USS Missouri
by Henry Quon
1/350 USS Missouri BB-63 (Tamiya)
- Model is of a Tamiya 1/350 US Missouri Battleship Model
- Actual building time was over a 5 – 6 year period. There were months where
there was intense activity followed by months where I did little modeling
work. The model was essentially completed on 11/8/08.
- The “oceanic” base which the model sits on required 6 boxes of Sculpey
clay (1lb., 16 oz. / 453.59 grams each). The oceanic base was formed around
the hull of the model ship during the initial phase of construction. If you look at
the photos, the base was built in two halves. This enabled me to have the option
of displaying the ship as a full hull model without having to opt only for a
waterline version.
- The base was painted over with sea green water-color paint and then coated over
with acrylic floor polish.
- The next phase was to work on the three main gun turrets. As a modeler, I like to
make modifications to the kit model in order to bring out additional opportunities
for displaying the model not indicated on the kit instructions.
- The three main gun turrets have moveable guns. Each gun has a piston which enables
it to be moved. In order to get this to work I used a bit of artistic license. I had to discard the kit 16 inch guns with their molded blast bags. Instead, I used the thinnest
metal tubing I could find as a gun barrel. I attached a swiveling arm support to each
gun barrel. Each swiveling arm support was attached to a piston which enabled the
gun barrel to elevate. The swiveling arm support was later painted silver to give it
a metallic look.
- The 5 inch gun mounts (10 in total) were also modified so they could swivel and their guns are able to elevate.
- The twin Bofors anti aircraft gun mounts (about 26 in total) were also modified so they could swivel. Only the 20mm cannons (32 in total) are stationary.
- I also wanted this model to have ammunition magazines. Using a bit of artistic license
and 1,120 wooden toothpick heads, I was able to do that! Each toothpick head was painted matt green with matt yellow on the tip to simulate a 16” inch battleship
shell. I created 12 rings (4 per turret) which had model gun shells placed on them
which could fit into each one of the three see through containers attached to each of the three gun turrets. I was very fortunate that I did find 3 prescription pill containers
that fit exactly in to each of the three holes in the main deck of the ship model. These
three holes were created by me using a dremel tool in order to get rid of the plastic
which was on the original decking to get these holes (see WIP photos #10,12,13,14)
- I wanted the three gun turrets to be displayable in their own right even if removed
from the ship. This also meant that I had to create something to hide the interior of the
ship if someone were to look in to each of the three gaping holes. To solve this problem, once again using some artistic license, I had to create an outer ring of ammunition magazines just the same way I did for each of the main turret magazines.
Each of these outer rings would surround the main gun turret assembly. They would
also have model 16 inch gun shells placed on them and they would also be painted a
matt dark sea grey to simulate the gritty industrial feel of what the interior of
a battleship gun magazine must be like. WIP photo #9 shows the three
main turrets sitting in their respective outer ring assemblies.
- In painting the ship’s hull, I also used some artistic license. I wanted to depict the
ship as she was in her post Sept 1945 configuration just after the surrender ceremonies in Tokyo Bay. At this time, she still had camouflage measure 22. Instead of painting in navy blue everything from the water line to the lowest point of the sheer, I decided to just leave the hull an overall haze sea grey which I felt was a color which better complemented the color of the oceanic base. I admit it. I used a
“modified” camouflage measure 22 for my Missouri ship model.
- Gold Medal Models photo etched set for the 1/350 Missouri was used for all the Mark 37 5 inch gun director radars, SK-2 main radar assembly, aircraft catapults, rear aircraft crane and ship’s railings.
- Microfilament fishing line painted matt black was used for the ship’s rigging.
Henry Quon
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