1/250 USS Forrestal aircraft carrier (Wilhelmshaven)

[wireandpaper]

I am glad you are ejoying your build.
I am also very thankful that you are sharing it step by step!

[BigGiraffe]

Hello,

The third deck section is in place. I'm not real fond of this photo because it makes my seams look worse than they are in person, but it does highlight the different parts!

Best regards,
Kurt

[BigGiraffe]

Hello,

Both the forward flight deck section and the adjacent section had edges that needed to be rolled downward, marked by those lines I was asking about recently.

For the forward section, I wanted to attach the front-most end to the front wall before gluing down the rest of the deck because, otherwise, it would be hard to align the very front. You nearly have to stand on your head to do this, but then it occurred to me the top is still flat and so I could turn the ship over. Now I could see what I was doing on that front edge. I propped the other end on a chair while the front dried.

Once the rest of the front panel was glued down, I finished the bracing that goes under the smaller deck projections an the side of the ship. Again, it was easier to do this with the ship upside down.

Best regards,
Kurt

[wireandpaper]

Progressing nicely!

[BigGiraffe]

Thanks!

The first elevator is assembled. Since all four elevators, with their tracks, are similar, I decided to install them as I go so I don't mix things up.

It's interesting to see that the elevators can be moved up and down in the tracks. However, I feel like it would be too easy to bend edges doing that, so I'll just put them in their chosen display positions.

Best regards,
Kurt

[BigGiraffe]

Hello,

The elevators are completed, and the large port side panel assembly is in place.

With this model, it is very nice that the deck is still flat and the model can be turned upside down to help with work. I decided to glue the lower edges of the large panel to the hull first. One of the sections was oil-canned inward, so I cut a small hole in the hidden part and used a bent paper clip to pull the side outward while gluing that edge of the panel into place. After the lower edge was completed, I turned turn the model upright to do the upper edge along the deck. For the forward and aft closure parts, it was a combination of upside down and upright positioning.

Now begins some smaller deck parts that include some bollards and capstans. Things will go more slowly now.

Take care,
Kurt

[BigGiraffe]

Hello,

The small decks have various equipment on them. I'm not mass-producing the bollards and capstans on this kit, but instead am making them as I need them for each deck.

As you can see from the last photo, make sure to admire your work on these decks prior to installing, because nobody is really going to that equipment under the hull sides. (But, hey, I'll do them anyway!)

Take care,
Kurt

[wireandpaper]

Is taking shape nicely!

[peter taft]

Hoolala..... amazing work thus far Kurt

[BigGiraffe]

Thanks, folks!

The lifting booms can be moved up and down by using a pin for a hinge. The kit sets things up so you can push the pin all the way through the unit, but I only used the inner walls, thinking that was sufficient since the kit includes reinforcement squares in that area. And this way, I could cut the pin just shorter than the outer walls and the outer walls would hold it from ever coming out. The instructions have you glue in the surrounding panels before attaching the booms, so I'm not going to add the booms until later. It seems like they'll get in the way, even if they do move. Now they are in storage next to all the airplanes.

Oh, and it was good I have not glued the elevators into any one position because they have to be moved out of the way while you are working the sides of the hull.

It was useful to turn the ship on its back, again, to work the panels under the deck. You can see the two places where the booms will eventually attach, over in the right half of the photo. Lighting was better for a photo with the ship upside down, too...

Best regards,
Kurt