by Gordon G Buttars
1/540 USS Essex CV-9 (Revell)
This is a representation of the USS Essex in the fall of 1951 during her first Korean War deployment as she appeared after her SBC-27A refit.
I built this model for the parts of three others. The hull and superstructure are from a very old and beat up Essex I got from e-bay. The flight deck and 5 inch guns are from a Lindberg Yorktown kit. The three-inch guns are form an old FDR, also from e-bay.
The hull required a lot of alterations. First I had to open the foc's’le and extend the bow. The hull also needed lengthened which I did by sawing it in half and adding a band. The crane had to be moved from the starboard side to port. The bulkheads on the starboard side had to be made flush with the side of the hull. The 3 inch gun tubs below the superstructure are scratch built as are the propeller shafts and rudder.
The flight deck alterations consisted of removing the 5 inch gun platforms and reworking the catwalks and gun mounts. For the superstructure, I had to add the aft gun director. I used the one form the Yorktown kit. For both to match I removed the forward director and replaced it as well. The majority of the mast is scratch built, except for the very top. The radar screens are made form window screen.
I have some aircraft from the FDR kit and some Banshees from an Independence kit. I need to work them over
before they can be spotted on the flight deck.
