# Tamiya's Enterprise CV-6 tips?



## Fury3 (Jan 18, 2003)

I'm new to ship modeling, actually this will be my first one. I got inspired from a trip to Charleston SC and going aboard the Yorktown. After reading more and more about the Enterprise I decided I'd like to build her after her 1943 refit. Can anyone offer any tips on doing the ol' girl justice? The kit is Tamiya's 1/700 Waterline.

Thanks,
BK


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## Jafo (Apr 22, 2005)

a clean build and check your references and all should come out well.


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## Fury3 (Jan 18, 2003)

Has anyone on the board built this kit?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

I built this one a while ago. It is a fair kit. This is not a new Tamiya kit by any means, and it shows. The kit is similar to their USS Hornet, but in some ways is less accurate and not as well done. The antennas and masts in the Hornet are much better. The Enterprise parts are clunkier, oddly. The anti aircraft gun arrangement is not correct and many minor details are missing, wrong, or just muddled into a generic Enterprise/Yorktown/Hornet type kit. The model isn't awful by any means, it is just how kits were done circa 1972. You also get a sparse 12 airplane, 1945 vintage, airwing. More/better/different airplanes are available nowdays. if you are fussy, I think White Ensign Models has some photo etch for the kit.


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## Fury3 (Jan 18, 2003)

djnick66 said:


> I built this one a while ago. It is a fair kit. This is not a new Tamiya kit by any means, and it shows. The kit is similar to their USS Hornet, but in some ways is less accurate and not as well done. The antennas and masts in the Hornet are much better. The Enterprise parts are clunkier, oddly. The anti aircraft gun arrangement is not correct and many minor details are missing, wrong, or just muddled into a generic Enterprise/Yorktown/Hornet type kit. The model isn't awful by any means, it is just how kits were done circa 1972. You also get a sparse 12 airplane, 1945 vintage, airwing. More/better/different airplanes are available nowdays. if you are fussy, I think White Ensign Models has some photo etch for the kit.


Think I should pick up a Hornet and Kitbash?


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

no because the Hornet and Enterprise have a lot of differences. Thats why the different antennas in the Enterprise are not as well done as the ones in the Hornet which are not the same. One kit or the other was tooled first. Maybe the Enterprise? When they got around to making a second kit, the newly tooled parts were of a better quality. All of those ships were refitted here and there so it would be best to pick a time period for the big E and make the kit match the known layout for radar, AA guns, air wing, camouflage pattern, etc.


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## John P (Sep 1, 1999)

One wonders why Trumpeter has issued every WWII carrier in 1/350 _except _CV-6! I've been waiting for years!


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## Fury3 (Jan 18, 2003)

John P said:


> One wonders why Trumpeter has issued every WWII carrier in 1/350 _except _CV-6! I've been waiting for years!


Researching kits I feel the same way. The Enterprise for a while was THE only carrier of it's size in the war after the Hornet and Yorktown were gone, I'd love a kit in 1/350 but I'll cut my teeth on the little 1/700.


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

You can still make a reasonable Enterprise from the large box scale Revell kit. It was last out as the "Battle of Midway" carrier, and has the parts for the Enterprise as well as the Yorktown and Hornet. There are etch sets out there for the Revell kit, and also some resin replacement planes.


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## Fury3 (Jan 18, 2003)

djnick66 said:


> You can still make a reasonable Enterprise from the large box scale Revell kit. It was last out as the "Battle of Midway" carrier, and has the parts for the Enterprise as well as the Yorktown and Hornet. There are etch sets out there for the Revell kit, and also some resin replacement planes.


Thanks for the tip but I've got the Tamiya Enterprise. I did pick up a photo etch kit from Edwards and an armament add on from Skywave. I'm looking for any tips on this kit. I did search for the Revell kit, it's about 160 bucks now on Ebay


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## djnick66 (May 2, 2008)

Fury3 said:


> Thanks for the tip but I've got the Tamiya Enterprise. I did pick up a photo etch kit from Edwards and an armament add on from Skywave. I'm looking for any tips on this kit. I did search for the Revell kit, it's about 160 bucks now on Ebay


Thats an inflated listing for the first issue of the kit. Revell Germany had the kit out maybe a year ago. You can get it for around $20 if you shop around.

You can make a nice kit from the Tamiya model with some TLC.


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