• Win a Free Custom Engraved Brass Coin!!!
    As a way to introduce our brass coins to the community, we will raffle off a free coin during the month of August. Follow link ABOVE for instructions for entering.

Hobby Boss USS Ticonderoga CG-47

Ettienne

Ettienne

Joined
May 31, 2021
Messages
286
Points
168

Location
Kommetjie, Western Cape, South Africa
The USS Ticonderoga (CG-47) was the lead ship of the Ticonderoga-class guided missile cruisers, commissioned in 1983 and decommissioned in 2004. Nicknamed "Tico", she was the first U.S. Navy combatant to feature the Aegis combat system, a revolutionary radar and missile guidance technology that allowed simultaneous tracking and engagement of multiple aerial threats.
Originally ordered as a destroyer, her design was upgraded to cruiser status, incorporating capabilities from the cancelled Strike Cruiser program. She served in key operations including Desert Storm, and later shifted to counternarcotics patrols in the Caribbean. (This with a little help from my friends ... AI)

Today I have decided that I need to get my hands on a ship model again. Even if it means fitting the build in-between working on some scale figures. I do like the small scale ship models. From the stash came Hobby Boss's USS Ticonderoga 1: 1250 scale.
Now, to be quite frank, I do not particularly like the HB ship kits that much. You always end up with a significant joint between the upper hull/deck part and the lower hull part. And it really takes some effort to clean it up properly without removing detail.
So I have fitted the two parts with the obligatory "bad joint". Now it needs to settle and the cement to dry. I will work on the joint tomorrow.

T1.jpg

T2.jpg
 
I need t be very careful here. I may just start to like building these small ships. The joint is obscured currently by the masking tape. It is still visible, but better and may be camouflaged by the boot line - if I can manage to get that on this small sclae model. The other parts went on reasonably well but some parts needed some work to slot in well into their alloted places and spaces. And I have lost the aft gun and had to replace it with a gun from her sister ship the USS Vincennes. Only to discover the lost part a day later in one of my slippers. So, now both kits are complete. What is ahead? The painting still needs to be completed, plus some weathering. I am thinking of putting her on a small scenic base. Will be my second attempt to replicate the sea. There is a lot of sweat, anxiety and fun involved in working on these very small scales. But I must add, the detail is quite impressive.

T3.jpg
 
The journey with this braille scal ship is nearing it's end. Besides a few fitting problems, I have found it a quite enjoyable build. I have experienced my last frustration when adding the decals. My mistake was that I did not add the guns and missile launches AFTER the application of the decals. So ... I had to fit little wet circles over some of the guns and missile lanchers. Now that was fun!! So ... after many harsh words and a few beers they went on. The decals aft are too large as well, or perhaps they were just right. But I will not know that after some beers - point is theay are where they are suppose to be. I still need to add the screws and do some light weathering on the lower part of the hull. Her sister ship is also on the work bench ... CG-49 USS Vincennes.

T4.jpg

T6.jpg

T7.jpg
 
Kiwi said:
Superb, Ettienne! It looks a much bigger scale than braille..
Cheers - Karl
Click to expand...
Thank you Karl. I am still contemplating whether I should add some rigging ... :rolleyes:. But there is a very strong voice that says, leave it, it is done. I will post some pictures of the little ship, now that it is on it's little display stand. Provided by HB, quite a nice touch. C-49 is still boxed as I am working away on a 1/144 Hellcat ... o_O.
 
Well ... I will call it done. If I need to add anything more ... perhaps later. I will venture a bit further in detailing when I do her siter ship the USS Vincennes (CG-49). One needs to gather one's courage ...

I have used acrylics and then oils to do the "weathering".

And as a bonus ... the little Hellcat in 1/144. the deacals were old and brittle ... let's say no more about that.

And while I am writing and pasting, Jim Reeves is in the background.

T10.jpg

T09.jpg

T08.jpg

T11.jpg
 
Just caught up with this little gem.

Never come across the term 'braille' for these small scales, but how apt.
As someone else mentioned, I'm not fond of modern ships, but somehow this diminutive example has enough detail to appeal to me.

In the past I too have built ships in this scale, also a number of 1:144 aircraft and found tremendous satisfaction. Much depends on the quality of the kit.

Well done, 'E'.
 
Hello Ettienne, you have built a nice kit. All those 1/1250 scale "hobbybosses" are quite fine. I am just working on three of them: Ticonderoga, Kidd and Radford. But unlike you I have painted the black waterline because, I think so, the model looks a little bit strange without it. It is not too late to paint the line. I hope you can do it. Your Ticonderoga would look much better then.
I am going to mount railings on my ships - difficult, but possible. we'll see...
Best regards...,
Edmund

1..jpg
 
Ettienne, here's a potentially useful 'tip'... literally.

Make sure your model waterline is 100% horizontal on a flat surface and can't be moved easily.

Get a new wide tip 'sharpie' and using trial and error mount it horizontally on some kind of support, so the tip is on the same level as your waterline (test on a bit of card), then draw directly where you want it to be.

I've successfully used this method many times on plastic kits as well as many other things.

BTW is Ticonderoga part of the same class as the USS Cole?
 
pugwash said:
Just caught up with this little gem.

Never come across the term 'braille' for these small scales, but how apt.
As someone else mentioned, I'm not fond of modern ships, but somehow this diminutive example has enough detail to appeal to me.

In the past I too have built ships in this scale, also a number of 1:144 aircraft and found tremendous satisfaction. Much depends on the quality of the kit.

Well done, 'E'.
Click to expand...
Thank you kind sir ... Yes those 1/144 aircraft are indeed kittle gems.
 
Edmund said:
Hello Ettienne, you have built a nice kit. All those 1/1250 scale "hobbybosses" are quite fine. I am just working on three of them: Ticonderoga, Kidd and Radford. But unlike you I have painted the black waterline because, I think so, the model looks a little bit strange without it. It is not too late to paint the line. I hope you can do it. Your Ticonderoga would look much better then.
I am going to mount railings on my ships - difficult, but possible. we'll see...
Best regards...,
Edmund

View attachment 543475
Click to expand...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top