Help and Advice

[SBP]

I'm not a model maker, but my husband it. We lost our home in the Paradise fire, and all his models. He was an A6 pilot off of the Enterprise during the Vietnam war.

Dose anyone make a kit of the Enterprise from that era, and what kit would your recommend to replace is A6 model.

 

Thank You

[Chriss7607]

What scale are you looking for with the A-6? 

[SBP]

I think he likes 48 scale, his A6 model was fairly large.

Thank You

Sandra

[Chriss7607]

I'm positive that I have a 1/48 Revell A-6. Let me double check after work. If you want it, it's yours.

[Mstor]

Kits of the USS Enterprise from that era are rather rare and all out of production. Some can be found on eBay from time to time and unless someone here or on another forum has a kit that they will part with, eBay is your best best.

I think the biggest and probably the best was the 1/400 scale kit by Otaki:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Otaki-1-400-USS-Enterprise-CVN-65-kit-OTI-47-beehive-island-free-shipping/143056758278?hash=item214ed8e606:g:fucAAOSwSe5cGTSl:rk:1:pf:0

Needless to say, not cheap.

I think that kit was also released/copied by Lee and can still be found cheaper:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CVN-65-USS-Enterprise-LEE-1-400-model-w-2-additional-ARII-Navy-USAF-plane-set/292841518592?hash=item442eb6f600:g:7VEAAOSwp41bDuR4:sc:USPSPriority!53211!US!-1:rk:4:pf:0

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lee-1-400-Scale-USS-ENTERPRISE-CVN-65-Model-Kit-Motor-Powered-03101/132669445452?epid=18020560168&hash=item1ee3b7154c:g:6vUAAOSw2spbKHo8:rk:13:pf:0

 

Revell also released a 1/400 scale version of the Enterprise from that era, perhaps another Otaki copy or re-release. Very rare.

Nichimo released a 1/500 scale version. Also very rare, questionable quality.

Finally, Cyber-hobby released a 1/700 scale kit also rare.

 

Do you have any idea how big his original Enterprise kit was? The Otaki and other 1/400 kits are almost three feet long. The 1/700 scale kit is probably a foot and a half.

[Slartibartfast]

First, you have my sympathies for the loss of your home.  It would sure knock me to my knees.

 

Tamiya makes a 1:350 model kit of the Enterprise aircraft carrier, it should be a configuration during or shortly after the war.  It's long out of production but you should still be able to locate one.

 

Do you know which model of the A-6 he flew, as in A-6A, A-6E, TRAM, EA-6?

[camus27]

3 hours ago, Slartibartfast said:

First, you have my sympathies for the loss of your home.  It would sure knock me to my knees.

 

Tamiya makes a 1:350 model kit of the Enterprise aircraft carrier, it should be a configuration during or shortly after the war.  It's long out of production but you should still be able to locate one.

 

Do you know which model of the A-6 he flew, as in A-6A, A-6E, TRAM, EA-6?

Isn't the Tamyia kit from the post 1981- refit? (It's been 30 years since I built it). 

[Chriss7607]

I just checked. I have a Revell-Monogram A-6E. If you want it, all I have to know is where to send it to.

[Collin]

3 hours ago, Slartibartfast said:

 

 

Do you know which model of the A-6 he flew, as in A-6A, A-6E, TRAM, EA-6?

Vietnam/Intruders: A-6A were the type in service then. 

 

Big E supported Vietnam Ops in the mid-60’s (CVW9 I believe) then there was the fire. She returned to Vietnam in the early 70’s for the Linebacker Ops. You might have an early black nose Intruder, a tan nose bird, or a grey/white nose bird (which started showing up on the later war cruises) to build. 

 

Cheers

Collin

 

[Slartibartfast]

A-6A through A-6E and EA-6A saw service during the war.  I don't know Enterprise CVW make-up, though.

Edited December 19, 2018 by Slartibartfast

[Collin]

12 minutes ago, Slartibartfast said:

A-6A through A-6E and EA-6A saw service during the war.  I don't know Enterprise CVW make-up, though.

Please inform me what squadron made a Vietnam War deployment with the A-6E variant?

