1/350 USS Wasp LHD-1 (Revell)

The model was completed in approximately a year. The White Ensign photoetch  set was used to further detail the model.

The Island..... Works on the island include complete new piping  and trunking. The island was sanded clean and all piping was reworked using various thicknesses of copper and telephone wire. All the window panels in both the aft and stern  bridges.... and that's quite a lot.. were hollowed out as lights were to be installed in same. After painting and weathering,  clear acetate plastic with a greenish tint was put in place to simulate the green window panels on the bridges. Very effective with lighting.

The Hangar.... This was again detailed and vehicles openings were cut out and opened  to accommodate the tractors and gear.... different colored Lighting , using silicone colored sleeves, was also added and I wanted to a simulate busy activity by including equipment... figures and aircraft .A scratchbuilt ceiling was fashioned out of 20 thousands plastic sheeting and different grades of telephone wire to simulate air ventilation systems, ducting and trunking

The Flooding Well Deck... Again this was detailed adding piping and trunking . A green diffused lighting was added and again deck was populated with armored fighting vehicles and figures to simulate a disembarking operation.

The Hull and  Top Deck..... The Hull was detailed, weathered and painted. The Top deck was also painted and weathered  and decals applied. Once both sections were finished, the deck was glued on the hull, no easy task as wiring kept getting in the way.  The island was then attached to the top deck, again very fiddly as had to connect the wiring system of the three different components. The fitting of all components weren't that brilliant.

Airwing.... I only used the Ospreys provided by the kit.... The rest of the airwing were resin offerings by Iron Shipwrights which incidentally are very good.. These were detailed by opening hatches , engine panels etc. I also made some engines for the Sea Knights . Most of the airwing was reworked for  further accuracy , note the swept wing of the Osprey. Fuel tanks were fashioned out of toothpicks and all ordnance was scratchbuilt. A Navy Sea Dragon was thrown in to make the scene more interesting. This was converted from a Sea Stallion

Deck Gear.... The Tilley Crane was totally scratchbuilt as the kit offering was nowhere near the real thing. More deck gear was added again courtesy Iron Shipwrights to make the action more realistic and busy.

The LCAC’S and LCU’s.... I used these provided by the kit. Again these were further detailed and more vehicles and personnel were added ,some scratchbuilt, including a clearing tractor. There’s quite a few figures. I used a mixture of L’Arsenal, Goffy and Fujimi. The model was painted and weathered using a mixture of enamels, acrylics and oils, applying deep shadows and highlights

All in all not it's quite a good kit and I enjoyed the build.

Reference... Aircraft Carriers by Chris Bishop and Chris Chant and many pictures from the web.
 
 

Gallery updated 2012

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