1980s Iowa BB upgrade plans - THE REAL THING!

[Joe C-P]

The Battleship New Jersey Museum have finally opened a box of drawings and plans from the US government that we the official concepts and plans for the next phase of upgrades for the Iowa class battleships.  If you want to whiff one now you can point to these for your imprimatur.

Joe C-P, big fan of BB-62

[seadude]

While the video was very informative, and I look forward to more information in the future, I will never be sold on the idea that a battleship/carrier hybrid would work for the Iowa class.
You want airpower, then call on a REAL aircraft carrier or an amphibious assault ship for support.
I'm a purist and love the 16" guns. 
And any future Iowa class battleship models I build will ALWAYS carry the 16" guns.

[sandiego89]

The Battleship New Jersey Museum have finally opened a box of drawings and plans from the US government that we the official concepts and plans for the next phase of upgrades for the Iowa class battleships.  If you want to whiff one now you can point to these for your imprimatur.

Joe C-P, big fan of BB-62

Thank you for sharing!  Neat.  back in the 1980's I had a few models of the Phase II version (1/800 scale?) with the aft VSTOL deck and 6 harriers. 

[seadude]

@sandiego89:

I'm not aware of any 1/800 scale kit. But Nichimo did make a 1/900 scale kit of the Phase II Iowa.
Maybe that is what you're thinking of?

[Captain Canada]

Wow ! What a great find. Thanks for sharing.

[seadude]

Another new updated video.
 

[sandiego89]

@sandiego89:

I'm not aware of any 1/800 scale kit. But Nichimo did make a 1/900 scale kit of the Phase II Iowa.
Maybe that is what you're thinking of?

That is the one!  Boxes and hulls are long gone but I still have a a few of the harriers, and one of the ski jump aft decks. 

[Joe C-P]

I not only built the Nichimo, I improved the details and it ended up with the collection of the Battleship New Jersey Historical Museum Society, which ended up with the BB NJ Museum.  I have no idea if they still have it in storage; one of these years I must get back there to see if they have any of my models.
The kit's hull is closer to a Yamato, so it is doubly whiffy.

The 1980s BBV concepts were very unlikely to happen; too much money and work for a small increase in aviation capability.  Replacing some of the 5" with VLS though, adding more yet Tomahawks and eventually VLS Sea Sparrow, was much more realistic and practical.

Joe C-P

[kerick]

In the video he mentions the Grumman 698 design. Lots of good whiffs inspiration here.
https://gallery.vtol.org/image/Ps8fI
https://www.reddit.com/r/WeirdWings/comments/watax5/the_grumman_698_was_a_mid1980s_concept_for_a_vtol/

[Joe C-P]

Another video with more details from the plans for the upgraded.  They're still going through the papers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPHowPNEa_k

Interesting to compare these to any models people have built, and drawings and renderings later produced. 

Some day I might build the one with the hangar, shown around the 30 second mark, a practical update.  Basically adding a big box with doors, removing four 5" twins and replacing two of them with VLS, essentially more boxes.  Add the directors for Sea Sparrow for VL version.

[seadude]

Another video with more details from the plans for the upgraded.  They're still going through the papers.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPHowPNEa_k

Interesting to compare these to any models people have built, and drawings and renderings later produced. 

Some day I might build the one with the hangar, shown around the 30 second mark, a practical update.  Basically adding a big box with doors, removing four 5" twins and replacing two of them with VLS, essentially more boxes.  Add the directors for Sea Sparrow for VL version.

The link you posted is the same as the video I posted further above in Post # 5.

Here's a new video that Ryan just added several hours ago.

[kerick]

I not only built the Nichimo, I improved the details and it ended up with the collection of the Battleship New Jersey Historical Museum Society, which ended up with the BB NJ Museum.  I have no idea if they still have it in storage; one of these years I must get back there to see if they have any of my models.
The kit's hull is closer to a Yamato, so it is doubly whiffy.

The 1980s BBV concepts were very unlikely to happen; too much money and work for a small increase in aviation capability.  Replacing some of the 5" with VLS though, adding more yet Tomahawks and eventually VLS Sea Sparrow, was much more realistic and practical.

Joe C-P

I agree about the ski jump ramps and all that. Too much money for too little result. The Iowas were built with big guns and that was their purpose. Could you imagine the ruckus if a couple of them sailed into the Black Sea today? The Russians would mess their pants big time. Fill the old 5" mounts with modern guns or missile VLS and carry on.

[seadude]

And then there's this video that was posted a month ago.

[seadude]

Some of the equipment and modernizations that Ryan mentioned in the various videos are stuff I actually added to my USS Iowa battleship here.
https://www.whatifmodellers.com/index.php?topic=50054.0

[kerick]

These videos are good info for if I ever build a modern nuclear powered new from the keel up BB. No flight deck except for helicopters and they can fly off to an assault ship or aircraft carrier for major maintenance so just basic hanger space. Three turrets and lots of VLS and Harpoon launchers.