"The Mother of all
Models!"
USS IOWA(BB-61)
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The MASTS - CAN WE TALK?!?!?!
IF you have the Patience of a SAINT and about 15 hands - then you can
put the tripod-main-mast together. Tamiya needs to develop a better way to do this -
PERIOD!!
The THREE pieces of that mast took me - my wife - and my daughter over
an hour to get to stay in place. To be truthful - I was ready to give up - but my wife
(and the cost I put into this thing already) made me think otherwise. We did it FINALLY.
All I can say - is GOOD LUCK putting it together!!
- Glue the three pieces of the tripod together. (get help - somebody with
REAL SMALL HANDS!!)
- Glue the top rectangle platform to the STEM (part that attaches to the
supersturcture and is NOT a part of the tripod mentioned in step#1) LET THIS COMPLETELY
DRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- ONLY after the piece in steps #1 and #2 are COMPLETELY dry - attach them
together!!!! LET THIS COMPLETELY DRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Glue the part to the ship and LET IT COMPLETELY DRY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
- Put on the two port-to-starboard beams (they glue under the rectangle
platform).
- Glue all the other stuff on per the directions.
SUGGESTIONS: Don't worry about "Glopping" glue on - DO IT SO
IT STAYS IN PLACE!!!!!! In the "Touch-up" paint - you'll re-paint MOST of this
mast area!!!
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ALL the pieces are on the mast!!! There's string
ran from forward mast to aft - and from the forward mast to the signal bags and aft to the
"Flag-rope". |
I used thread for the rigging. Grey for the antenna that
runs from forward mast to aft mast - and light brown for everything else.
| Do the "Touch-Up" Note
the Discone-Discage antenna (Christmas Tree). I didn't put thread on there! One of the
stubs broke. The directions call for bending pieces of the plastic. I DONT THINK SO!!!!
Note the "61" - doesn't look TOOOO bad.
Also note the "Gold Anchor!" IOWA had a "Gold Anchor" award!! |
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I love to be picky!! Things are OUT OF SCALE IN A BIG
WAY!!
The TOP of the Discone-Discage antenna forward was at EYE-LEVEL with
the O-4 Level Bridge (OOD Position). In the model - it's at the O-8 level!! WAY TOO HIGH.
The four whip antennas around the bridge are WAY too long. In scale - they're almost twice
as long as they should be!!
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The painting is all done, the decal's are all
applied - TIME to put her HOME!!! |
NOTES:
Tops of the turrets
#1: Flag - Stars are to the starboard-aft.
#2: The painting of the non-skid on top of the
turrets. DO THIS BEFORE YOU ASSEMBLE THE TURRETS!!! The dark-grey stripes pretty much
follow the rivet lines - I'm sure you can "free-hand" it!!!
DECALS:
The forward-port 5" mount was the MARDET mount on
IOWA. Don't put the Marine decals like the directions told you or you'll make some Marines
mad!!!
INPORT/UNDERWAY:
This IOWA is pictured as being underway. For the NON-SAILORS among us - Just LOOKING at a
model divulges some glaring mistakes.
Underway:
1. The Jackstaff and Flagstaff are not even up!
2. The Ensign is flying from the amidships signal rope going up to the main-mast, AFT of
the forward stack.
3. WHILE Helo's are embarked and one is set to "ready" on the flight-deck, the
safety netting is ALWAYS DOWN!!
4. While underway - IOWA always flew her callsign signal-flags "NEPM"
(IOWA's
international callsign)
(does anybody know where to get scale-size signal-flags? EMAIL JOHN!!!!)
Inport:
1. The Flagstaff (aft) has been erected and has the Ensign on it
2. The Jackstaff (forward) has been erected and has the Union Jack flying.
3. There are NO flags flying from the signal bridge at all.
4. The Safety netting around the helo-deck is in the UP position.
I say this because - I've seen pictures of ships that folks made with U.S.
flags flying from both the Jackstaff and the Mast! I've also seen BEAUTIFUL diorama models
of ships at sea with the safety netting up and a helo on deck!! NOT gonna happen folks!!
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building!!!
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