USS Winston Churchill

Modeling Subjects Ships
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Hi All,

I’m a returning ship modeler and new airbrusher and I’m in a quandary about painting the deck stripes on this Arleigh Burke Flight IIA ship. I have the Trumpeter 1/350 version. I assumed there would be decals for the deck striping on the aft helicopter landing deck, but nooo… Any ideas on how to tackle this? Is hand painting the only practical answer?

Steve

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Tape[:D]

Find a good diagram of the markings on the flight deck and use tape to define the edges of the lines and spray them on. There is a type of hobby tape from Tamiya that is not a stickey as regular masking tape and won’t pull up lower layers of paint. For the circle in the center of the flight deck you’ll need to cut tape with a knife of sicors to make the bounds of the circle.

On the other hand I think that JAG collective makes a 1/350 generic decal sheet for USN vessels. It is availible from several mail order hobby companies.

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Image of the flight deck markings on a Burke from the FAS.org website

Note that this is applicable for Flight I and Flight II Burkes only (i.e. those without a hangar). Consult other references for a Flight IIa Burke

I don’t believe that JAG’s deck marking decals will get you the hash marks and Ts which you need to decal a destroyer’s flight deck. For that you probably want to look into the decal set by Gold Medal Models and/or the set by Iron Shipwright.

Check too the DESRON/DESDIV patches, flags, Battle Es, and salad bars available from ISW

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Great info, thank you! Looks like decaling is the “easy” answer!

Steve

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Here is a related item USS Churchill DDG 81 built as an R/C model in 1/72 scale.
The builder has even designed the VLS to fire “real” scale SM-2 ER missiles !
Here are a few pics of her. If you want to read more about it go to http://defencemodels.com.au/Projects/Churchill.asp

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More information on what these guys have built can be found at http://www.taskforce72.org/

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I think that those pics of the Churchill were taken on Wentwoth Falls Lake about 10km from my place and one one of my regular sailing haunts.
Dai

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Yup, it is in fact Wentworth falls. the club has a regatta there once evey year in November. I am planing on going this year to have a look.

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Those are marvelous pictures of some great models. I enjoyed them thoroughly!

Thanks!

Steve

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I think one of those crewman was taking a leak over the side … but he was outta scale …

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I got a picture from the Churchill’s web site showing a helo landing on the rear deck. Lines are different from the spec drawing above.

I think I can mask the straight lines, but the circle is sending me to Gold Medal for the decals.

Also, the raised guidelines on the model are going to be a problem. I already had to sand off the eyebolt bumps on the hull, looks like the deck line markings are next.