**Bravo Zulu - Aircraft Carrier pulling into San Diego Dock**

Love the Navy terminology in your post.

Former EO2 here hooyah!

Did this start out as the GIJOE toy 

hrspla posted:

Did this start out as the GIJOE toy 

Yes... it did

Cadillac Mike posted:

Love the Navy terminology in your post.

Former EO2 here hooyah!

God Bless YOU and thank YOU for your service! I specifically searched for Navy terminology being forever grateful to all the men and women who have served and are serving

HooYah!

Traindame posted:

hrspla posted:

Did this start out as the GIJOE toy 

Yes... it did

They cut up the USS Flagg?!?!?!?!

Just to add "Bravo Zulu" means "well Done". Its a Naval signal given by either Flag Hoist or Radio. It for Mission Accomplished as to action, Performance or/and operation. Your accomplishment on this layout covers all 3 I'm sure.

That looks to be a pretty good facsimile of the real thing Dorcie; considering a Nimitz class carrier is 1092 feet long, you'll need a pretty long layout to accommodate the full model! The flight deck is around 90 feet above the water line as well.

D&H 65 posted:

That looks to be a pretty good facsimile of the real thing Dorcie; considering a Nimitz class carrier is 1092 feet long, you'll need a pretty long layout to accommodate the full model! The flight deck is around 90 feet above the water line as well.

Boggles my mind how massive they are... I personally have never seen one - amazing!!!

Former FTG2 here, I was on an aircraft carrier.  I think yours is too small.   You'll need a 22 foot long model...

To boggle your mind a little further Dorcie, all 95,000 tons of metal is rated to plow through the water "in excess of 30 knots"......

You're not likely to ever see one in Dallas; I highly recommend a trip to San Diego for you at your next opportunity to witness the real thing (or Norfolk if you're on the East Coast).

If you see one in Dallas, it was a VERY BAD Hurricane!

Eddie Marra posted:

Traindame posted:

hrspla posted:

Did this start out as the GIJOE toy 

Yes... it did

They cut up the USS Flagg?!?!?!?!

Just finished asking Roger and he said the original GI Joe carrier is a real collectible... I'm talking 15k to buy the entire mint/original box/blah blah model. So, Roger kit-bashed the bow and other choice pieces that he wanted to include in our model. All this to say, Roger used pieces which didn't include the flag and created (with foam) the remainder of the carrier. Promise, NO CHOPPING UP OF FLAG on this mock aircraft carrier

I'll be photographing the finished piece where you'll note the launch deck having the USS Midway's famous # 41 appropriately placed at bow of ship

Crazy Talented Traingineers I tell ya!

D&H 65 posted:

To boggle your mind a little further Dorcie, all 95,000 tons of metal is rated to plow through the water "in excess of 30 knots"......

You're not likely to ever see one in Dallas; I highly recommend a trip to San Diego for you at your next opportunity to witness the real thing (or Norfolk if you're on the East Coast).

Wowzers!

gunrunnerjohn posted:

If you see one in Dallas, it was a VERY BAD Hurricane!

That's hysterical! 

gunrunnerjohn posted:

If you see one in Dallas, it was a VERY BAD Hurricane!

Lol!

As someone who spent 8 cruises on Amphibious Carriers and countless hours turning and burning on decks, from the big carriers to the LST, as a Vertrep pilot, we delivered everything except fuel and POL products. I much preferred the non carrier as they always had flight ops going and got very upset if had to let a rotorhead use deck space, even if delivering the ice cream and mail.

That is going to be an AWESOME layout Dorcie!  Too bad it isn't a LHA/LPH class or the new LHD :-P

Ron_S posted:

As someone who spent 8 cruises on Amphibious Carriers and countless hours turning and burning on decks, from the big carriers to the LST, as a Vertrep pilot, we delivered everything except fuel and POL products. I much preferred the non carrier as they always had flight ops going and got very upset if had to let a rotorhead use deck space, even if delivering the ice cream and mail.

That is going to be an AWESOME layout Dorcie!  Too bad it isn't a LHA/LPH class or the new LHD :-P

Vertrep pilot |Too bad it isn't a LHA/LPH class or the new LHD :-P | rotorhead  ....

Not going to lie, I've been looking up half of your comment for explanations. OMG - You're the real thing! Much respect for you sir! 

Yes, 15 years and 2800 hours of fun Dorcie. I have been privileged to see the world and spend time with some great men. I wish more would try a tour in the service, it not only gives you a time to mature and find what the world is about, it can give you a specialty to make a career of, be a stepping stone to bigger and better things. My Senior Chief retired and spent a second career running a major computer division for a Fortune 500 company and a six figure salary.

I am glad to see others enjoy a military theme, and That brute of a carrier bow is going to make a statement. Is he going to have accurate deck loading of planes, helo and gear staged on the deck for entry into port?

Ron_S posted:

Yes, 15 years and 2800 hours of fun Dorcie. I have been privileged to see the world and spend time with some great men. I wish more would try a tour in the service, it not only gives you a time to mature and find what the world is about, it can give you a specialty to make a career of, be a stepping stone to bigger and better things. My Senior Chief retired and spent a second career running a major computer division for a Fortune 500 company and a six figure salary.

I am glad to see others enjoy a military theme, and That brute of a carrier bow is going to make a statement. Is he going to have accurate deck loading of planes, helo and gear staged on the deck for entry into port?

