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USS Arizona (BB-39)

Discussion in 'Modelling' started by Half Track, Jul 13, 2022.

  1. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    A Revell kit, which took the anticipated cutting and sanding due to some bad fit of a few parts. I had done this kit years ago but it accidentally got knocked off a night stand and I didn’t feel like repair of the masts. This kit originated in 1959 I believe. About 21 hours to paint and assemble. I omitted the black water line above the red as I had done it with my Tamiya USS Fletcher and that was enough of “getting it right”, C01464F6-BA4F-4D81-9946-F620934DB459.jpeg 6088BF39-68CB-4965-8B7A-C0DD6449C7BF.jpeg 54F2A64D-0E83-4E6D-AC26-3E2D9C6EAA2D.jpeg F727FCA3-C01D-4FFB-B587-CC1D91ACE535.jpeg C01464F6-BA4F-4D81-9946-F620934DB459.jpeg 6088BF39-68CB-4965-8B7A-C0DD6449C7BF.jpeg 54F2A64D-0E83-4E6D-AC26-3E2D9C6EAA2D.jpeg F727FCA3-C01D-4FFB-B587-CC1D91ACE535.jpeg for me.
     
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  2. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    And I don’t know why the images posted twice because I think I only hit “post images as full size” but one time. Maybe not, who knows, but it surely takes a long time to open. Also , Revell never included that boom that comes off the rear of that front tower.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2022
  3. Slipdigit

    Slipdigit Good Ol' Boy Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I think I built this model when when i was a boy.

    It did not look nearly as good as this, but then I was about ten years old and not nearly as skilled as you.
     
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  4. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    Thanks, but there are some out there better than I, master modelers. As far as painting the black waterline stripe there are several methods and with my Fletcher destroyer model I taped it off twice and sprayed the hull red and the stripe flat black. You have to make sure your tape is straight from bow to stern. For me, at my age, it is a bit tedious and I was just happy to tape this one off once and spray the dark red without any trouble. Because when spraying the hull, being such a large surface, you usually only get one chance at it.
     
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  5. Kai-Petri

    Kai-Petri Kenraali

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    I also did 90% of my painted models when I was 8-12 old. After that I started mainly reading. Kph
     
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  6. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    I built Arizona when I was a kid, around 1965. Had a few dozen ship models. Gave them all to my aunt's husband's kid. He joined the Navy six years after I did. His father and six uncles were all Navy vets.
     
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  7. ULITHI

    ULITHI Ace

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    Another great model Halftrack. I also built that same scale Arizona back in High school when I was reading “At Dawn we Slept”.

    I still have it, but it has a few pieces missing after years of my little nephew playing with it. It’s sitting up on the shelf next to the Bismarck, also with pieces MIA. I painted my Arizona with a real light grey color, kind of like her photos in the 1930s.

    Like the red colored turret tops on yours!
     
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  8. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Why the white on the fighting tops? Just curious.
     
  9. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    I will have to look it up but I have seen others depicted that way. I never even read the color coded instructions that came with it. I do that sometimes. Get back to you in a little while.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2022
  10. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    Looks like it maybe should be 5L or light gray. I believe the color 5U white was used for bulkheads and overheads. But I have seen many modelers paint them white, like this Trumperter model, whoever assembled this one, and it appears he omitted the black line also. Unless that is supposed to be 5L. Anyway, I guess I’ll leave them that way and more research might help.. 300951DF-F05C-4FF3-9E6C-3AB168A49B7B.jpeg
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2022
  11. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    Perhaps it’s a misconception of color with these old photos. This is 55D788B2-5A81-442F-B794-EEB68F94A21C.jpeg after the attack at Pearl Harbor……. Maybe it’s just the way the light hits but with these old photos, why would the one mast be dark and the other light? But it appears to be a light top and dark bottom to the aft mast.
     
    Last edited: Jul 13, 2022
  12. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    The foremast was very near the magazine explosions, so it would be sooty. Aftermast not so much.
     
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  13. Carronade

    Carronade Ace

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    The idea was that the white might be less visible if only the tops were showing over the horizon.
     
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  14. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Did they test that before going with the white paint? I've seen a fair few ships roll up on us. The white tops would be easier to see at night.
     
  15. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    I have looked high and low and the only thing I can come up with is that on December 7, 1941 her towers were painted a very light gray as I can read about and not actually white as depicted by myself and some other model builders. I saw this discussion on another forum (I forget the name) and it shows how she looked then, if it is accurate. But I am not going to repaint them. Could be white, could be a very light gray. But here is the model at the museum………. 702B7A56-35E9-4D72-870D-5C621A8F05D0.jpeg and for that matter I did not paint the white as low on the columns as I probably should have.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2022
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  16. Half Track

    Half Track Well-Known Member

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    Also, following Revell’s wonderful instruction sheet, they show the one plane to be glued facing in the wrong direction on the catapult, turret number three. I wouldn’t have noticed but it was pointed out by someone who is supposed to know, with the design of each end of the catapult. Perhaps I can reverse it. I believe that little tab that extends outward is the rear part of it.
     
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2022
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  17. Carronade

    Carronade Ace

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    Dunno that much about it. I’m inclined to agree that light gray might make more sense.
     
  18. Riter

    Riter Well-Known Member

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    Measure 1 had light grey tops. That model is accurate.
     
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  19. OpanaPointer

    OpanaPointer I Point at Opana Staff Member WW2|ORG Editor

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    Friedman say anything about this?
     
  20. Takao

    Takao Ace

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    Or you could just look through the USN's Ship Camoflage Instructions (SHIPS - 2), from January, 1941.

     

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