U.S.S. Connecticut - 1/250 Scratch Build

[Michael Mash]

Act of July 1902:
“. . . . . . The President is hereby authorized to have constructed by contract . . . . . first-class battle ships carrying the heaviest armor and most powerful ordnance for vessels of their class upon a trial displacement of not more than sixteen thousand tons, and to have the highest practicable speed and great radius of action, and to cost, exclusive of armor and armament, not exceeding four million two hundred and twelve thousand dollars each . . . . Said vessels . . . . . in all their parts shall be of domestic machinery, and the steel material shall be of domestic manufacture . . . . . Not more than two of the battleships, shall be built by one contracting party……”




Hello Modelers:

This begins work to scratch build the American battleship U.S.S. Connecticut BB-18, circa 1906.

At 455 feet in length, and 76 feet at the beam, this was the largest class of the American pre-dreadnoughts. The Connecticut class consisted of six ships: Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire, Minnesota, Kansas and Louisiana. The drawings I ordered came from the Maryland Silver Company and they are of the U.S.S. Louisiana. I am not aware of any significant differences between the six ships, but this project will give me a chance to discover them, if they exist. The Maryland Silver Company is a good source of plans for many American warships from that era.

I used Sketchup to draw and size the hull frame parts. Each part is made by doubling (laminating) 65lb card stock. Here are the first photos of the work.

Regards,
Mike