USS Iwo Jima, LHD-7, model in 1/350 scale

Once these were all dried, I then added the decals to the fuselages. There were up to eight decals on each aircraft and a total of 164 decals to be added.

I decided to do this before adding the landing gear and the rotors because these very small decals are much easier to apply before those other details are added. The landing gear and the rotors get in the way...and are also rather delicate and tend to break off when trying to handle them as much as you have to do when applying the decals...so best to add the decals first. Like this:

Once these decals were added and dried well, it was time to add the landing gear and the rotors for each aircraft. I had already painted these and they dried while completing other activities...but they are very small parts for the landing gear and require some precision work with tweezers, and just drops of glue for their application. The rotors are delicate and have to be handled with care, including removing them from the sprues.

In the end, they all went on to their respective aircraft.

Now, the aircraft were complete and it was just a matter of placing them in the appropriate configuration on the deck.

I decided to have them placed in the middle of an operation, with two Osprey, two Super Stallions, and two Harriers in the process of taking off. I have the rest arranged around the deck, with the Harriers and the attack helos to the aft. The Sea Knights aft next to the island, and the Super Stallions and Osprey forward of the island.. Two Cobras on the starboard elevator, and a Sea Knight and a Super Stallion on the port elevator.

Here's how all of that looks:


Now that is looking very nice indeed!

I dry fitted these in place initially...as I have done with the island. This is so I can more easily place the photo etch railing, and then wire the lighting system into the stand. That will be in the next session when I will complete the vessel and these aircraft and the island will be glued down.


Forward then.

I then painted and built the deck equipment. These are miniature assemblies ranging in part count from five to ten pieces each. There are the following:

2 x large mobile cranes
2 x large forklifts
2 x medium fork lifts
2 x fire trucks
2 x aircraft tugs
2 x equipment trailers

The forklifts are painted yellow. The tires are flat black, and the rest are light gray, with some dark grey accents.

At this point it was time to add the photo etch metal railing to the flight deck, along with the ladders and safety netting. There was a LOT of PE Railing...and I mean a lot. Between the PE Railing supplied with the kit, and particularly the PE railing that came with the White Ensign Models PE kit, there was plenty. But it is very time consuming to cut and add all of these sections of railing and carefully bend them where necessary.

This took five or six days to accomplish itself.

More...

Then it was time to do the same for the PE Railing and ladders for the island. Another painstaking operation with a LOT of railing. This took another 3-4 days.






She is looking very, very good!

All that is left now is to glue the island down, and glue the aircraft and deck equipment down. Then simply take pictures of the completed USS Iwo Jima, LHD, 7, in 1/350 scale!

Nice work Jeff my friend. Did you have to buy that electrical box kit for your electrical system separately or did it came with the kit?

Equation said:

Nice work Jeff my friend. Did you have to buy that electrical box kit for your electrical system separately or did it came with the kit?

Click to expand...

That's all what we call, "scratch build," meaning I designed it and put it together myself.

I bought the LED tape from one place, the wiring and connectors from a hardware store, the switch from an electrical store, etc.