1/700 CV-6 Uss Enterprise

[Draco]

After a pause, the Enterprise is at work again. This long weekend I finished the starboard side and the bow struts. You can see some of the hangar doors open, some closed. The port side is unglued and unpainted, the doors still closed.

There will be two planes inside the hangar, near the doors, maybe a F4F WIlcat and a SBD Devastator. The rest of them will be over the deck.

There are some splashes of paint inside the guns nest, they will be corrected while the assembly continues. The deck is still unglued, it will be attached after the stern struts, the inner airplanes and the port hangar bulkheads are finished

I'm cutting the closed hangar doors, and placing a corrugated shet of paper behind. The result shows in some of the pictures and gives a sense of realism to the ship.

I'm still deciding how I feel about an carrier. In a battleship, all the superstructure is over the main deck. In a sub, everithing is aerodinamic (or hidrodinamic). In a carrier, part is a cargo ship, part is a repair ship, part of the bridge is over the flight deck, part of the bridge is hanging of the flight deck, a mess!

[Draco]

Painting the starboard side of the hangar bay, placing many small pieces that can't be seen easily in pictures.

I included two planes inside the hangar bay. I'm planing to include a F4F with folded wings.

I'm going to make four more F4F, four TBD Devastador and a lot of SBD Dauntless, to be placed on deck. Not all the 36 Dauntless that were carrier by the ship, but a good part.

[Draco]

And at last I finished the both sides of the hanger.

Part of the slowness is due to the lack of instructions, but part is due to the Dr1 Dreidekker being build at the same time. You can see it in the aft side of the table.

Anyway, the hanger is finished, both planes are inside and I'm getting ready to glue the main deck.

[Rascacielos]

That Enamel canister has taken my to the 90s, when I did many plastic fighter planes model kits
What times!

[Draco]

Hi, rascacielos!

Problably the canister it's from that ancient age. :-) It's part of a lot that I bought to paint plastic planes. If you live in Venezuela, it's posible that we met in Parque Cristal

The paper airplane is finished, so the Enterprise must be going faster. I found and placed the stern struts, glued the tabs between the hanger and castles bulkheads and the bottom side of the flight deck. Next weekend comes a layer of paint, many small pieces and hopefully, some deck planes.

I'm still unhappy about the graphic instructios of the original paper model. There is a LOT of pieces that I discovered where they go because I've been looking a lot of pictures of the real ship

Well, the important part is that the ship is advancing and taking the final form

[Draco]

Today two "malandros" on a byke tryed to rob me near my house. So I exchanged punches with the passenger, wile the drive yelled me that he was armed, until I made them run.

That's YOUR fault. Because I live in Venezuela. And you know that my country is suffering a total political colapse. And you say "It doesn't matter, it is not here". " Wy he doesn't leave the country"

But some of us remain. To defend what is ours. Mine. So, if I die in one or two weeks because this stupid thiefs rented a gun, don't worry, it was not your problem.

I started the island. First in white paper, later painted. I placed a tab on the deck for suport, but I will not glue the island to the flight deck until all the bridges and assorted parts are places. Can't believe that the island is SO slim! Knife tin!

All the big parts are finished, now comes the catwalks, guns, boats, planes on deck, shafts, propelers...

[elliott]

The Big E is progressing very nicely. Sorry to hear about the attempted robbery. Am glad you are OK. Hope you and your family are able to stay safe.

[Draco]

Thanks Elliot

This weekend I've been making the deck planes. Here you can see some tests. I still haven't placed some wheels and props.

When finished, there will be four SBD Dauntless (two on catapult and two just behind). Two TBD Devastador (one with folded wings) and four F4F Wildcats.

Once placed the flight deck and the island, I'm starting to like the ship. Now LOOKS like a carrier!

[Draco]

Ok, I've been having a headache about the right color and position of the spripes on the flight deck.

As happens with the deck color, almost each reproduction is different. So, after investigating pictures and some reference, I decided to paint two pale/greyist yellow striped lines from bow to stern, the same with of the front and rear hanger. The separation between the stripes are three deck carvings, and the lenght of the stripe is one carving.

The carvings were in the real ship metal separations runing from side to side of the deck.

There is a central striped line running between the front elevator and the rear one, both included.

Now, I have no evidence of the big numbers "6" on any end of the deck on 1942, and, the right side line doesn't curve near the island. Both details would have happened by 1944

I will be using this picture as a guide

http://www.the-blueprints.com/bluepr...ca-10-1942.png

The existing planes have received wheels and propellers. It remains to do three SBD and one TBD with folded wings

[Draco]

The Air Complement is finished. In the second picture you can see the pair of planes inside the hangar.

Like the island, none of them will be glued until the ship is almost finished.

Now, to paint the deck!