by Steve Shoare
1/700 USS Boston CA-69 (Trumpeter)
I present to you the USS Boston CA-69 circa 1944 as my first submission to the ModelWarships Gallery. I've been visiting the ModelWarships site for several years now and have finally worked up the courage to actually show one of my completed ships. My inspiration for building CA -69 was the picture on the Navsource site of her in October 1943 under a full power run (National Archives #80-G-283559).
I used the 1943 version of Trumpeter's USS Baltimore (bought the ‘43 kit before I realized that there would be a 1944 version out shortly thereafter)
Using various photos of the Baltimore class, I laid out the hull panel lines and by using black electrician's tape stuck to the hull as a guide, I scribed the panel lines into the hull with a leather sewing needle (the point is three sided as opposed to the usual conical sewing needles and they are stronger and quite sharp).
The forward structure (bridge, base of the funnel etc) were modified to update the ship to a later fit as well as upgrading the AA guns with additional quad 40mms on the main deck (including the quad mount on the fantail between the cranes (almost didn't find out in time that this one is slightly offset of the centerline to port).
The gun barrels of the 8 inch main battery were replaced with .080 hollow tubing with a strip of aluminum foil wound around the bases of each barrel to represent the step on the lower portion of the guns. Similarly the secondary five inch barrels were replaced with .050 hollow tubing. Mr. Dissolved Putty was built up around the bases of each of the guns to simulate the blast bags.
Polly Scale's 5N Navy Blue was airbrushed on the hull and structures and I hand painted the decks Polly Scale 20B Deck Blue. I airbrushed on a couple of clear gloss coats and after drying for a couple of days, I followed up with a black wash. After coats of clear flat, I gave the Boston a dry-brushing with a lightened 5N. The decks were also dry-brushed with a lightened 20B (being really subtle on the steel decks, heavier on the wooden decks to simulate wear and tear plus fading)
The Kingfisher float planes, also from Trumpeter, were given an initial coat of interior green to show through the clear cockpits and then hand painted them in the standard three colored camouflaged scheme. They were then clear coated, black-washed, decaled and followed up with a couple of coats of clear flat. I used sections of p/e railing as float supports on the wings to replace the solid posts.
I raided my parts box to get the additional rafts and better looking 5in. practice loaders (located between the stacks). I used photoetch extensively throughout the kit (both GMM & Lion Roar), to add or replace radars, hatches, stairs, ladders, catapults, railings as well the quad 40mm & 20mm AA guns etc. For the first time, I used fly tying thread (a black & a dirty tan) for the rigging and on the cable reels (found at a fishing store that's only a 15 minute walk from my home that carries them).
I welcome all comments and suggestions, hope you enjoy.
