BoatNerd.Com Discussion Boards

a few last ones...

a few more...

Thanks for the information. I'm planning to look at carrying out this project at the beginning of next year as I have two other models I'm planning to work on throughout the balance of the year. I look forward to seeing more pictures of your ship models.

Thanks, it was really something to hear that someone else had envisioned a Cliffs Victory using the Revell model. The Victory was my second effort using lessons learned from doing the Carnahan model. All the Navy attack transports were VC2-S-AP5, which differed little from the AP2 and AP3s. (The only difference between the AP2 and AP3 , besides horsepower, was that one, I think the 3, had a little "donut" at the base of the horn on the stack. The other was just the horn piece protruding from the stack.) The AP5s all had a shorter stack.
Unlike the Carnahan and Thompson models built new out of the box, the Victory started life as a built, aging Montrose model I did in 1971. It was stripped of all deck fixtures and the upper half of the midship structure was cut off. The forward cabins were fashioned from old ship parts and index paper. The pilothouse was made from a supercharger part from, I think, a large scale P38 airplane model. The base form looked right. The stack was made from an Arizona model with some putty work. The hatch cranes were made from the main deck gangways from a T2 model. The forecastle deck was extended back. I did the Victory post-lengthening, so obviously the one-piece hull of the model was cut in 2 and sheet plastic inserted to scale. The spar decks are mostly sheet plastic (Evergreen).
Styling cues were very evident on the Victory like the anchor guides, the remaining lower half of the mid-structure, the long, graceful fantail, etc. More pictures are coming showing close-ups of details.
Guest, this project is well worthwhile to attempt with your remaining model. If not, try a regular VC2 conversion. In one of the pictures, you'll see all 3 of my projects, the Drew(Montrose), Cliffs Victory and the Bessemer Victory. The latter was an easy conversion to a standard Victory ship, the main effort being deck modifications, adding a 3rd king post and raising the stack.
I knew the Victory's well. Although I didn't wheel one, I had worked on many of them during Vietnam and loved 'em as much as the T-2s.

Nice models. I believe you mentioned in a previous thread about using Revell's USS Montrose as the basis for the Cliffs Victory. A few years ago I came into possession of two of these models which were packaged with the "Attack Transport" identification. I built one up from the box and envisioned building a Cliffs Victory from the other. I usually built plastic aircraft, but have also done a few armor and ship kits, so I was wondering how advanced are the modifications necessary to produce this conversion? I would consider myself an experienced modeler with some background with scratch building but little with building ships. I'm nearing the completion of the second of two 1/700 waterline ship kits (1 Aoshima and 1 Hasegawa) and was wondering about what to do with the last remaining Revell Attack Transport Kit.

more pics...

Great models and photos thanks a lot for posting.

Nicely done!

We were able to get some pix done and posted in no particular order. There are more to come.
I'll be happy to answer questions, but in meantime I'll just make a few comments. I wanted to get the picture of the Cliffs Victory with the ghostly photo of Capt Harry Anderson in the background in the William G. Mather's pilothouse. He skippered the Victory. When the models were on display at the Mather, he asked the facilities manager at the time if the "guy who built the model was a big guy". The character he was, wanted to have the model at any cost.
The Carnahan was my first project as it was the easiest to do. She retained more of her original T-2 features than the others after laker conversion. The Falk was close but her aft-end differed more including her stack. The usual cutting and sheet work went into the hull, but like the shipyard, the mid-ship structure was narrowed and modified to fit the extended forecastle deck. One photo shows all 3 of my T-2 projects; an original, the Carnahan, and the USNS Suamico (T-AO-49), the lead ship of the T-2 class. Originally USS Suamico, AO 49), she was de-militarized after WW II, and operated under charter to Military Sea Transportation Service (MSTS), later Miliary Sealift Command (MSC). I was on her during her last trip to Midway Island in 1975 before being scrapped. I also wheeled the SS San Antonio, a jumboized T-2. Yes, I loved the T-2's.
I'll post more as the pictures come up, many thanks to a friend of mine who is doing this.

A few more...

The first of a series of pictures...