RGL

The air wing in construction 

Thanks all, I’m currently listing to an audio book on carrier operations in WW2. Trivia; most USN aircraft had radial engines so they could land (insert crash) better in the sea as in line engines have air scoops that would cause the aircraft to cartwheel on a ditch killing the crew. It also allowed for more space in the fuselage. 

The primary reason was to save the aircraft that would park up on the bow after landing. There is a video WW2 Movie)  on U Tube that depicts landing on an Essex carrier and then explains how it all works. 
 

Here is a couple of images and the video’s title. It’s WW2 vintage and quite corny but a lot of reference

A few examples of the barrier wire at work 

You can hardly see this, but when the carriers did recovery operations, they put up wire barriers to stop planes that missed the arrestor cable, so the upgrade provided the 8 required stays which I have rigged with two wires each, just near impossible to see. 

Just in case you missed the ‘fly’ past 

Yes, planned it that way. It’s next to the refueling station too. 

And a fly past 

Pretty much done, just have to add some crash barriers after I do the planes. 

50 of them, done. Horrible. 

A week away, back to 50 single 20mm guns. A full session to cut off the PE, then glueing and aligning. 
 

the orange bucket is full of blackener which will do the barrels and will no doubt need some paint on the brackets. 
 

unfortunately the early work of Pontos does not quite align anywhere.  

Long range radio antenna folded down for air operations 

The ships launches. Not that the kit ones are bad but I got two from Black Cat models which are 3D printed and they are just amazing. 

The Pontos set provides the Veteran models twin mount, it’s a complete swap out. 

Time to start throwing it all together. 

The issue with staffing the ship means it blows out the cost by lots, 

The search lights are replaced and actually have little glass lenses which just look like toys to me, so I rather have them with a dark wash.

the three shades of blue is quite growing on me, it’s very dark but looks quite real.  

Island nearly done, just needs some rigging 

Nope, I only did 2 of the lots and lots of 20mm. Almost finished the island. 

The remaining guns, the 20mm’s are now pretty  standard replacements, the 20mm quad borfors were just horrible to build as the barrels are mismatched, but the 5 inch singles are very easy and nice. 
 

The kit plastic blobs are painfully inadequate 

5 inch guns, come up quite nicely, nice bit of kit really 

Island painted, 

Navy Blue 

flat blue highlights   

blue grey overspray. 
 

next filters then weathering. 

The 5 inch guns, (Kit on the right) and the upgrade with the Pontos set on the left. 

Paint cue, Primer added to 30 life rafts with extra strapping for the undersides of the catwalks. The kit provided ones are rubbish so I got North Star ones, and 5 star have the tie down straps. 

MK 37 director