GPM USS Lexington (1:200)

[Phrog Phlyer]

So happy to see you with this build! This is my next ship and I will follow your work with interest! Please keep discussing your technique and photos! Best of luck.

[RAFleischman]

I've made some progress on the Lex. I've completed the stack (minus AA guns to be installed later).

Work on the hull is moving slowly. I'm not pleased with the design (too many layers, strips are difficult to align and the alignment marks on the hull plates aren't correct) nor my contruction of it!

russ...

[Don Boose]

Looks good, Russ. Great to see more of this build.

Don

[Michael Mash]

The superstructure looks very nice.
This is a big project at 1/200 scale.
Mike

[Wyvern]

this is incredible.

wyvern

[RAFleischman]

It is very big...almost 4-1/2 feet. Not much superstructure, just a very large, somewhat boring hull! (I'd rather be building the California!!)

russ..

[RAFleischman]

I finally finished the hull, so I can start working on the more interesting bits!

The photographs show the completed port side 5 inch gun sponson. Everything went togther pretty well.

Next up is another gun sponson just forward of this one.

russ...

[Don Boose]

Beautiful work, as always, Russ. Those 5"/25 guns look great.

Incidentally, my Pacific War Strategy 1941-45 elective is in full swing just now.

Don

[RAFleischman]

Hey Don, Pacific War strategy is one of my favorite subjects. I've been trying to teach the people at work the difference between strategy and tactics as it relates to manufacturing, but it just doesn't seem to be sinking in!!

The hull-
* It's not for wimps, it's big and complex
* plan of spending a lot of time laying out the horizontal hull strips. The tick marks on the hull sections under the horizontal strips are not very helpful. I marked out all the strip locations with pencil instead of using the printed marks. I started at the waterline and worked upward. If I was to build it again, I think I would work from the flightdeck down.
* the area between the formers above the water line should filled in with foam or balsa. With the hull strips running horizontal, without reinforcement between the formers you can't press the strips in place when gluing without deforming them.
* the kit doesn't include bilge keels. They are pretty prominent in drawings of the ship. I used a set from Suzuya.
* I don't think the shaft struts are oriented correcting in the kit. There are some pictures of the ship in drydock and the struts look different.

In the end, I'm not happy with the way the hull turned out, but it's such a historic ship, so I'm forging ahead to finish it!

russ...