RFI on Forrestal Class

[Frisco1522]

BlackLion, how are you not a full-time LN member by now? :lol:

 

Frisco1522

[Cobra847]

BlackLion, how are you not a full-time LN member by now? :lol:

 

Frisco1522

 

There can only be one Nick in Leatherneck!

[BlackLion213]

Ah nuts! Beat me to it.:)

 

Plus, I don't think you need a position for posting forum pictures and answering a few Tomcat questions....maybe when you have over 1000 employees.;)

 

Luckily my day job keeps me very busy, though it might be hard to tell with all the posts I have here. :music_whistling:

 

Maybe this RFI will allow me to find something helpful...

 

-Nick

[JaNk0]

These coordinates will take you to the ship yard where the USS Forrestal is currently

39.885466, -75.178784

 

It's possible to see in google maps. If there are any forums members from Philadelphia that could possible pay a visit,

however, being a navy ship yard I'm not sure whether or not there is a public access. Maybe it's possible to contact them?

Edited March 15, 2016 by JaNk0

[Sierra99]

Then I'll try to keep reference photos to just those 4 ships, just so things don't get confusing.

 

Love your choice BTW. I had a private tour of Ranger when I was 7 or 8 years old (Dad was a Navy Contractor at the time). I love that ship, so impressive in person.

 

Ranger and Enterprise are my favorite carriers. :D

 

-Nick

 

Wasn't the majority of TOP GUN shot on the USS Ranger?

 

Sierra

[Frisco1522]

Wasn't the majority of TOP GUN shot on the USS Ranger?

 

Sierra

Interior shots, yes.

 

Frisco1522

[BlackLion213]

Well, finding photos of the Ranger is proving to be a.....

 

Hence the RFI :)

 

I'm not sure if I'm finding what you need, but here are a few from tonight:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A few of Saratoga:

 

 

 

Hangar bay shot...barely:

 

 

Kitty Hawk Hangar Bay (probably pretty similar save for the changes to elevator position):

 

 

I'll keep digging, I hope some of this is helpful.

 

-Nick

[Sporg]

I found this guy, who sells photo reference CDs/DVDs for model builders.

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.com/-/stillmotionsphotographics/default.asp

 

He has two DVDs/CDs with the USS Ranger on them:

 

CD with Ranger only:

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.com/-/stillmotionsphotographics/gallery.asp?LID=&photoID=3576843&cat=27957

 

DVD with the Forrestal class:

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.com/-/stillmotionsphotographics/gallery.asp?LID=&photoID=12438226&cat=27957

 

Review page for the CD, and an example picture:

http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/books-plans/stillmophoto/cv61-sm/stillmo-review.html

 

 

Maybe it would be worth it to contact him?

Edited March 16, 2016 by Sporg

[USSInchon]

check with the US Naval History and Heritage Command

 

http://www.history.navy.mil/

[Tirak]

I just had a thought, maybe Cobra can clear this up. There was a Tomcat update scheduled for Mid/Late March... is this it? Just wondering.

[Cobra847]

I just had a thought, maybe Cobra can clear this up. There was a Tomcat update scheduled for Mid/Late March... is this it? Just wondering.

 

Er, no. :P

[Jerkzilla]

I got home rather late tonight...so this is what I found thus far. I kept it to just the Ranger for now from 1980-1992 (no major retrofits during that period).

 

I'll keep looking and post or send as I find things.

 

...

 

Here are the pictures thus far.

 

...

 

Circa 1990

 

 

1989

 

 

1986

 

 

This is what I found tonight. I'll keep looking for good detail shots, etc.

 

This project is fantastic news! Thank you for your dedication to the F-14A set in the 1980s in addition to the F-14B. :thumbup:

 

-Nick

 

PS - There is an observation area on the island (lower level of the 2-level bridge) that is visible in the 2nd and 3rd pictures. In the second picture it is enclosed with a curved plexiglass and the first picture shows a box shaped observation area. I checked my references and that area changed from "boxed" to "curved" in 1989.

 

Nice resource there!

 

What's the deal with the ships rear area? It looks like it went from one configuration in the 86 picture to a different one in the 89 pic, then back to the 86 configuration (more or less) in the 1990 pic?

 

I'm referring specifically to the hole in hull's stern and the port side balcony things.

[BlackLion213]

Nice resource there!

 

What's the deal with the ships rear area? It looks like it went from one configuration in the 86 picture to a different one in the 89 pic, then back to the 86 configuration (more or less) in the 1990 pic?

 

I'm referring specifically to the hole in hull's stern and the port side balcony things.

 

Whoops! I screwed that up, that picture is of the Constellation - I should have crossed checked the caption instead of assuming that it was correct.

 

Sorry about that. :music_whistling:

 

-Nick

[BlackLion213]

I found this guy, who sells photo reference CDs/DVDs for model builders.