An adventure for sure - thanks for your comments and sharing!

I'll have to get back with you on the finish out answer  

Hmmmm... looks a little small for a Ford Class.    Personally, I can't wait to see the EML Ops up close at Oceana.  

Wow! An aircraft carrier on a layout! That's a first (for me anyways). I had a chance to do the Midway tour a few years back. It's an absolute beast!! Well done Dorcie and Trainworx!!

Now, if you're already doing the Midway, the gang might as well top it off with this beauty as well!

Rob

Ron_S posted:

 

 Is he going to have accurate deck loading of planes, helo and gear staged on the deck for entry into port?

 I was a Terminal Manager here in Jacksonville. When I first moved here after retiring from Amoco, there were 2 carriers at Mayport. They never docked, nor went to sea with planes on deck. The planes were always deployed off before they came into channel and when leaving, planes would then be deployed and land on the carrier. Use to see this procedure regularly over the years before both were decommissioned. Never once seen either carrier with planes on deck. 

Not a Navy man, but thought this was normal till I read your post.

  I believe I saw an O scale model of the Midway inside the San Diego train station a few years back. I wonder if it is still there ?

Josef,

Your correct if they are coming into home port, but when deployed and going into a port call, the planes are staged or hangered, and they man the rails many times. It is a sight to see when fully done. Coming into home port, they are not authorized, nor capable of jet launching unless have Harriers or a variant of a VSTOL on board. They fly off to their home field, and no longer are attached to that ship/cag or Task Force.

USS Eisenhower.  Halifax, Nova Scotia.  Summer 2017.   (12) nuclear powered aircraft carriers.??

There's a good reason why they don't have planes on the the carrier when they come to home port.  They normally can't launch while they're in port, so if they're going to be there for an extended time, those planes are tied up for the duration.  The airgroup typically flies everything that will fly off before making port.

Dorcie. are you modeling the docks on North Island Navy Base on Coronado? 

SWEET! But where is the other half?

One incredible model of an amazing ship.  Worked in the shipyard that built the nuclear powered carriers and they are truly amazing especially during sea trials.  So massive that it is easy to get lost, especially at different times of construction

Now that I'm writing this, I may want to have a carrier on my layout.  Maybe add a submarine too.

I saw one once. I really can't remember where? I think it was up in Seattle but we did the whole west coast thing several times so it could have been anywhere on the west coast. We drove from San Diego all the way to BC, Canada. Maybe just saw the big cargo ships in Seattle, I can't remember.

 One thing I will always remember, is just how long it took to drive past that ship! We were on the freeway doing the speed limit and it still took a long time to go by it. I thought some other ships were big and then there it was, dwarfing everything.

 I can't imagine being on one out in the ocean though. Probably makes even this seem small?

Joe, it LOOKS like a postage stamp when middle of the night, heavy seas, high winds and rain. Glide slope is like a yoyo and when you are a mile away it is just a light bulb size blob, it isn't until on final if doing a straight in , or doing the break across the bow and coming around for a normal pattern that definition begins, and you can begin to relax a microsecond, then the pucker factor kicks in as the ship bobs and rolls, and you have to put the bird down on a spot 100' x 100' to not hit other aircraft being readied for launch. It truly is a ballet, but a deadly one if you miscalculate.

From the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel this past June....

Peter

To add to that, you don't get 100 feet of leeway, if your bird has a 60 foot wingspan, you got maybe 20-25 feet of lateral error allowed before you're likely to take out parked aircraft!   I was a passenger in the COD many times, and sometimes I sat in the right seat, I'm glad I wasn't the one to have to land it, and that's a slow airplane!   The very first time I got to sit up front, I was in awe of the process, it just looks a lot easier when you watch it from the carrier on the 07 level with a cup of coffee.

Very cool model. I have a fair amount of time on those things...

I am attending a fund raising event for the Alameda, CA animal shelter aboard the Hornet tomorrow evening.  Hornet is berthed at the former Alameda Naval Air Station.  

I will be attending another event aboard Midway in San Diego later this month.  

All of these ships are big and impressive.  NH Joe

CVN 68   USS Nimitz

CVN 72   USS Abraham Lincoln. 

?? Norfolk, VA.  Home port for these monsters on the east coast??   ?? There are 12 ??

Nimitz class aircraft carriers.  

?? Most recent   Gerald  R. Ford??

There is a Russian aircraft carrier.   China also has one. 

Ron_S posted:

Joe, it LOOKS like a postage stamp when middle of the night, heavy seas, high winds and rain. 

Call the Ball Ron.

As a contractor (With no service.)  My hat is off to you.  I'm hoping Roger puts me on the LSO platform.  

Dorcie, tell the guys they never cease to amaze me with the stuff and ideas they come up with.  That is really going to be cool when all is said and done.  Thanks for sharing, that looks like a really fun project they are putting together.  I also liked what looked like big huge rocks in the background behind the structure in one of the pics.   Looks really cool.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

To add to that, you don't get 100 feet of leeway, if your bird has a 60 foot wingspan, you got maybe 20-25 feet of lateral error allowed before you're likely to take out parked aircraft!   I was a passenger in the COD many times, and sometimes I sat in the right seat, I'm glad I wasn't the one to have to land it, and that's a slow airplane!   The very first time I got to sit up front, I was in awe of the process, it just looks a lot easier when you watch it from the carrier on the 07 level with a cup of coffee.

Crazy Cool!