Aircraft Carrier decks

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Sun Feb 19, 2006 1:51 pm

Here's my in-process design for a US carrier deck. I think there is some variation among US carriers, but the same basic design. I've noticed that the Bunker Hill has 11 wood sections between the tie-down strips; I'm reworking my design to reflect this.

<img src="http://img111.imageshack.us/img111/3088 ... all4fc.jpg" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" />

Here are the reference photos I posted earlier. I'll post some later after I scan some good deck details from the Bunker Hill and maybe a IJN carrier.

<img src="http://img99.imageshack.us/img99/9140/japtail26zs.jpg" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" />

<img src="http://img145.imageshack.us/img145/777/ ... eck8bm.png" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" />

JimBob

Post by **aferguson** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:42 pm

what are you going to do with this?

Gunner · Post by **Gunner** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 4:54 pm

Nice work!

kimtheredxd · Post by **kimtheredxd** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 5:43 pm

Thanks for posting and starting this thread.How wide will the tbm be with wings folded and unfolded?I have a spot about 2 and a half feet wide by eight to nine feet long where i want to put my"flight deck shelf"Do you think this would be wide enough? thanks Kim

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 6:24 pm

One of the 'hats' I wear is that of a sometime graphic artist. After researching photographs and USN ship camo measures, I've recreated the US Navy carrier deck in CorelDraw and will print it out on several sheets of paper, drymount them on cardboard, and I'll have about a 18"x 24" representation to display my USN birds. It was handy to find a photograph with someone's shoe to have a guestimate of the decking widths. I estimate a 6" plank measurement; I could not find the actual spec's anywere.

Right now the only one to qualify is the Bunker Hill Corsair. But the Avengers will qualify, too. I got the idea when I discovered that there are commercially available US and IJN decks (that need painted) in 1:72 and 1:48 scale.

I'm beginning a similar process for IJN decks. I've noticed that US decks have the wood running across the deck, but IJN run lengthwise: <img src="http://img234.imageshack.us/img234/4944 ... ion2bh.jpg" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" />

These designs are not complete, yet, but I'd be happy to share the design files.

There are some other folks who are doing actual wood displays; I think that will be really cool! Mine are just simple color laser prints.

JimBob

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 6:47 pm

Kimtheredxd:

I did some checking on the Avenger:

Original specs = 1:18 approximation...
Wingspan: 54'-2" = 35 3/4" wide
Folded dimension: 19' = 12 1/2" wide
Length: 40' = 26 3/8" long

So the 1:18 Avenger with folded wings will have a bit over a 12"x26" footprint.

Unfolded will require a 36"x26" space

That's why the Navy loved the Avenger for the little CVE escort carriers! The Grumman wing fold for the Avenger, Wildcat, and Hellcat also didn't require much ceiling clearance on the hanger deck. The folded wings were well under the height of the vertical stabilizer and the radio mast.

Hope this helps you (and others

) do some space planning for the much anticipated 21C Avenger! I know that I've got my tape measure out now getting ready for it!

Regards,
JimBob

kimtheredxd · Post by **kimtheredxd** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 7:49 pm

Thanks jimbob for doing the math for me

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 8:51 pm

Now its up to you to shoehorn them in

JimBob

kimtheredxd · Post by **kimtheredxd** » Mon Feb 20, 2006 11:15 pm

I measured the area I have 24 inchs wide by 8 feet long.It will be right on top of the tv and along the wall behind it.I plan on making a baby baby flat top shelf

I will have it easy as my friends have no idea what a flight deck should look like anyways so i can get away with just about anything

I think it would be neat to make a relief of a conning tower of some kind to represent the bridge fo the carrier maybe like half an inch deep or so nothing fancy just to give the idea of what it is.I am getting excited at the thought of doing this maybe make a fake bow coming out of the side of the tv lol So you think it would be possible to blow up those pics you have and have them laser printed out then rubber cement them to some shelving or something?Sorry if i am asking silly questions. I have never done anything like this so any help would be great thanks guys!

eddie372 · Post by **eddie372** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 12:18 am

I saw a diorama once, where an aircraft carrier was painted on a full wall, with the sea and the sun on the background. Ten airplanes on the deck were also painted. It was outstanding. Then a portion of the a/c carrier protruded from the wall and a couple of airplanes models were placed on the deck. I remember that the lighting of the room gave the overall appearence of dusk time.

