I recieved the USS Ticonderoga as a present. While looking over the kit I noticed that the helicopter landing deck had two (2) what seem to be tracks leading into a storage building. My question is this...are they tracks, and do they raise over the surface or are they level with the deck. I searched over the net for some pics but was unable to get close-ups. Thanks

Mother... http://www.navsource.org has some great pics of the early Ticonderoga class cuisers. As far as the flight deck goes. It is flat. No rails. I would sand them off. My 1/700 scale Fujimi kit doesn't have them.

subhunter

Joe, I believe they are recessed tracks for the hanger doors to open up onto the deck.

Gino, subhunter thanks duh it only makes sense, never thought about that. Heck I only have two ship kits and never did a one.

Those tracks are for the RAST recovery system (don't ask me how I remember these things) I did I quick search and well this explains it better than I could:

Shipboard landing for some helicopters is assisted though use of a haul-down device that involves attachment of a cable to a probe on the bottom of the aircraft prior to landing. Tension is maintained on the cable as the helicopter descends which assists the pilot with accurate positioning of the aircraft on the deck; once on deck locking beams close on the probe, locking the aircraft to the flight deck. This device was pioneered by the Royal Canadian Navy and was called "Beartrap".
The U.S. Navy implementation of this device, based on Beartrap, is called the "RAST" system (for Recovery Assist, Secure and Traverse) and is an integral part of the LAMPS MK III (SH-60B) weapons system.

Mother, Modelguy is correct. Those tracks are for the RAST system. And they should be flush with the flight deck. The system involves a carriage of sorts which comes out of the hanger into the middle part of the flight deck. Once the bird is on the deck the system clamps into it and in theory keeps it from rolling off of the ship in heavy weather. There is a slot running from the flight deck into each hangar and the RAST "trolley" rides on this groove. On the CG-47 class ships I was on there was a rubber flap coverinbg the slot to keep out debris.