Daniel, I thought you had gone AWOL
How is the secret project? Looked like you were doing major surgery on a model U-boat How is the project going

Thanks Sean,
Glad you approve of the lady mate,
She's big and blowsey but still a looker
Cheers,

Thanks Mark, It's like parking a field in your hobby room

Not my Sr!! Sr !! .... yes am working hard in my project IXC. prompt will initiate a blog with my small advances. ... but also I am proving work of imitating water, waves and swells, not easily at all

I will two weeck out

Have a good holiday Daniel, we will see you in two weeks time. Don't do anything I would

February 21st update:

Fitting railings to stern 20mm galleries. LSO's platform fitted.
Working on stern supports and railings. Tight fit here, would probably be better add the supports and then the motor launch.
Luckily the "eyeball mk.1 "judged the available space perfectly :

February 22nd update:
One of the many reference photos online shows two storage reels behind the foreward flightdeck supports, nice addition to a rather bare focsle so I added them. Finishing off the stern railings:

February 23rd update:

Foreward flightdeck catwalks added.

Growing by the hour

Looking good mate

Cheers Kev

Really coming on Julian,

great Work,

Si

Kev, Simon, thanks guys, appreciate the support.

She is really coming together now Julian. You should be pretty happy.....Cheers mark

Looking really good there Julian as usual

Keith

Great work!! I'm loving this build.

QQ - In the picture of the bow area there is a oval piece that is on the model but not the picture. What is that?

Keith, Mark, thanks guys. I have been goofing off near Amersfoort in Holland for a couple of days doing nothing much more than touring the vicinity, (found a nice model shop in Harderwijk so was able to stock up on some paints), eating a lot of delicious meals and trying several different wines.
Really lazy, most enjoyable

I think you mean the 20mm tub that was fitted on the bow later in the Hornet's short career. It must have been a rather dismal and soggy action station picking up a lot of spray and, judging by some of the photos of the Doolittle raid, also the occasional wave.

Enjoy your break . . . . one thing for sure, they will be a monster waiting for you

Cheers Kev

February 27th update:

Fitted the railings to foreward flightdeck catwalks. I have added some photos of "Ensign Gumdrop" goofing off at several locations on board to give an idea of the scale. Working on weathering the hull too but no photos yet.

The catwalks look really good Julian, and tidy work on the railings.

Are the Catwalks etched?

Si

Hi Simon, thanks first of all. No the the catwalks are plastic, the railings are PE.

February 28th update:

Working on the weathering, (still no photos ), and the hangar deck plating. The "garage doors" I have cut to size to give the impression of not being rolled all the way up. I have added some small platforms as well. The inside is a huge collection of ejector marks that I have filled and sanded in preparation for a coat of off-white paint.:

Thanks for clarifying! Looking great!!

Thanks Mike,

March 1st update:
i have to keep saying that this is a fascinating model to build giving so much insight into how a Carrier was really built.
The hangar deck catapult opening is fitted now, the forward AAA guntub will need careful trimming to make it fit.

Looking good Julian,

Like the level of detail in the hanger, hope a decent portion of it will be visible when the filight deck is on.

Si