CVN65 USS Enterprise
This is where I was 4 yrs ago. Had to redo it. Can you believe I didn’t know how to score and crack polystyrene then.
Stored up some aftermarket so i could build in the hangar bay. Trying to acoid spending any new cash on this one.
Spraying grimey black over the hull to darken it up some and blend the weathering together.
70 planes for my air wing! 3 helos and some screw tops to find yet.
Down position. Trying out technique to have it look like you’re seeing ocean through the plastic net since I can’t afford any PE.
Underside of elevator showing the magnets.
3 magnets hold the elevator in the up position!
With neo magnets they don’t even have to be close to work!
Chamfered holes to spread light better
All primary colors and weathering complete
Final weathering on flite deck. Flory washes, dark dirk, gray, and black.
Hammered copper rustoleum With NMF bright copper foil over the letters. Had to use Monalisa gold leaf adhesive to get it to stick. The NMF adhesive is weak for sure.
There are just over 800 sailors on the deck!
Comments
13 12 April 2020, 15:39
TreehuggerHow much work to add the internal hangar without super detailing? I have no idea what the layout looks like.
19 April 2020, 18:03
Chris VandegriftWithout super detailing, which is what I intend to do 😉 my estimate is 2 weeks. The planes seem daunting sitting in the boxes, all 4 of them.
19 April 2020, 23:43
Chris VandegriftThanks guys! Feeling like progress is being made. Should have the roof on the hangar bay this weekend, including lights.
21 May 2020, 04:03
Greg BakerOoo... I just picked up a couple of 1/800 scale Academy aircraft carriers, so now I'll get to see how the pros do it!
21 May 2020, 04:11
Chris VandegriftThanks Greg, you're too kind! One of the guys on the FSM forum GB I'm in is doing a 1/800 carrier. He's done camo on the planes and just did folded wings on the E-2C Hawkeye...dang those are tiny planes. I'll be looking out for your build.
2 June 2020, 21:21
Greg BakerThis is looking good, Chris! I love how you've got it all wired up with the lights. I've done some lights/motors on my builds, but nothing on this scale. Watching very closely.
You might have to wait a while on my carrier build... and one of them is going to end up with tank treads instead of a lower hull, so you might not recognize it. 🙂
2 June 2020, 23:29
Chaz GordonThis one that has been on my someday list for a long time, although I'm more likely to get one of the trumpeter Nimitz class kits, as it would be an in-service carrier for a while. I'm more hoping Airfix will release a QE class carrier in 1/350, which I'd buy immediately.
3 June 2020, 00:06
Sven SchönyanDue to what reason ever - I have missed this one before!
Great weathering result on the flight deck. Excellent illumination!
1 August 2020, 13:07
Chris VandegriftThanks gang! Coming down the home stretch now. Planes are just positioned for fit. Nothing glued down yet but I'm close.
10 August 2020, 23:05
Chaz GordonI'd be inclined to leave the planes unglued, so you can re-configure your Airwing as the mood takes you.
11 August 2020, 10:13
Chris VandegriftYou know, I'm inclined to agree with you! you also got me thinking about the people. I took a picture from straight over the model. Will print that on photo paper, laminate it, then cut the letters out and glue people to the laminate! Should work the treat without losing the look of the flite deck, or messing up the flite deck with glue.
12 August 2020, 22:46
Chaz GordonLike that Idea. You have many hours of painting blue details on tiny sailor uniforms
13 August 2020, 07:37
Album info
Just a build that will look good on my shelf. Not trying to make it look like any particular era. If I did the project would take 10 years due to all the minor differences. I am planning to do one of the E=mc^2 pictures though. This I think is cool and will let me show off something unique in history.
