1/700 U.S.S. Oriskany (CV-34)

For the 1950 Oriskany, I chose Dragon's CV-37 Princeton as my starting point, with island, 3" gun tubs, life rafts, port crane sponson and elevator by Model Monkey. 

The first step was sanding off the two bow 40mm quad sponsors, which will be replaced with 3" twin mounts later. Next was adding the large (6" deep) blisters to the hull. They were added in two layers of .040" sheet styrene, which will have a final layer of .020 laid on top for the final .10 thickness with a little putty to fair the ends in. 

Starboard blister still in progress; escalator in place, flight deck and island test-fitted. 

Flight deck structures sliced off and partially filed down. More filling on the blister. 

Day 3 - starboard blister complete; began adding port side 3" gun mounts and sponsors; cut out opening for forward 5" gun gallery. 

Forward flight deck support - kit part. 

Reversed kit part, added lateral and forward extensions for 1945 appearance. 

All axial deck Essex-class ships got additional I-beam flight deck supports after the 1945 hurricane that saw the corners of two carriers' flight decks fail. So this gives us an unmodernized axial deck ship. 

Added the new forward conn from the SCB-27A modernization (there are a couple of walkways that will be added later). 

3" gun tubs added. 

The kit flight deck curve-down is extended too far, so I trimmed that back. I cut the catwalks off the gallery decks (they're too thick and incorrect in shape) and added material to make them sufficiently tall and appropriately deep.  

Finally, the port blister is almost done as well, and I added the rest of the hangar deck kit parts. Last, I added the new 5" gun gallery on the starboard side forward, and faired in the supporting sponsor. That's it for Day 4. 

Hull and island painted. 

Forward starboard sponson ready for railings. 

Railings added. 

 

Day 7 of the build. Ready to install the aft starboard 5" gun gallery. 

Really easy to see how this was fitted in - the supports line up with existing hangar deck framing. 

Day 8 - work on starboard side. Added porthole and piping forward, started plating in the 3” mounts under the island and added the sponson and 3” mount aft. 

Flight deck modifications included sanding of the turret base and other wartime structures (the file marks served nicely as planking), adding a plug to extend the number two elevator and out, filling in the cut outs for the Mark 37 directors which were never installed, and extending the catapult slots. 

Gallery deck completed and flight deck glued to hull - starboard. 

Gallery deck completed and flight deck glued to hull - port. 

Island detail painting started; added brackets for island to flight deck, and mount for "island workbench". 

Day 12 - starboard side detailing, including catwalks, piping, and the last 3" sponson. 

Day 13 - pole mast structure. 

Day 14 - starboard side catwalks and 3" gun mounts. 

Day 15 - sponsons for the three middle port side 3” mounts designed, cut, glued, sanded and installed. Gasoline piping installed on the hull and ventilation trunking added, plus a gun director I missed yesterday.
Using big brother as a go-by for much of this detail tonight. 

Day 16 - added frame supports and shields to port sponsons 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Steps for converting kit 40mm quads to twin 3 in. 

 

Blister added to underwater hull. 

 

 

 

 

Underwater hull complete. 

 

 

 

 

Starboard side detailing. 

Replaced kitbashed 3 inch guns with Pit-Road. 

 

 

 

Day 25 - more detailing. 

Day 26 - detail work.