 

A-6E was in flight test up through 1971, first E arrived VA-42 December ‘71. First deployed E squadrons started flying Med deoyments late ‘73-early ‘74.  E’s went to the East Coast first, then flowed to the west coast squadrons. 

 

The A-6A, A-6B, A-6C, and KA-6 were utilized on the war cruises. 

[Mstor]

2 hours ago, camus27 said:

Isn't the Tamyia kit from the post 1981- refit? (It's been 30 years since I built it). 

 

Yes, the Tamiya kit is post refit that was done 1979-1980, so would not be appropriate as the Vietnam era configuration.

[SBP]

Thank you all for your responses, he was on the Enterprise in 1968. The Enterprise at that time was CVA 65 I do remember that. 

Please don't feel sorry for our loss, but those who lost their lives, some of my best friends are gone now. 

 

We went to a Sacramento today, and a large hobby store, they had the Tamyia A6, and the Hell Cat, that was his dads airplane, I bought both, new air brushes, compressor, and all the paint the nice person their recommended. Now I just hope he can find the correct markings, I think they were called the black hatters, but not sure. 

 

We are now living with my sister, she is widowed, it seems she really enjoys the company. She told me Rich can have full access to the garage to make models or do whatever. 

My husband is an eternal optimist, he said the other day, guess I get to build them all over again, I just make the next ones better, than the previous. 

 

May sound tough, but I seen him looking at a model magazine and there was an A6 pictured, I seen him shed a little tear. 

 

Thank all of you for your wonderful replies and generosity. 

I wish you all a very Merry Christmas.

Sandra

 

[SBP]

I was asked about what model A6, I just don't know. I think he had many of his old Navy pictured stored on the One drive off line, I'll see if I can find one. 

I don't think it was the Enterprise that had the fire, he got out in 1970 

[SBP]

Correction, the A6 model isn't from Tamiya, it is a 1/32 scale. The model that I got is the A6A model

 

 

[southwestforests]

1 hour ago, SBP said:

Please don't feel sorry for our loss, but those who lost their lives, some of my best friends are gone now.

Oh dear, sorry.

As it happens, Enterprise did have a fire aboard in 1969, https://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/history-up-close/fire-sea-big-e/

Quote

On January 14, 1969, the “Big E” steamed in the waters off Hawaii, her flight deck alive with activity as she participated in an Operational Readiness Inspection (ORI) prior to departing for the Western Pacific for her fourth combat cruise to the waters off Vietnam. On board was the typical array of aircraft for the time—F-4 Phantom II fighters, A-7 Corsair II light attack aircraft, A-6 Intruder bombers, sleek RA-5C photoreconnaissance jets, versions of the venerable A-3 Skywarrior, E-2 Hawkeyes with their distinctive radomes, and UH-2 Seasprite helicopters. As part of the inspection, these planes of Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 were fully configured for combat operations to evaluate all facets of how the carrier would operate under combat missions when she eventually steamed west from Hawaii in the coming days.

 

[Ichitoe]

Sandra - you are a wonderful wife! If your husband needs anything for his builds, reach out to this modeling community. We'll help out however we can. Also, have him check out the LSP (Large Scale Planes) forums for work in progress (WIP) threads and tips on building the Trumpeter Intruder. 

 

Happy Holidays!

Mike

[scotthldr]

His unit would have been VA-35 ' Black Panthers'  deployed WestPac January - July 1968 as part of CVW -9, operating a mixture of A-6A and A-6B a/c

 

His picture will probably be here

https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cvn65-68/index_029.htm

Edited December 19, 2018 by scotthldr

[ikar]

If I remember right, my wife's brother said there was a fire on the Enterprise.  He was on the Connie and said that they left some of the discolored area alone as a remindersince it wasn't in a vulnerable area.  On his tour he had to do a double because their relief carrier caught fire.  

 

Wasn't there a conversion kit for the Tamiya kit to make it the original beehive version?

[Mstor]

On 12/19/2018 at 4:27 PM, ikar said:

If I remember right, my wife's brother said there was a fire on the Enterprise.  He was on the Connie and said that they left some of the discolored area alone as a remindersince it wasn't in a vulnerable area.  On his tour he had to do a double because their relief carrier caught fire.  

