Well I’d like to build an aircraft carrier, and it will be my first ever ship !
So I was wondering what would be the easiest and bestest introduction to the Ship world? I’d like it to be an Aircraft Carrier, and not to small.
So far, Revell’s USS Carl Vinson looks like the answer
[:D]
-Thanks In advance
Hey Rammy,
Ship modeling is a bit tougher to figure for me since not as many kits are made and each manufacturer has its share of good and bad. The Revell kits are cost effecient and are smaller scale to fit on most shelves…Sounds like Revell might be your best first kit…Italeri makes similar model kits as well as Heller in the same round about price range…If you find something by dragon or trumpeter and you’re willing to go for the money…they make a more detailed kit.
Good luck,
Doug
Hello Rammy,
Welcome.
Aircraft carriers are fun, but they present their own challenge to the builder. Since there are only a dozen US Navy carriers, and while they are all similar, no two are exactly alike, even in the same class. Built straight from the box, the only thing making one kit different from the other is often just the decal numbers. These are big ships and some details, even in smaller scales, are pretty big and stand out when they are out of place, or missing.
This means you could be in for some scratch building and modifying if you want to model the ship to look more like a specfic vessel. Photo etched railings and other fittings really add to the model’s appearance, but carriers require lots of complex bends that can be quite a bear if you haven’t worked with them before. If you’ve done this kind of work with other kit types then jump right in. It will be an interesting change.
Of course, straight from the box is fine, it is your model. Carriers still provide lots of challenges with weathering the flight deck, the hull, dealing with all the aircraft, etc.
You are well provided for with research and photos since the Navy provides a wonderful website with thousands of photos. www.news.navy.mil
Sorry if I seem too discouraging. These ships have been part of my professional life for quite some time, so I’m just particular. I like to see models of them done well.
One other suggestion. Perhaps building a modern destroyer, or cruiser, in the same scale as the carrier might be a way to go. It would be a good “warm up” for the carrier model and you could display them together.
Just enjoy it!
Mike
There are all sorts of carriers that would make a decent first build. The Revell Yorktown Class requires some work, but with GMM photoetch it really shines. In addition, the Italeri carriers are not bad at all.
Jeff
i would say the best a/c carrier for a beginner would be 1 of the older revells they are not as accurate as some of the newer 1/700 scale out there but they are about 20-22 bucks are large 1/542 scale almost 2 feet long so the parts would be easier to handle also and although some of them are out of prodution they are still easy to get
i am building 3 of these now
actually those 1/542 scale carriers may be a bit tougher for beginers why not try the 1/800 scale carriers Monogram came out with
i second Jeff’s Yorktown vote…its a nice easy ship to build straight from the box and it looks great too.the parts fit nicely and didnt require alot of special needs to make it a good looking ship.
and then theres Tamiya’s 1/700 scale Enterprise but I have to warn you Tamiya doen’t know alot to put out a model that is correct in the Era the model is supposed to depict for one thing some people point out that the funnel is wrong and one thing I noticed about the ship is the aircraft the aircraft are from the wrong year the way the enterprise is molded is the way it appeared at the battle of Midway (1942)and the Battle of Coral Sea (1943) the aircraft provided are for the Enterprises 1944 refit. to get the ship to match up with the photos of the 1944 refit requires alot of surgury and scratch building of new gun mounts for the 40mm Bofors that replaced the 1.1mm AA guns. and the Island has to be remade to eliminate the 1.1mm mounts and to extend the auxillary bridge forward. I have 2 Enterprise kits and I plan on doing both for Midway and Coral Sea.
Well I am starting my first ship, and it is the Trumpeter 1/350 Essex. Going well so far. I think that until my skill levels improve that the larger scale is better.
Well, my vote would be for the Tamiya 1/700th scale Hornet model.
It’s a nice model of a truly great ship, and it’s fairly easy to build. On the small issue, though, you might find it to be a little too small – it’s around 14" long. You can get them for around $13 from greatmodels.com. Enjoy.