|
|
|
Click on this image to download a full page of more detailed photos
This model was commissioned by a gentleman in Brooklyn, New York who was a plankowner on the original carrier. Now, I can hear you say, “Plankowner!, What in the world is that?!” Well, in the US Navy, being a plankowner means he is a member of the original carrier's crew when the ship was first commissioned way back in 1968 in Newport News, Virginia.
When this model was commissioned, Sal said he wanted it big - and I told him that the largest bottle that I had which would suit the ship was this giant 3 liter rum bottle - but I warned him that that would be expensive because I knew it would take me a long time to build it at that scale. Sal said: Build it. And further specified that the "model should recreate how she looked when she was first commissioned and put into service." It goes without saying that it took me much longer to build than I expected - taking well over three times the hours that it takes to build a “simple” 7 inch destroyer... To date the USS JOHN F. KENNEDY remains the largest, most complex warship I have yet built: Almost twelve inches from stem to stern and over two inches across the flight deck; the bottle almost two feet long. And Sal is one of my most enthusiastic customers. In fact, as he watched it taking shape on the web over the months he fairly bubbled with enthusiasm...
Of course the difficulty always is: How on earth do you cram a giant 2 inch wide hull through a neck that is less than half that width? Well, it sure isn't easy. At best it involves a furious amount of head scratching. 
And at worst, a few choice words... In fact it was over six months before I finally finished the ship. 30 hours alone went into the construction of the deckload of aircraft - and that is not counting numerous, frustrating hours wasted in fruitless, unsuccessful attempts at casting the tiny aircraft - most of which are under half an inch long. Finally, I had to bite the bullet and carve them: One by one; piece by piece. Carve them out of toothpicks with a scalpel, adding separate canopies with tiny bits of card stock for wings and tailplanes. Propellers and landing gear for the Hawkeyes and Skyraiders; smoke steaming out of the end of the launching Phantom.
Despite setting up a “production line” each aircraft worked out at about an hour apiece and painting them sure was “fun”: I set them in rows, on lines of cello tape, sticky side up to hold them in place. Only problem was that as soon as I started airbrushing them, some of them decided to take flight! Tiny Phantoms and Skyraiders went sailing off into the wild, blue yonder... So, down I went. On hands and knees, searching over the floor, trying to find them. It really was amazing how far some of them flew at a mere 40 p.s.i!
Caroline Kennedy, daughter of the late president, sponsored the ship when it slid dow the ways at the Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.,
Newport News, Va. in 1967. Construction of the JOHN F. KENNEDY was initially authorized in 1962 and it was originally planned that the ship would have nuclear propulsion. However, a tight-fisted Congress dug in their heels at the cost so the KENNEDY and her near sister, AMERICA were built with conventional power - however they retain many of the design configurations of their nuclear powered cousins. Although often classed with the three other ships of the "improved Forrestal Class" the KENNEDY is usually considered in a class by herself. The largest of the four ships, the KENNEDY is unique in having a canted stack designed to keep stack gas free of the flight deck (this was first used in some of the Japanese carriers of the Second World War) and a flight deck that is of a slightly different shape. 
The ship has gone through several major refits since being built and is expected to remain in service with the US Navy until 2018.
Displacement: 83,000 tons full load Length: 1,047 feet (319.3 m) Beam: 130 ft (39.6 m)
Propulsion: 8 boilers powering steam turbines, 4 shafts, 280,000 shp Speed: 35 knots Crew: 2,500 plus 2300 air wing and 70 flag officers. Aircraft 80 plus (as of 1968): Skyraiders, F4 Phantoms, Intruders, Haweyes, Sea King helicopters. AA Armament (as of 1968): 3, octuple-cell Sea Sparrow launchers; ship has since been additionally fitted with 3, 20mm Phalanx CIWS Scale: 1 in 1140 Length of Model in bottle: 111/4 " (286 mm) Total Length of bottle: 24 " (600 mm)
More Photos of the JFK's construction...
The flight deck surface. A mere eight hours passed before all the lanes, lines, safety lines
and catapults were drafted accurately onto this surface.
The hull finally together inside the bottle, glued, clamped and left to dry.
The flight deck in place (complete with rafts and antennas) awaiting application of the flight deck surface.
The ship completed, the aircraft start arriving, one by one.
Model ship photos & text © D.S. Smith 2003
Previous Navy Ship Next Navy Ship
Go to Gallery Indexes: The Navy Page * In A Light Bulb * The Yachtsman's Page * Sailing Ships * Motor Ships
Return to Scale Reproductions Home Index
