USS Yorktown (CV-5) by patrickmil - Trumpeter - 1/200 - PLASTIC

[patrickmil]

Well, I guess I should start on something new; I only have five other projects going on at the moment, lol. My plan is to model Yorktown in mid to late 1940. I think it's the best the ship looked in her career. Additionally, the aircraft wore flashier paint schemes too. So far I have the kit and the Pontos set for Enterprise with the natural wood deck. I also have the Webb plans from May 1940 and a couple of nice books on The Fighting Lady.

 

It's going to be a very long term project and of course it will also be getting its own YouTube series like USS Curtis Wilbur. I know there is a lot wrong with the hull and will do my best to address it. We'll see how that goes.

 

Surprising to me is that there isn't more out there on the internet about this kit as far as reviews, discrepancies between the kit and the real ship, aftermarket options, and documented builds.

 

Please add more if you know, but from what I can tell is that the general hull profile is incorrect. Rather than  just a box shaped tub as Trumpeter molded, the hull should be thinner towards the bottom, go up and then flare out to it's final beam to meet up with the flight deck. I also know that the bulbous bow needs to be a bit fatter, there should be some very slight plating effects and somewhat prominent docking keels from what I've learned through research. Lastly, for general hull corrections, I'll need to drill out, fill, and redrill the portholes since they were present on her in the 1940 and they are molded as ovals rather than round due to molding limitations. Seriously, anything else to add to this list for just the hull?

 

Some good news for this is most of the Pontos set should be usable and because the wrap-around flag bridge was eliminated prior to when I'm modeling her, I shouldn't have to alter the island too much, if at all. I was finally able to determine that the CXAM radar system was added in Sep 1940 so I think I'll be adding that. Most likely, the degaussing cables will be left off though since these were added in Dec 1940. Now, just need to source from 1/200 scale .50 cals.

 

I'll have pictures of the kit contents and the Pontos set coming up soon.

 

Of note, some online plans from Feb 1940: https://maritime.org/doc/plans/cv5.pdf

 

Thanks in advance for checking in.

 

Patrick

Edited Wednesday at 09:00 PM by patrickmil

[mtdoramike]

I know Trumpeter has it's fair share of issues, but it is one of the best companies out there for these types of kits. I understood this when I built the Trumpeter USS Missouri 1/200 and just went with it with a few modifications. Wood is very forgiveable where as plastic is not. You can spend hundreds of dollars on pontos upgrades, but I found most of the offerings in the kit to be satisfactory.

 

My main issue with the Missouri was it being a 4 screw, so I built it with four operational motors and props. But after running it a few times, the outer props will hit every little debris in the water and sheer off the outside props. Now after replacing those props twice at $30.00 each and waiting a month to receive them from China, I regret the 4 screw setup.   

[mtdoramike]

By the way, I could have just looked at the box and contents and never built it and I would have been happy, beautiful kit.

[patrickmil]

10 minutes ago, mtdoramike said:

I know Trumpeter has it's fair share of issues, but it is one of the best companies out there for these types of kits. I understood this when I built the Trumpeter USS Missouri 1/200 and just went with it with a few modifications. Wood is very forgiveable where as plastic is not. You can spend hundreds of dollars on pontos upgrades, but I found most of the offerings in the kit to be satisfactory.

 

My main issue with the Missouri was it being a 4 screw, so I built it with four operational motors and props. But after running it a few times, the outer props will hit every little debris in the water and sheer off the outside props. Now after replacing those props twice at $30.00 each and waiting a month to receive them from China, I regret the 4 screw setup.   

Trumpeter is definitely not perfect, but they are one of the few companies offering modern warships in this scale and they offer them at a fraction of what the others do, so that is a HUGE plus for them in my book. I also feel that the kit, for the most part, does offer plenty of great detail; I guess I'm a glutton for punishment.

 

I don't do anything in RC so I can't relate, but I absolutely get where you're coming from on replacing the outside propellers.

 

9 minutes ago, mtdoramike said:

By the way, I could have just looked at the box and contents and never built it and I would have been happy, beautiful kit.

I can't bring myself to not start a kit, lol.

[ddp]

CV-5 USS Yorktown Booklet of General Plans (1940) https://archive.org/details/cv5bogp1940

USS Yorktown (CV-5) https://www.navsource.org/archives/02/05.htm

the .50" machine guns are the water cooled version not air cooled.

[patrickmil]

26 minutes ago, ddp said:

CV-5 USS Yorktown Booklet of General Plans (1940) https://archive.org/details/cv5bogp1940

USS Yorktown (CV-5) https://www.navsource.org/archives/02/05.htm

the .50" machine guns are the water cooled version not air cooled.

I appreciate the links! I've looked at both sites, in fact. And ditto on the .50 cals. I believe I need a total of 24. Might be 3D printing them if I can't find an aftermarket company with an offering.

[ccoyle]

3 hours ago, patrickmil said:

My plan is to model Yorktown in the mid to late 40's.

 

Wait, what? The CV-5 Yorktown wasn't around in the late 1940s.

[ddp]

especially as she was sunk at the Battle of Midway June 8 1942.

Edited Wednesday at 08:56 PM by ddp

[patrickmil]

7 minutes ago, ccoyle said:

 

Wait, what? The CV-5 Yorktown wasn't around in the late 1940s.

Ummmm, yeah... typos, am I right? I'll get it edited.

 

One thing that was bugging me was the hanger catapult. It appears that at least the platforms extending from the interior of the hanger still was evident, just not the size that Trumpeter has molded them. I'll have to get these slimmed down a bit. Luckily the Webb plans show these off well. This part was confusing as Enterprise got rid of her hanger catapults.

 

Was also going to point out that I don't think I'll be adding docking keels as I'm not seeing evidence of them in this very heartbreaking photo of Yorktown capsizing to port.

 

[ddp]

i am seeing something like a docking keel just above the water to the left of the hole.