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.com/-/stillmotionsphotographics/default.asp

 

He has two DVDs/CDs with the USS Ranger on them:

 

CD with Ranger only:

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.com/-/stillmotionsphotographics/gallery.asp?LID=&photoID=3576843&cat=27957

 

DVD with the Forrestal class:

http://www.stillmotionsphotographics.com/-/stillmotionsphotographics/gallery.asp?LID=&photoID=12438226&cat=27957

 

Review page for the CD, and an example picture:

http://www.modelwarships.com/reviews/books-plans/stillmophoto/cv61-sm/stillmo-review.html

 

 

Maybe it would be worth it to contact him?

 

This is a great find!

 

I read some reviews and seems to be exactly what LNS asked for: lots of hi-res detail shots of both the interior (hangar bay mostly) and exterior.

 

-Nick

[BlackLion213]

Hello,

 

Found some better hangar deck photos for USS Ranger (late 80s):

 

 

And one for Saratoga:

 

 

A few deck and island shots for Ranger (80s-early 90s)

 

This photo is during Carrier Quals (hence the F/A-18B/D Hornet and A-6E with NJ tail code)

 

 

 

Oh yeah...and I just like this one. :D

 

VF-2 above USS Ranger in 1987. Love that VF-2 insignia!

 

 

-Nick

Edited March 17, 2016 by BlackLion213

[BlackLion213]

More pictures, mostly of the Hangar deck tonight :)

 

USS Forrestal this time:

 

 

 

Independence:

 

 

 

Saratoga:

 

 

 

Ranger, one of the pics is a re-post, but this one is much higher resolution.

 

 

 

 

Another Baranek pic from Ranger's 1987 cruise. On this cruise, VF-2 sported aircraft with very hi-viz markings, moderate-viz (all gull grey with small colored markings), and true lo-viz. Quite a nice variety. :)

 

 

Have a good night,

 

-Nick

Edited March 19, 2016 by BlackLion213

[Cobra847]

Perfect. Great work Nick.

[BlackLion213]

Thanks Nick! :)

 

Also, here is a handy website: http://www.archives.gov/research/catalog/

 

It contains a lot of high resolution photos (many are posted above). The search tools aren't the best, but it contains a good volume of content (official USN photos, etc).

 

Good luck with your awesome project.

 

-Nick

[toni]

Exciting project the Forrestal class indeed, but tell us, will that include some kind of Megamap and what kind of scort ships you manage as a release target ? Perhaps a Farragut class DDG and a Belknap CG could be a valid ones !

 

Any chance later on to develop a Full Forrestal class DLC, just like ED has plans to proceed with the Nimitz class ?

[2BAG_Inferno]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[IceFire]

Not that I'm complaining, far from it. But just a question, Why a conventional powered carrier and not say the Enterprise or a Nimitz Class ?

[Kev2go]

Not that I'm complaining, far from it. But just a question, Why a conventional powered carrier and not say the Enterprise or a Nimitz Class ?

 

f14 entered service before the first Nimitz class carrier was commissioned .

 

 

 

Ether still f14 stationed on older carriers like the Forrestal class because they were already around in larger numbers. Not all ended up on nimitz .Besides Nimitz class carrier is already ingame.

 

It's kind of how in Vietnam they us navy still had Essex and midway class carriers rebuild with angled decks still in service with various aircraft of the time period.

 

 

 

So for older scenarios from the 70's Forrestal would be fitting while 80's to present you can have f14 on Nimitz class. Since more of them were around by the 8

[near_blind]

Not that I'm complaining, far from it. But just a question, Why a conventional powered carrier and not say the Enterprise or a Nimitz Class ?

 

Powerplant doesn't really effect DCS as there is no simulation of ship logistics. As for the class? The Nimitz is being done by ED. The Enterprise, Kitty Hawks and Forrestalls are all equally interesting choices for the era of the F-14.

 

If I had to guess, I'd say it's because outside of the Midways, the Forrestals are the most underrepresented class of carriers when it comes to flight sims.

[IceFire]

While I didn't mean the powerplant I meant the type, I did not realize that ED is making one, and the one that is presently in the sim is a joke lol its been around since FC. It is good though that ED is updating it and having the Forrestal is even better at that point, multiple classes = better. Now we just need a Marine Corps carrier and some choppers/harriers to compliment it >B)

[MBot]

With ED making the Nimtz class, I think the Forrestal class makes a great complement because it offers the biggest variety (the Kitty Hawk/JFK class and Enterprise already had the same deck layout as the following Nimtz class).

 

Personally I have a soft spot for the sub-supercarriers Midway and Coral Sea. Both saw a lot of action and Midway operated the last Phantoms up to 1986. But considering that both carriers were too small to operate the Tomcat on deployments, of course they currently make little sense for LNS.