Notably, it's all about the take-off run. Heavier aircraft would be further aft so they'd get a longer take-off run. If they were launching by catapult, they'd still try to group like with like - that way they shoot four fighters off which weigh the same, then they switch to the bombers and do them as a group. Also, something that was pointed out to me in a couple of the videos that I've watched in the process of building my Bonnie model - flight deck space is ALWAYS at a premium. Once an aircraft is on deck, they always fold the wings ASAP. When landing, it lets them occupy less space on the forward part of the flight deck, meaning the aircraft landing on have more space to do that. When launching, the aircraft would keep their wings folded until just before launch, allowing a larger strike group to be staged on the flight deck and maximizing the available take-off distance by squishing the aircraft further aft on the flight deck.
Notably, this meant I had to re-print my Banshees and have them setup with the wings folded on 7 of 8 aircraft. My Trackers (8) have 6 with wings folded. Sea Kings? 4 of 7 with folded blades.
I contemplated it - would have been easy enough to cut, 3d print the wing's internal items, and reattach, but I have photos of the puncher where they didnt fold them, and thought I would go with that. Regarding the sea king - that model is next thanks to above and below graphics and an old old model. After I take a pit stop and do two fun egg scale models (the Missouri and the Yamato, both of which I've been on - the missouri in hawaii and the Yamato building yard in Kure Japan).
Here's the air det....note, at no point in the real world did the Bonnie have both the Sea King and the Banshee on deck at the same time.
Printed a tube with rungs, used the brass as the backbone inside. Worked like a hot damn. Pretty chuffed!
OPINION TIME! Help me figure out the pendants! I think it's H Oblique 9 but the top flag is throwing me. check the website: http://www.jproc.ca/rrp/rrp2/visual_flags.html It would make sense to be D79, but there's no way the D
That's pretty tough to read. I would think that it would be the ship's call sign that's hoisted during the harbour transit. (Which this appears to be.)
Yikes that's hard. Trying to think back to sea and anchor details on the CVN. In the pic She's absolutely in some restricted navigation territory which I think had a flag configuration. - that's my only thought, could it be a signal for restricted nav? But I'm totally unfamiliar with customs/procedures in WW2. I'd trust you historians over my more recent experience.
http://www.forposterityssake.ca/JPGs/PHOTO-DIR/CTB-PHOTOS-12000/CTB013258.jpg for a bigger image access
But wait a minute! Barracudas came with four blade props! Craaaaaaap! Back to the 3d printer with ye!
Oh nooooo. The Russian 144 scale bombers I have are fairey battles! I gotta do 9 fairey barracudas!!!!!! Note the tail fin configuration! Aaaah!
What happened was when I started this project, I didn't have a 3d printer. I relied on a source stating there was no 144 scale fairey barracuda, suggesting the fairy battle was as close as it gets. I forgot about that, being like 6 years ago now. It's not a huuuuuuge deal, about $150 in 9 model planes I have to reprint, add landing gear, paint, decal....
Found a 1/200 scale and started adapting it with landing gear. Cut the top off and added pilot and passenger seats, throttle/stock/seatbelts/etc Going to 3d print the fuselage in ultra clear so these details show up. Hopefully looks even better than the one I already had. Took a bit to cut the plane for the landing gear because the original had the gear up.
Reprint, added a removable canopy and cover so I can get to the rear facing and nab seats for painting. Not 100% as the prop was a bit off centre. Fixed and back on the printer. 9 takes 36 hours to print. Also chatted with some of my pilot friends, they said when on the deck the flaps wouldn’t be down, too much drag. Removed those too.
