So, I found a Facebook group for modeling Essex class carriers and there was some good info out there about the Hornet, especially concerning the forward bulkheads on the hangar bay level that accommodated launching from the hangar deck catapult in WWII. Those doors were retained even after the catapults were removed (good for unreps and such). The Intrepid kit does not have those doors as they are on the Hornet, so more research (I thankfully have a great picture of the stbd doors) and more 3D printing. Here’s the photo and the printed part:
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Thanks for mentioning the facebook group. I had no idea it existed before your mention. You are continuing fantastic work on this…I’m loving it!
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I cut the bulkhead from the kit and mated my printed bulkhead to the kit part. I did a test fit and it’s looking good.
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So, I took a brief interlude today to continue work on the HSS-1 Seabat from HS-8 that was on the Hornet during this cruise. I ordered some custom decals that I designed in Inkscape. The guy I use is based in Canada. I really like the quality of the decal paper he uses…it’s nice and thin, which can be an issue with some DIY decal papers. Anyway, with the new tariff challenges, the decals that he sent to me on December 24th only arrived earlier today…better late than never! I got the first side done today and will let it dry overnight and will tackle the other side tomorrow. Here’s the progress so far, along with a photo of the actual helo. Very happy with the decals!
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So, I have a couple of updates today…first, I finished my HSS-1 for HS-8. I now have a 1:72 scale representative for each aircraft type from the 1959 cruise, and they are all together in my display case. I really enjoyed building the HSS-1 and I really like the color scheme. I will do another one in 1:48 scale and already have the decals for the larger scale. I also decided the original mast I designed was too tall, and after checking against blueprints from Hornet’s sister ship, USS Yorktown, I re-designed the mast and included mounts for the SPS-6 and SPS-10 radars built into the platforms for each. They’re very small in the photo, but if you zoom in, you can see the detail. I also added the long ladder up the side of the main mast trunk. It was initially a thought experiment, as I was unsure how it would print, but as you can see, it turned out really well and leaves me with one less fiddly photoetch gluing and mounting challenge.
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