Of all the details describing the deck I’ve found it never refers to wood anywhere, just a straight metal deck. Not that I really care, since it never atually got built. And the kit instructions call for it to be the darker gray color, I forget what they call it, but anyways, it’s the same color used for the stern and bow plates deck surface.
At this site it says the Flight Deck was 1.9 centimeter armor, converted that’s roughly 3/4 inch armor. I’ve never found any reference to the Graf having a wooden flight deck, and that site you linked me to, only has one image with a wood colored deck, the rest are armor/steel gray. Not trying to rain on your parade or anything, but the Germans got design ideas from the Japanese before beginning construction on the Graf.
With further research, the Graf Zeppelin was a fleet carrier, and every fleet carrier design I can find refers to armored flight decks, now the escort and auxiliary carriers might have had wooden decks, but All I know is what I’ve seen and read. Upon further research yes the Essex class carriers had an unarmored wooden deck, but from what I can see/understand they were the exception of carrier design, from what I can see the British, French, and Japanese all used straight steel decks.
The last thing I have to say is that since the ship was never actually completed, and it’s your model, do whatever you like with it.
like i said, i wasnt really too sure if the graf deck was metal or wood.for myself, i am leaving the wood paint finish…it looks pretty cool…but i think i will buy another one and do it with a dark gray deck…gives me another reason to buy another kit…muwhahah[:o)]
Okay, well the place I ordered it from no longer lists it on their site, I don’t know if they ran out or if Revell Germany stopped making it, but there’s lots of reasons to explain it.
DanCooper, i think you can get the hull out of it especially that 1 file i noted to you. debating building her or a modern light carrier 144scale to go with my 6(current) other ships, frigates to a battleship
i would like to put the wood/armor deck argument to rest. i’m somewhat of a Graf Zeppelin guru and i’ve done tons of research on her. (she is my fav. ship) i have a photograph taken durring the summer of 1946 which clearly shows the deck of Graf Zeppelin was planked. this is standard Kriegsmarine practice to lay a teak (non-skid) deck over the armor plating. so if you say the deck was armored you are correct, and if you say it was planked you are also correct.
if anyone has any Graf Zeppelin questions, feel free to email me at joseph100@alltel.net
Whoa there buddy. A simple “hey could you substantiate that with a photograph?” would have worked just as well.
The photograph I’m speaking of is copyrighted by AJ Press and I can’t post or link to it on this or any other site. It isn’t on my site either because it is unique to AJ Press as far as I know. BUT you can see it in the AJ Press reprint of Siegfried Breyer’s book “Graf Zeppelin” on page 91. (ISBN 83-7237-156-3) It shows the partially planked flight deck from elevator #2 looking aft. There is a young woman and a Russian soldier standing in the foreground. Judging by this photo, it appears that about 40% of the decking was completed before the work stoppage. (But if you compare these details to known recon photos this number jumps to 75%) This photo is also unique because it shows Graf Zeppelin’s four screws on the flight deck. They where removed to prevent electrochemical corrosion to the hull and placed in a line on the port side. Very high resolution photograph and it leaves nothing to the imagination.
The AJ Press re-release of the Breyer book just hit the shelves about 2 months ago so it is relatively new. The reason I will not post this picture is because not only is it illegal but AJ Press is very sensitive about their copyrights and they get very angry if you cross them. But as I stated above it’s on page 91 so check it out.
Convenient for you that you can’t prove your claims. You mean the first image I linked to, which shows elevator number two, with elevator 3 blown up in the background? Where there is no wooden planking on the deck? Sorry but you don’t have the evidence to sway me, I have all the evidence I need to prove you’re a crackpot.
I have a simple solution for you to prove me wrong, scan the image from the book into a computer, and e-mail it to me. Nothing illegal with that.
i gave you the ISBN for the book, i mean if i where a crackpot would i do that? would i tell you to pick up a copy of a new book that anyone can buy for $20 and turn to page 91 and see for yourself. gimme your email adress buddy.
i think you owe me an appology for your not-so-kind remarks. i never did anything to you and i can’t understand why you are being so mean. i have nothing to hide and i will email you a scan of the photo.
go to http://www.airconnection.on.ca/Default.htm and click on the “AJ Press” icon, then scroll down to “Graf Zeppelin Siegfriend Breyer” click that link and BINGO there ya go. you can even order a copy for yourself. i highly reccomend this book. the Polish text is translated to the right of each entry and it’s 109 pages long. the book was published in Poland and the ISBN is 8372371563
as for the scan, it’s on its way to you, i have a slow connection and it’s still sending…
You should have the scan now. I really hope next time you’ll be a little kinder to your fellow modelers and not fly off the handle just because you can. I would have been more than happy to share any information I have with you for your model. I love talking about GZ, she is my favorite ship. This isn’t some contest to see who knows more, and if I came across as a know-it-all in my first post I apologize. I didn’t mean to, I promise. I was just excited to post about GZ, that’s all.
But that doesn’t excuse your downright mean attitude toward me.
Yeah, my mean attitude triggered by your arrogant attitude. Getting all offensive saying, “Whoah there buddy” or whatever in reply to my simple non agressive, non nasty question about proof.
Back to the topic at hand, the color of the deck according to the models assembly instructions is Dark Grey, thus my deck will be this color. Considering that at 1:720 the planking would be fairly invisible it doesn’t matter either way.
the kit was never available in in australia and no mention was ever made in most histories of read of the period but surely there are other supplies around and what about the hansa version shown in the geocities link[8)]
I’m not sure if it’s the one you’re thinking of but from what I see on that one site, the Hansa version is 1:1250 scale. Which to me is a bit small to be a useful model.
I’m pretty sure Revell AG has stopped making the 1/720 GZ. I got 2 kits last year and I had a hell of a time obtaining them. I couldn’t even find any on Ebay.