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This is what I'm using. I've had it probably two years. An Iwata Eclipse.

IWATA HP-BCS ECL 2000 Airbrush Kit with Mini Compressor

It's just a little compressor, but it's worked perfectly all this time. I used to have Testor's Aztek airbrush, but this one's so much easier to clean.



My Franklin's coming in today via UPS, along with all the armament extras. I'm antsy to see it. I'll post pics later. The kit was around $100, but I spent the same amount on the extras. If this was a Dragon kit, I wouldn't have bothered, but with Trumpeter...

I'm working through the 100+ page thread in the Essex Fan page at modelwarships. I'm doing the '44 version, but I'm curious if she was different in '45. Independence will be wearing measure 21, and I don't want to repeat it with CV-13.

Ed-

You guys are terrible. I've been looking at new kits and PE all day and thanks to you I'm going to have to finally shell out for an airbrush set-up! [:D]

I understand why the Navy chose some of the camo schemes, they were to throw off subs trying to determine speed and the correct length of the ship. What I don't get is some of the "dazzle" schemes show on the link that Nashvillen posted.

When the kamikaze menace started to happen. Ships started repainting back to Ms 21 (all Navy Blue 5-N) rather quickly. It was very good at hiding ships from aerial view.

Apart from the wake generated...

Ed-

Yeah, the wake is kind of hard to hide from the air... Oh, wait, obvert! You can air brush it out... [:D]

ORIGINAL: nashvillen

Yeah, the wake is kind of hard to hide from the air... Oh, wait, obvert! You can air brush it out... [:D]

Soon, soon! [:D]

The dazzle stuff worked really well against subs, and I guess Measure 22 was best when surface engagement was the most likely threat.

[font="Trebuchet MS"]Measure 22 used a straight horizontal boundary between the two colors rather than following the sheer of the main deck, making a characteristic gray "wedge" at the bow. This bold contrast at a horizontal line near the horizon reduced visibility to surface observers and created the illusion of greater range. This measure largely replaced Measure 12 where aerial observation was unlikely. "Useful for combatant ships operating in areas where greatest danger might be expected from gunnery action either from shore batteries or from enemy surface ships. Moderately high visibility to aerial observation at close ranges."[/font]

When the kami threat turned up a lot of ships went back to Measure 21 with all Navy Blue to reduce visibility from the air.

Any of you rich boys invest in this?

The IJN Akagi

ORIGINAL: treespider

Any of you rich boys invest in this?

The IJN Akagi

No, but I have drooled over it quite often...

I am saving for two kids collage.

I balked at the price of the 1/350th kit.

1/250 is sorta an odd scale. 1/200 is sorta the rage lately.

Ed-

Christmas in February.

1x Trumpeter 1/350 USS Franklin CV-13
1x Tom's Modelworks photo etch set
2x Alliance Modelworks 40mm Bofors quad mounts (6 each)
1x Alliance Modelworks 5"/38 Mk28 twin mount (no blast bags)
2x Master Models 20mm Brass barrels/pedestal/gun (20 each)
2x Veteran Models 5"/38 single gun (4 each)

I hadn't really cataloged a complete armament count, so I'm not sure if I'll run out of 40mm and 20mm guns.

[8D]

Ed-

ORIGINAL: treespider

Any of you rich boys invest in this?

The IJN Akagi

I saw an ad for it a couple of months ago. For the price it better be gold plated.

Bill

Yeah, a bit pricey. I'm not fond of the wood construction and metal parts. It looks like the end of the gun barrels aren't even hollowed out, though the photos mostly seem to have them pointing away.

Hasegawa's kit has had good reviews. Hopefully, I an get one someday. (Cheaper than another Trapdoor Springfield, I guess)

I put out another armament order, after going through the instructions. One more pack of 40mm and one more of 20mm. I counted close to 60 of the 20s and 17 Bofors mounts. Good thing I didn't get a long hull Essex. My replacement 5" turrets are also nice. I'll have to shave the sighting hood off two of them. It may not seem like much, updating the armament, but those details can change the look of the whole model in an amazing way.

It also came with a real live "book" with pages for instructions. Far better than the Hirohito-Haggadah School of folding the Dragon kit has. (sorry... stole that from a BROG article, but it fits) This actually looks like an easier build than the Independence. The CVL looks seriously tiny next to CV-13. All the side hanger roller doors are molded shut, so I'll probably be busy with the Dremel. The hanger looks too nice to hide.

I also ordered some replacement aircraft decals. The national insignia Trumpeter provides look distorted. I guess I have lots of extras with the CVL-22 kit.

Ed-

Here is the progress I am making on my CVL22 Air Wing of 24xF6F and 12xTBF. Still under construction.

And the 6xSBD in the foreground came with the kit and were my test objects... Won't be on the carrier. Will be stored away for when I do a CV sometime in the future.

If you guys like big scaled warships you should check out this thread.

1/72 scale CVE

This guy scratch built a 1/72 scale CVE complete with an airwing.





The build thread is amazing.

Nice!

It took me until now to chime in because I was still picking up the pieces of my mind. It was blown.

That thing is amazing!

ORIGINAL: Lokasenna

It took me until now to chime in because I was still picking up the pieces of my mind. It was blown.

That thing is amazing!

Yes it is, I have been following his thread for a while. Apparently he is building several ships for a "miniatures" wargame. This beast took him like 14 months.

It has been an amazing thread to follow.

When I was selling models on Ebay I came across a guy who was building a 1/96 scale Shangri-La. He belonged to an R/C club and everyone built 1/96 scale. They had some Iowas in the club. The larger ships were transported to the lake via trailers.

Bill