AAAAaaaaaughhhhh! USS Enterprise ... again.

Modeling Subjects Ships
1

I’ve stared at probably hundreds of photos of this ship as I attempt to update the ancient Revell kit to Big E’s 2006 appearance … I see it in my sleep … I swear I could draw the damn thing freehand by now … and then yesterday, I was checking another detail as I was touching up areas on the flight deck and … what the heck is THAT??? How long has it been there??? Is it on there now???

Starboard side, aft, the sponson where the original missiles were to be mounted. All photos except those from the most recent deployment show the deck there empty, but now there is something that looks like a long, angular box mounted there, with a series of holes in the front and back of it, and the sponson appears to have been modified as well. What is it? I think I need to go slam my hand in the car door a few times, I seem to have focusing issues.

2

sea sparrows?

3

Navy Newstand Photo

Starboard aft sponson, aft of the crane & dome — Its a Rolling Airframe Missile (RAM) launcher. The RAM itself is akin to an AIM-9x

4

Thanks, Ed! I was able to carve and sand a hunk of polystyrene into a reasonable fascimile of the launcher, and fit as many #80 drill holes on the front as space would allow. It’s too late for me to do anything about the sponson shape. Oh, well.

But I swear, the Navy is starting to remind me of my ex - ALWAYS screwing with things …

5

doc mccoy said in star trek the motion picture “never trust an engineer as they are always changing things”.

6

RAM missiles I would say. Here’s a link: http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/missile/ram.htm

7

CVN-65 …takes your breath away…great photo.

8

Great photo, had the pleasure of getting a tour of her when my son was stationed on her.

9

“I know engineers… They LOove to change things.”

I love that line… very true[:)]

10

Yeah, one of the pitfalls I’ve had to constantly be aware of while updating the Big E to how she looks today is determining WHEN a photo was taken. Not always the easiest thing. The Navy news website has been a Godsend, even if most of the photos are closeups of people as opposed to the ship. I find myself squinting at the details in the background, thinking, Hey, it’s going to be so small anyway at 1/720 scale - but then I go back to the, But I want it to be right! mode. I never realized modeling could be so … conflicting. [:D]