Ed

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:16 am

Here's a way to display our Avengers that would save even more space....

<img src="http://img464.imageshack.us/img464/2363 ... sh21md.jpg" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us" />

JimBob

(p.s. also a good view of a CVE island)

immeww2 · Post by **immeww2** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 9:26 am

Heaven forbid!!!! You would do that to your Avenger after waiting all this time?

Post by **aferguson** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 2:50 pm

some neat ideas in this thread...

i have two little 'aircraft carriers'. My breakfast table is similar in color to japanese aircraft carrier decks, and is made of wood, so i have my bbi zero taking off from the edge of it. The table is about 6 feet by 3 1/2 feet, so it's a nice little simulation of the bow of the Akagi (or whichever carrier the bbi zero was from).

For my bbi F-18 i took an old closet door (which folded in the middle) measuring 6 1/2 feet by 2 feet unfolded. I painted it dark grey, put a silver grey strip down the middle along the fold of the door using duct tape. I scratchbuilt a little steam catapult shuttle that hooks to the nose gear of the F-18 and added some clumps of cotton baton to represent steam. The seam in the door simulates the groove that the catapult shuttle runs along. I set the whole thing on an end table and then angled it relative to the wall, so it kinda reminds one of the angled deck on a modern carrier. Looks pretty cool.

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:14 pm

Centone:

Great photo!! Not one shoe, but 30 in the front row only

I guess that the 'guestimate' can be less of a guess (hehehehe!)

By the way, is your grandfather in the photo? Your collection of photos is extra special because it involves a family member.

Regards,
JimBob

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Wed Feb 22, 2006 9:23 pm

I asked too quick. I checked out your photos again and I see that you have a detail of your grandfather. Back row, just left of the middle. Neat!

By the way, is the carrier the Essex? I see other photos from that boat. From your photo, the decking material seems to be about 6 inches(?). Thanks for sharing!

Regards,
JimBob

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Thu Feb 23, 2006 8:43 pm

Centone:

Great story behind the photos! Thanks for sharing.

BTW, I sent you a PM with to share some information about the Massachussetts naval air station from some of your grandfather's photos.

Regards,
JimBob

Rogue · Post by **Rogue** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:58 am

Now this is taking it a bit far for 1/18!

http://www.brickshelf.com/cgi-bin/gallery.cgi?f=126969

flpickupman · Post by **flpickupman** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 9:07 am

And I thought I spent too much money on scale stuff. Anyone know how much a billion lego parts would cost? lol

warhawker · Post by **warhawker** » Fri May 19, 2006 9:25 am

JimBob,
Do you know what the deck would look like for elevator bay or where they constructed in the same manner?

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Tue May 23, 2006 9:19 pm

From the photos I've seen, the elevator surface was the same as the rest of the deck. Wood planks with the tie-down strips at the same intervals.

JimBob

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Thu May 25, 2006 8:20 pm

I've tracked down some information about WW2-era carrier elevator sizes. They are as follows (with approximate 1:18 scale equivalents):

Essex Class (Bunker Hill) elevators:
--Mid-deck (2ea): 48'-3" x 44'-3" (31.85" x 29.21")
--Deck-edge (1ea): 60' x 34' (39.60" x 22.44")

Independence Class/CVL (San Jacinto)
--Mid-deck only (2ea): 44' x 42' (29.04" x 27.72")

Bogue Class/CVE (1st Block Island)
--unknown dimensions...can anyone help? My guess is probably about the same as the CVL class elevators.

I have some contemporary photos to share, but ImageShack is presently under maintenance. I'll post those when it is available.

JimBob

JimBob55 · Post by **JimBob55** » Thu May 25, 2006 9:55 pm

Here are some contemporary photos that all show some aspect of the elevator appearance. Basically, they appear to have the identical surface treatment and pattern as the rest of the deck.

All except for the bottom photo are Essex class. The bottom is (I think) an Independence class carrier.

JimBob

Website · Post by **Teamski** » Fri May 26, 2006 6:46 am

Man, where do you get your photos from???? They are pretty neat.

-Ski

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