by David Flynn
1/600 USS Wasp CV-7 (Aurora)
These photos are of a kitbash of an Aurora Enterprise (CV6) aircraft carrier to a model of the USS Wasp (CV7) that I did about five years ago. I cut the hull and flight deck to shorten them. A hanger deck was added, and hanger doors were cut open aft. I reshaped the bow, and cut down the island. The stack was reduced in length. I scratch built the platform on the foremast. I also added a "T" shaped elevator on the port side.
No attempt was made to model the asymetrical hull. Also, I left the two flues in the stack circular instead of cutting square ones.
The Wasp was one of my favorite ships since my interest in ships started when I was about six years old in about 1962. My family had a book title Warships of the World (1944) by Kafka. One of the two photos of the Wasp made it look attractive to me. It was probably a photo by the builder. The ship appeared to be painted in a dark color, and most surfaces had a slight sheen.
I am glad I built the model, and am fairly happy with the result. The dark color between the front and rear hull pieces developed over the years. It was not there when I finished painting, and it is not a shadow. Apparently, the putty had an effect on the paint. I am only partly happy with the painting of the deck. The subtle shading suggest wood planks running athwartship, but the color should be dark red-brown teak stain, not natural wood. I was imitating a couple of photos by Tamiya of their models of US aircraft carriers, even though I believed that Tamiya's coloring was mistaken. I liked the look
