1/350 USS Princeton CVL-23 - Unofficial GB

[Crimea_River]

Since I found the need to pre-paint some parts, I'm having to settle on colours at this early stage. I'll be painting this model in the Measure 33 7a scheme that the ship carried in the months prior to her loss and I think that I have now navigated through the fog of US naval colours of the time. Here is an original plan of the scheme, copied from the net, which is unfortunately illegible in the areas that I need.

Having read several discussions and bits of literature on the matter, almost all of which do not align with each other, I have settled on the following colours and am starting to prepare some samples of Tamiya paints to match the suggested FS equivalents based on the FS-595a colour booklet that I borrowed from a friend and this useful site:

Shadow areas and lighter colour shown in above diagram - 5-U White
Light Grey areas in above diagram as well as island tower and platforms - 5-P Pale Grey - FS36515 - No Tamiya mix suggestion
Medium tone on above diagram - 5-H Haze Grey - FS36375 - Tamiya XF-66 suggested
Dark areas on above diagram - 5-N Navy Blue - FS35045 - Tamiya XF-17 suggested
Flight deck and other floors/decks - Deck Stain 21 - FS35164 - Tamiya XF-18 suggested

Onward.......

 

[parsifal]

andy

fixes look good to me. I always struggle with the filler putty on boats......its very easy to ruin the detailing inadvertently. no such problem here, plus I know you have skills in recovery of such detail that I envy.

Will you set the model in an ocean diorama?

going well I think

 

[Crimea_River]

I'm actually debating that but am a little leary of messing up the diorama. Never done the water thing and have no idea what to use and where to get the materials. However, I'd love to be able to achieve this effect, done by Chris Flodberg, a local modeler:

 

[parsifal]

maybe ask him if you can contact him

Here are some suggestions from the net

How to make realistic water by Frank Ilse

Whitewater

Model Warships.com

There are plenty of others......


I have never attempted a water base, but the simplest method seems to be associated with using white Styrofoam as the base. Colour selection and colour application are important in the steps.

of course use a test base I think.

I would look for a particular scene with a particular ocean scene and sea state. Avoid the temptation to overstate the ocean effect I think.

 

[Crimea_River]

I spoke to Chris a couple of years ago and, as an artist, he has his own website and contact info. He has a tutorial here and here but admitted, when I spoke to him, that he's moved on to newer methods. He also has some You-tube tutorials.

I just haven't faced the decision yet in my mind and, if I decide to go that route, will certainly talk to him.

 

[Wayne Little]

A new challenge.....

 

[Gnomey]

Good work so far Andy!

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks all. The diorama decision will be put off and in the meantime, things continue above the water line. With the seam between the hangar deck and the hull down to just a few spots that need attention, I was able to start building up the deck areas as the chance of things getting knocked off with all the filing and sanding is much less now. However, because so many surfaces are hard to get to for painting, it means that some planning is needed and painting done between assembly steps, this probably being second nature to experienced ship builders.

Below is the stern deck previously shown that has now had the deck masked off for painting of the bulkhead and tub walls. The deck had been previously painted.

With the masks removed, the various colours of the Ms 33-7a scheme are now starting to appear. The vertical walls are all Pale Grey 5-P and there's a swish of Navy Blue 5-N on the right side of the hangar wall. The deck is "Deck Stain 21".

The bow decks were similarly treated with lots of finicky masking having to be done following the painting of the decks.

After application of the Pale Grey, the masks were removed and the chains were painted gloss black. All this looks a bit stark right now but weathering will follow final assembly of all of the parts in these areas.

The island has also been painted with the disruptive scheme once again requiring lots of masking. I started with the white patch in the shadow area below the bridge and then masked and painted successively from light to dark. All four colours are represented in the below pic, with the entire superstructure being painted in 5-P. The portholes got a dab of gloss black and, once again, weathering will follow later. If you look closely, I opened up the ventilator shaft on the bottom left and inserted a splitter vane made of card. I noticed this detail in a reference after the fact and could not leave the solid kit part as it was.

Here's the port side of the island. A PE door was added next to the opening and painted white.

And now for the really finicky stuff, I began adding the rigging since it would be easiest to do this while I can manipulate the island assembly before it's glued to the flight deck. The 4 stays for the mast are stretched sprue painted in steel. For the attachment blocks, I used single lengths of the PE chain supplied on the WEM fret. The footropes are PE pieces from the WEM set.

For anyone interested, I settled on the following formulas for the navy colours for Tamiya paints:

5-P Pale Grey 1:XF19 + 1:XF2
5-H Haze Grey 1:XF82 + 1:XF2
5-N Navy Blue 3:XF8 + 1:XF1
Deck Stain 21 Straight XF18

 

[Wurger]

 

[Gnomey]

Lovely work so far Andy!

 

[javlin]

Andy I did some water for a 1/700 Cruiser and it was really not that hard.If I remember right it was Aluminum first first wrinkled sunny side up (?) ,a big tube of clear acrylic and a few colors of blue/green(mainly gloss) and of course white.You can probably find some newer methods out there.The work thus far looks really good and yea ships seem to take awhile though I would think an Aircraft carry might go quicker without all the SS

 

[Crimea_River]

Thanks Kevin. Good input and thanks Wojtek and Hugh for your comments.

What tends to happen to me with respect to dioramas is that I put all my energy into the subject model and, well before I'm done, I start looking forward to doing something new, leaving me with no desire to do the associated diorama. I'm already thinking of GB 32 and will most probably work this model in parallel with that project. I think I will complete the full hull which can always be cut down to a waterline model at a later date. After GB 32, I have very few aircraft models that fit the GB themes and will be in a position to revert to a potential sea diorama.

 

[Wayne Little]

Done real good there Andy....

When I get to mine I will go Waterline on a base and add a Princeton VF-27 Hellcat

 

[Capt. Vick]

Wow! More than decent my friend!

 

[parsifal]

nice work with the detail andy. I assume you are using a brush for such a tiny paint area?

 

[Crimea_River]

No hairy stick so far - all air brush except touch ups.

Thanks all.

 

[Capt. Vick]

 

[Crimea_River]

That's good, right?

 

[fubar57]

Progressing nicely Andy. Regarding the camo, I'm assuming the parts you need clearer are around the bridge area and aft section? I'll see what I have.This is to go with your plans...

 

[Crimea_River]

I have some pretty good references Geo, including the more obscure areas. Would love to see more but don't do backflips to post more.

I'm on a business trip now and hope to be back at it Friday.