USS Carl Vinson, CVN-70 Honor Model.

[Rhino]

Nice. I've dug the Kitty Hawk out a handful of time since you started this. Trying to get the F-14 & F-104 finished up first.

I hope the Fujimi decals behave as well as these do!

 

[Rhino]

2023 Carrier Air Wing 2 under construction. 1/800 scale airplanes are indeed dainty! The 1/700 F-14A is there for scale comparison.
USN F-35C Lightning II's are on the way.

 

[moon puppy]

I was going to ask if Maverick was making an appearance.

 

[Rhino]

I was going to ask if Maverick was making an appearance.

Presentation builds are more reverent than my usual models. No Maverick this time.

 

[Rhino]

VFA-2 Bounty Hunters Hornets, VAW-113 Black Eagle hummer and HSM-78 Romeo Seahawk. They don't look dark enough to me.
VAQ-136 Gauntlets fly the EA-18G Electric Bug, but I'm not making any of those.
I put an S-3B Viking together, but Carrier Air Wing 2 had no such aircraft in 2023. VX-30 retired their last "War Hoover" in 2016.

I finished CVN-70's flightdeck decals tonight, but the additions are so fine, another picture would seem superfluous.

 

[Rhino]

More CVW-2 Hornets, Seahawk, CIWS and deck tractors assembled. I finally got a Viking to paint without losing any parts.

 

[Rhino]

Flight deck in Testors Dullcote lacquer flat clear (Still available at Hobby Lobby). Now I can flip her upside-down and get to work on the running gear. New Sea Sparrow missile launchers are on the way from Sprue Brothers. I'm hopping the 1/700 scale sea sparrows don't look too stupid.
The next Honor Model will be 1/700-1/720. Sourcing gear and aircraft in 1/800 stinks.

The running gear (shafts, struts and wheels) on the 1/800 Otaki/ Arii,/ Micro Ace/ Academy CVN kit is are a crude cut/sand/fit sort of affair. I remember why it is I don't do bottoms. Paint work continues on the air group. There's a rumor a flight of F-35C's are inbound. Time will tell.
Thanks again for looking in!

 

[moon puppy]

Smooth finish, nice!

 

[Rhino]

Lower hull in Tamiya flat black. No rushing the chemicals. Work continues on the crude propellers. The rudders at least are pretty decent!

 

[Rhino]

Thanks guys!

The Mk. 29 Sea Sparrow mounts arrived today! 4 Launchers and tiny missiles are included in each bitty box. They look like they will fit the model even though they are overscale. I painted the 1/700 missiles to make them visible.