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1/350 CVL-22 USS Independence

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  • 1/350 CVL-22 USS Independence

    My current project.

    This is the Dragon kit -- another work of art. I was going to do her in her shakedown cruise, wearing Measure 11 (Sea Blue), with the 1942-style aircraft markings. However, the kit decals included the mid '43 insignia with the red surrounds to the national insignia, and it was too tempting to resist. Back to Measure 21 for this one.

    However, I found a pic where it looks like the old Sea Blue is poking out through the scheme. I'll see what I can do to make this happen



    Most of the main structure is about finished. I'm just going through with the detailing part. Painting is my favorite part, so I'm trying not to rush things to get there.

    Ed-







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  • #2
    One more pic, for now. The flight deck. I was looking for a woody-colored spray paint to start it off with. The deck will be blue, but I wanted something poking through in the high-traffic areas, so most of this will be hidden.

    Ed-

    Attached Files

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    • #3
      Is that Dragon PE?

      Looking good.

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      • #4
        The kit came with some, which I'll use in spots. The rest is Eduard. The Gold Medal set was over $60, which was a bit stiff for me. This set was about half the price.

        I feel like I'm going to go blind.

        Ed-

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        • #5
          Apart from this, I'm about to pull the trigger on a 1/350 USS Franklin CV-13, plus a bunch of aftermarket goodies, replacing all the 20mm, 40mm mounts, and 5" barrels. Another order will go to Gator Masks to get adhesive masks for the splinter scheme she wore when she got hit. I need more Gator Glue for the photo etch anyway.

          It should add some color to the display cabinet.

          Ed

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          • #6
            Hello Ed

            A Trupeter Essex class carrier is a real challange, not even near the quality of a Dragon ship. I have two in my stash and progress is very slow due to a lot of frustration about the sloppy execution of the kit. A word on the paint. I use WEM enamels and I have made a lot of comparrisons with all other brands. MS21 calls for 5N Navy Blue and Deck Blue 20B. I have compared those with color pictures from WWII and have for meself come up with the following: I personally love the look of Kodachrome slides in day light and to emulate thsi in 1/350 I have found that 5S sea blue looks like scale lightened 5N and that Norfolk 250N Flight Deck stain looks very close to Kodachrome deck blue in sun light. So this it what i have used on my Dragon "Frank Knox" and it looks fantastic.

            cheers
            Uwe

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            • #7
              Do you have the problem with breakage of the Eduard PE like I did? I found their pre-bend etching to be helpful at times, but an awful detriment at others. It made bending some of the more complex railings and the catapults a freaking nightmare. I think if I would have annealed the frets before working with them I would have been much better off. I want to see more pictures and description.

              I too have Trumpeter Essex and Yorktown kits in waiting and would like someone else to build one and write about it first before I attempt it. I'm still getting over building the Missouri.

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              • #8
                My only issue seems to be with catapults, like on the 1/350 Arizona. Otherwise, no issues so far.

                Fortunately the railings on CVL-22 are mostly straight/right angle affairs. I was dabbling with a 1/700 Arizona (very nice wood deck used) and the butterfly shaped upper levels on the masts were driving me nuts.

                Anj4de, with my color blindness, Deck blue and Navy Blue are almost indistinguishable. I pretty much rely on sources to tell me what to do, colorwise. With Franklin, I've got the set of Gator mask for her '44 scheme. I know she wore Ms 21 when she got hit, but the thought of another all blue ship in the cabinet put me off right now.

                I have a number of partially done projects right now. I seem to have ADHD when it comes to ships.

                Ed-

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                • #9
                  Any updates?

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                  • #10
                    Sorry I'm late. I was on a short anniversary vacation with the wife.

                    None yet. I seem to have ADHD when it comes to models. I started an IJN Chikuma, since I needed something "different" right now. Tamiya did a nice job with this kit. I bought a bunch of aftermarket guns for it, and I may wind up using few of them. Japanese shades of gray depended on what shipyard they were last worked on. I'm settling for Kure gray right now. Oh yeah... no boot topping for the Japanese Navy.

                    I'll probably wrap up CVL-22 after this. I was trudging through all the photo-etch on the deck at the time. Sometimes I need to step back and realize that I don't need to use every piece of etch to replace something. Honestly, the air group may take more time than the ship itself.

