USS Harper's Ferry, LSD-49, in 1/350 Scale

Holy GORGEOUS model! Well done Jeff. I think this one looks even better than any of those air craft carrier that you've done, simply because of the many details and vessels and planes going into it.

YEs...that Iwo Jima is great! One of the funnest to build ever. But I completed her a year and a half ago.

Now, with the addition of this LSD, the Harper's Ferry, I will realize my goal of having the complete ARG!

Hoorah!

Great pic of the Harper's Ferry I am using as a reference for some details and painting:

I painted the vertical surfaces in Model Master Neutral Gray, which I do for all of my US Naval vessels. I then used tape to mark off, on the upper hull for the waterline mark, which I then painted in flat black. Once it had dried and the tape taken off, it looked very nice, particularly when dry fitted to the lower hull.

I then painted the weather decks. I painted the landing deck in Tester's Flat Gray, and then used a Model Master Royal Navy Medium Gray for the weather decks. Once this was completed, I then painted the bridge windows and other winnows on flat black, including those for the Flight Operations and other pieces I have yet to place.

After this, I painted the Phalanx 20mm CIWS parts and the RAM launcher parts. These are the two principle self defense weapons systems these ships carry against air attack. The RAM stands for Rolling Air frame Missile, and each launcher carrier 21 missiles that have a range out to ten or so miles to shoot down aircraft or missiles. The 20mm Gatling guns, which shoot about 3,000 rounds per minute, are good out to 1.5 to 2 miles and are also good for aircraft or missiles. Each ship has two of each.

Once these were painted and dried, I then assemble them and dry placed them on the main bridge area in their appropriate positions.


That's looking very nice.

In my next session I will add the photo etch railings for these assemblies, and also add the railing in the well deck and paint the well deck appropriately, including the lower portion with its ramp up onto the main deck.

She's coming together nicely, but there is s TON of work, particularly detail work...to do.

I started off this session by painting the metal photo etch handrails for the well deck and then attaching them to the inner part of the hull housing the well deck.


I then painted and detailed the well deck and vehicle deck floor that came with the model. This included railing, one HMVV and a small boat that I had on hand. Once that was completed, I glued the well deck to the upper hull. Once it dried, I dry fir the lower hull to the upper hull to check the fit, and to take a picture of how it looked looking into the well deck, and how it looks on top, expecially the ramp leading down to the well deck from the main deck..

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Once dried, I glued the lower hull to the upper hull and set the vessel up on its wooden stand.


Now that is looking very nice...looking a lot like the USS Harper's Ferry, LSD-49...but a LOT of detail remaining. In the next session I hope to detail the main weapon decks, as well as the smoke/exhaust stacks and place them on the vessel