 

Wasn't there a conversion kit for the Tamiya kit to make it the original beehive version? 

 

There might have been, but there were many more changes than just the beehive. There were changes to the hull configuration to accommodate Sea Sparrow and Phalanx systems and, I believe, changes to the jet blast deflectors to better accommodate the F-14.

 

Sandra, your best bet is to somehow find out which kit your husband actually built. I know, easier said than done.

Then we can work on tracking one down for him. Where there's a will, there's a way.

[GW8345]

The Enterprise Fire occurred in Jan 69, 29 Sailor were killed and 15 aircraft destroyed.

 

The fire is covered in the 1969 WestPac Cruise Book for the Enterprise and you can read more here;

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Enterprise_fire

 

1969 Cruise Book

https://www.navysite.de/cruisebooks/cvn65-69/index.html

Edited December 23, 2018 by GW8345

[Johnopfor]

On ‎12‎/‎18‎/‎2018 at 2:43 PM, Mstor said:

Kits of the USS Enterprise from that era are rather rare and all out of production. Some can be found on eBay from time to time and unless someone here or on another forum has a kit that they will part with, eBay is your best best.

I think the biggest and probably the best was the 1/400 scale kit by Otaki:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Otaki-1-400-USS-Enterprise-CVN-65-kit-OTI-47-beehive-island-free-shipping/143056758278?hash=item214ed8e606:g:fucAAOSwSe5cGTSl:rk:1:pf:0

Needless to say, not cheap.

I think that kit was also released/copied by Lee and can still be found cheaper:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/CVN-65-USS-Enterprise-LEE-1-400-model-w-2-additional-ARII-Navy-USAF-plane-set/292841518592?hash=item442eb6f600:g:7VEAAOSwp41bDuR4:sc:USPSPriority!53211!US!-1:rk:4:pf:0

 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Lee-1-400-Scale-USS-ENTERPRISE-CVN-65-Model-Kit-Motor-Powered-03101/132669445452?epid=18020560168&hash=item1ee3b7154c:g:6vUAAOSw2spbKHo8:rk:13:pf:0

 

Revell also released a 1/400 scale version of the Enterprise from that era, perhaps another Otaki copy or re-release. Very rare.

Nichimo released a 1/500 scale version. Also very rare, questionable quality.

Finally, Cyber-hobby released a 1/700 scale kit also rare.

 

Do you have any idea how big his original Enterprise kit was? The Otaki and other 1/400 kits are almost three feet long. The 1/700 scale kit is probably a foot and a half.

Revell released a 1/720 scale USS Enterprise in 1969, that has been re-released a couple of times

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/245583-revell-h-489-nuclear-carrier-uss-enterprise

It's currently out of production, but you can find them on Ebay every once in a while.

[ikar]

I believe the Monogram kit was 1/400 scale when it came out.  I used to have it but my Mother gave it away while I was on my first tour during Vietnam.  I have only seen one or two since then.

[Kurt H.]

There was a Revell Issue of a 1/400 USS Enterprise in the Early 2000s. It was in the largest box I ever saw for a model kit.  I remember seeing it at the hobby store. According to scalemates, it was available again in 2006

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/111617-revell-85-0383-uss-enterprise-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier

 

It looks like it started out as an Aurora tool. 

 

HobbyBoss currently offers a 1/48th scale A-6A

 

hope it helps

[Mstor]

20 hours ago, Kurt H. said:

There was a Revell Issue of a 1/400 USS Enterprise in the Early 2000s. It was in the largest box I ever saw for a model kit.  I remember seeing it at the hobby store. According to scalemates, it was available again in 2006

 

https://www.scalemates.com/kits/111617-revell-85-0383-uss-enterprise-nuclear-powered-aircraft-carrier

 

It looks like it started out as an Aurora tool. 

 

HobbyBoss currently offers a 1/48th scale A-6A

 

hope it helps

 

I had the Otaki 1/400 scale kit. It was actually pretty nice. One of the biggest kits you could buy when it came out.  Won a prize at a model show put on by the local navy recruitment office.

 

I didn't know the Revell one was an ex-Aurora mold. Probably not a well done as the Otaki one.