                    I was in a hobby shop in Duluth and picked up a USS Indianapolis. I'll try not to let that one butt in. This is the Academy one. Trumpeter sorta borked theirs without the sharp cutoff at the rear. I think most of the weapons are good here. I'll probably indulge in the big Pontos detail set which has all the barrels, milled brass, photo-etch, resin and wood decks.

                    My stash has been growing and I'm letting it distract me.

                    Funny how I like ships. Back in AFROTC, I always gave briefings on famous naval battles. I think my heart was in the wrong place. Can't complain. I've had no better friends before or since.

                    Ed-

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                    • #11
                      After a bit of a burnout hiatus, I've restarted things.

                      I kinda lost track of where I was, so I just continued on with the flight deck. Lots of railings and stuff to get on.

                      At this point, I have to agree with Builder about the fragility of some of Eduard's parts. The inclined ladders along the gun galleries are a case in point. The top part with the little platform and railing will unfailingly break with each fold. Most of them are getting skipped, and I figure nobody but the most fanatic rivet counter will really notice. I'll distract everyone with the air group on board when I'm finished anyway.

                      I've got the decked primed with white from a rattle can. I'll see what's left with the deck and the hull for now. Hopefully, I can start with the painting and simply add any subassemblies.

                      I'm eager to get this wrapped up, due the new toys I've been getting. Merit's 1/350 Yorktown just arrived today and I'm getting antsy about starting it.

                      Attached Files

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                      • #12
                        Keep going! I think there may be a work around for the Eduard breaking. I didn't do it because I primed everything before cutting from the fret. The stuff is too hard! If you heat the fret with a torch till it changes colors, preferably red hot, it will anneal and not fracture at the etched bend lines. I had some railings on the upper air defense tower that broke into 5 pieces. It almost drove me nuts. Almost all the photo etched stuff is half hard brass. Annealing will soften it and keep it from breaking. The downside will be no longer holding shape as well. Everything is a tradeoff.

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                        • #13
                          These particular parts are my only real problems. The joint seems to consist of two one-dimensional lines, which can't hold up. All the other pieces have gone well.

                          I'm slowly putting one of the TBFs together. I'm leaving more of the attachment point on when cutting from the spruce, as it's molded in clear and more brittle. The tri-color may be a bit too fine to free hand with the airbrush, so I'll probably mask, but try to get the "fuzzy" edge. Nice little planes, and the kit decals are perfectly done. I've never liked Trumpeter's decals, as they always get the insignia mis-proportioned.

                          Ed
                          Last edited by Zad Fnark; 14 Jan 15,, 03:56. Reason: typo

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                          • #14
                            Got to the painting on this part. I'm thinking of layering on a thinned wash to make things pop out a bit.

                            My airbrush has a pretty fine pattern. It's extra work, but the effect is like little guys with spray guns painting the ship. I know I felt like the only guy having to do it.

                            Can anyone else see the difference between Navy Blue and Deck Blue? I cant...

                            Digital pictures are exposing the fuzzies I've accumulated. I'll have to gently rub them off.

                            Ed



                            Attached Files

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                            • #15
                              Originally posted by Zad Fnark View Post
                              Digital pictures are exposing the fuzzies I've accumulated. I'll have to gently rub them off.

                              Ed

                              [ATTACH]38933[/ATTACH]

                              [ATTACH]38934[/ATTACH]
                              I HATE the fuzzies!

                              That's my number one problem with building models, especially glossed ones; even after ONE day of sitting on my bench, they inevitably collect dust and the occasional animal hair (we have three dogs, one cat, and a guinea pig; there is a LOT of extra hair in our house!). I pretty much have to blow all of my models off with compressed air before I can start working on them every day. Someday, when I'm rich, I'll have a "clean room" I can work on my models in, and that won't be a problem. Until then . . .

                              P.S. Zad: Your bench looks JUST like mine: paint & tools & brushes & instructions all over the place! I notice your using MM paints; are those enamels or acrylics? They look like enamels.
                              "There is never enough time to do or say all the things that we would wish. The thing is to try to do as much as you can in the time that you have. Remember Scrooge, time is short, and suddenly, you're not there any more." -Ghost of Christmas Present, Scrooge

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