Hello to all you ship builders. I am not versed well in carriers but have a 1/35th scale WW2 dio in mind and am in need of some info. I plan to do a section of a carrier during pre launch as the pilots are scrambling to man their planes. I need to know what plane would have launched after the fighters launched, a SBD or a TBF, Also was wondering if any of you might have a pic of the plane lay out, like how close and the angles they would be parked at. I have seen pics of the planes with engines running and off, with plane handlers waiting for the piolts. What would the norm be. Thanks in advance for your time. bob d.

While I don't have an answer to your question (I don't model WWII stuff), I have to say that any dio with more than one 1:35 aircraft - even the smaller WWII planes - is going to be gigantic! Hope you're able to post pictures of it when you get it going!

Hey Lee, I found a wooden case for an old type projection T.V. that messures out about 3" wide, 2.5" deep and 3" tall. Hopefully my idea is for the back ground to be the island with the pilots running out to man their planes, with a widcat and T.B.F. next to it. I'd like to do the deck edge with 20m.m. guns and the hanger deck with the doors open showing with a S.B.D. in the bay. It will take a long time to do but will take S.B.S. pics when I start. Right now I am collecting all the info I need and get plans drawn up.

Just about everything I've read, and the 1/72 scale models at the Naval Aviation Historical Museum in Pensacola indicate that the Dive Bombers were spotted after the Fighters, and the Torpedo Planes last.

Thanks for the reply Tom. The pics I have are mostly fighters on deck and was not sure about the set up being a ground pounder. Still have a long way to go with all this but every bit will help.

Spotting all determined on the air strike. Often times you would have a few CAP (Combat Air Patrol) fighters launched, then the air strike. The air strike would launch the slowest aircraft first if there was a desire for all the aircraft to arrive at the same time (no use launching the slowest aircraft last and making the others slow down for them).

Short answer; it varied.