like brown brick pavement and the other is a a blue grid look.

[seadude]

I think you should leave it as is. Not sure why the two sides should be different.
Where do you get things like the VLS hatches?
Interesting how on the Ford one sides looks like brown brick pavement and the other is a a blue grid look.

I could leave the starboard side as is, but it just seems like too much empty unused space around the VLS and laser defence turret. But the same could also be said of the port side too.
I don't know. Maybe all the extra deck space could be for future weapon emplacements? You never know what might go there 10, 20, or 30 years from now.
As for the real Gerald Ford carrier, I'm not sure why the port side weapon sponson is so much bigger than the starboard one. Maybe the port side needs to be bigger because of the missile rocket blast effect when the missile is being fired?

[kerick]

I think you should leave it as is. Not sure why the two sides should be different.
Where do you get things like the VLS hatches?
Interesting how on the Ford one sides looks like brown brick pavement and the other is a a blue grid look.

I could leave the starboard side as is, but it just seems like too much empty unused space around the VLS and laser defence turret. But the same could also be said of the port side too.
I don't know. Maybe all the extra deck space could be for future weapon emplacements? You never know what might go there 10, 20, or 30 years from now.
As for the real Gerald Ford carrier, I'm not sure why the port side weapon sponson is so much bigger than the starboard one. Maybe the port side needs to be bigger because of the missile rocket blast effect when the missile is being fired?

That could be. Might also explain the different colors of the deck. Some other unit on the outside corner. 25mm gun?

[seadude]

I think you should leave it as is. Not sure why the two sides should be different.
Where do you get things like the VLS hatches?
Interesting how on the Ford one sides looks like brown brick pavement and the other is a a blue grid look.

I could leave the starboard side as is, but it just seems like too much empty unused space around the VLS and laser defence turret. But the same could also be said of the port side too.
I don't know. Maybe all the extra deck space could be for future weapon emplacements? You never know what might go there 10, 20, or 30 years from now.
As for the real Gerald Ford carrier, I'm not sure why the port side weapon sponson is so much bigger than the starboard one. Maybe the port side needs to be bigger because of the missile rocket blast effect when the missile is being fired?

That could be. Might also explain the different colors of the deck. Some other unit on the outside corner. 25mm gun?

Look at the Gerald Ford picture further above I posted. There are 25mm chain guns at the corners below the Sea Sparrow and the RAM missile launchers.  You can also see these 25mm gun positions in the below pic too.
As for your earlier question about the VLS, I was originally going to use Evergreen 1/12" inch (2.1mm) plastic tiles pieces to create the VLS hatches. But this seemed too small to me, so I instead used the next biggest size of 1/8" (3.2mm) square tile pieces.

[seadude]

New plan of attack.
The first pic below shows the weapon locations on the Gerald Ford class aircraft carrier.
The second picture below shows approximately what I'll have on my carrier model.
The 3rd, 4th, and 5th pictures below show where I plan to put a Phalanx CIWS on my model similar to what the Gerald Ford carrier has on the port side.
The 6th and 7th pics below show where I'm thinking of putting a Phalanx CIWS on the starboard side. Whether or not the location is bad being next to the aircraft elevator, I'm not sure yet.
The 8th pic below shows that I plan to rebuild the port side deck landing overhang to be more like that on the Gerald Ford carrier.
Anyway, that's my plan. Wish me luck.

[NARSES2]

Looks a good plan 

[Gondor]

Your ideas appear very sensible to me. 

Gondor

[seadude]

Your ideas appear very sensible to me. 

Gondor

Well, maybe. Still not really sure if putting a CIWS mount on the amidships starboard side near an aircraft elevator makes sense. I'll have to build the support structure in such a way so as to not interfere with the elevator in any way and to allow the gun to have a good field of fire.
The aft port and starboard weapon sponsons might be slightly crowded with laser defense turrets, RAM missile launchers, and VLS, but I hope to make it not too terribly so and give the laser turret and RAM launcher decent firing arcs.
I can't put anything more on the port and starboard bow area weapon sponsons. They are only big enough for the laser turrets and VLS. Nothing more than that.

[seadude]

The port side deck landing overhang has been modified and is now done. 
Next to work on will be scratch building the port side Phalanx CIWS platform.

[seadude]

Port side amidships Phalanx CIWS platform has been scratch built. Used styrene strip and a few spare model parts. It's not a complete copy of what the Gerald Ford carrier has on the port side, but it's close. Had a hell of a time building it.         I think I need a drink. 
For pictures of the real platform on the GF carrier, look at photos at this link: https://www.seaforces.org/usnships/cvn/CVN-78-USS-Gerald-R-Ford.htm