1/350 USS Barnegat AVP-10 1942 (ISW Kitbash)
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by Richard Sliwka |
USS Barnegat (AVP-10) Small Seaplane Tender
This is Iron Shipwrights' USS Mackinac AVP-13 kit back-dated/modified to represent the USS Barnegat as configured in early 1942.
The model was built to be given to relatives of my wife whose husband/father had served on the Barnegat in early 1943. I couldn't find any drawings or photographs of the Barnegat during the Jan.-Feb.1943 time frame so elected to go with the early 1942 configuration (a few photos were available).
I removed the aft main deck gun positions and rebuilt the entire O-1 deck from .015" plastic sheet with under deck support details. Deck structures were modified kit parts.
The bridge was modified with the addition of 20mm gun and 24" searchlight positions as was the "open top" upper bridge.
The searchlight tower and the large aircraft handling crane (found only on the first two class ships in this configuration) were scratch-built. The mast/mast details were built from brass rods/pieces.
L'Arsenal's 5" mounts/brass barrels, 20mm guns, 12" signal lamps, sky look-out chairs and whaleboats; and, Paper Labs' 24" and 36" searchlights were used.
Many other scratch-built details--storage lockers, vents, 12' punts, antennae, etc.--were also added.
The PBY-5A seaplane was a reworked Iron Shipwright model with landing gear and antenna wires added.
Note: According to my research, seaplanes were only hoisted on the deck of these small ships for engine replacement or major damage repair.
The model was painted in the Measure 12M--navy gray/ocean gray hull; ocean gray/haze gray superstructures--using Poly Scale acrylic paints.
This was a fun and rewarding project.
| Editors note:
Barnegat won the Best of Show at SOONERCON 2009 in Oklahoma City. |
