Brings back such great memories. Step one was me and my brother cutting all the airplanes from the sprues, playing with them, losing half of them, dad grumbling and finally putting the ship together.
@pierolovatto60443 жыл бұрын
Dear Mike: your videos have a difficult to describe “Time Machine Sensation”. When you open in your videos the boxes, my mind connects immediately with my past and I can feel again that young kid excitement of unboxing a new kit: the smell of plastic, the shapes, the colors, the details, the transfer decals, etc... I can’t describe it. Thank you for taking us literally Time Traveling. Keep up your good work, it will be a document and a reference for future generations with the same values like you and me.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Appreciate the great comment Piero - many thanks!
@mpierrela6 ай бұрын
I totally agree.
@richardklug8223 жыл бұрын
My dad was ex-Navy and gave me the Revell Forrestal kit for my 10th birthday in 1959. One of the best gifts I ever received!
@redr1150r7 ай бұрын
My Dad built the Revell model in the late 50's, it ended up on my dresser with all of my model planes. At the time I was on it, 77-80, we had F-4s, A-6s A-7s, S-3s, H-3 helicopters , E-2s, and had an F-8P det on board in 77, and occasionally while in the Mediterranean we would host A-3 reconnaissance aircraft from a squadron stationed in Rota, Spain. I do remember most of those aircraft as my Dad was in the Navy and I grew up on Naval Air Stations, before I joined.
@edwardkotapish20222 жыл бұрын
The models on that table are my childhood!
@cratecruncher6687 Жыл бұрын
My modeling career began in the mid '70s so everything before is a mystery. That box art is gorgeous. Thanks for sharing such a nice collection.
@edum39122 жыл бұрын
You made me remember. Seeing the boxes at your back, I believe I´ve built them all. What a time!. Thanks
@rodgerhecht36232 жыл бұрын
Wow that is quite a collection of model kits. So cool to see these kits that drooled over as a young boy.
@GorillaCrewWarGaming4 ай бұрын
I built these in the 70's when I was a kid! I have found and am currently building the Lindberg motorized USS Coral Sea. My wife's father served on that in the late 50's - early 60's. He has passed away now and I am building it for Mom. This kit is so old the are a few warped parts I have to contend with, but it is going together nicely! Great channel, Mike!
@chuck99873 жыл бұрын
I remember building the Revell Ranger in the early 60's. Beautiful kit. I'm pretty sure I only built one WW2 carrier, the Revell Franklin with the open bow and wooden deck. I did get the Aurora CVN 65 for Christmas. That was a big kit and the first one with a multipart flight deck and was actually screwed in place (to allow access to the motor/batteries for the optional motorizing kit). I appreciate the open box displays with all of the insane number of parts/details. I can almost smell the glue and the Testor's enamel paint. Really takes me back. Thanks!!!!!
@jjojo20043 жыл бұрын
My Dad was stationed on the USS Franklin D Roosevelt CV-42 on it's final tour before it was decommissioned in 1977. At that time the ship was using F-4 Phantoms and early Harrier Jump Jets as an experiment. He was also stationed on the USS Forrestal at NAS Mayport in Jacksonville, FL in 1959.
@AvengerII3 жыл бұрын
There were a few reasons that they decommissioned the FDR before its sister ships. 1) FDR needed a MAJOR refit to address its age and poor material condition. Because the Midway's refit in the late 1960s went well over budget, a similar refit for the FDR was canceled. Likewise, the refit for the Coral Sea was off the schedule. The FDR and Coral Sea's conditions deteriorated the longer time passed. Coral Sea eventually had a few refits in the 1980s to address its condition but I don't think it was ever in the Navy plans to retain that ship in the active duty fleet past the 1980s. It did get one final refit in the mid-1980s to allow Coral Sea to deploy with F-18s for the final years in-service. 2) The FDR had a different powerplant than its sister ships. Its propulsion unit was less reliable. This propulsion unit's performance issues and its "uniqueness" (ie, more expensive to get spare parts for!) gave the Navy another reason to retire the Rosie earlier. 3) Given the tight budgets the Navy faced post-Vietnam, there was an emphasis placed on keeping the new carrier construction program going. There was concern on whether the Navy would get funds to continue with the nuclear carrier program beyond 3 units of the Nimitz-class. The FDR was almost immediately scrapped after decommissioning because the Navy heads were afraid the Carter administration or whoever succeeded them might try to reactivate the Rosie instead of giving funds to build a new supercarrier (Nimitz-class at that time) which was preferrable to keeping a worn-out ship in reserve. It might have taken at least a half-billion dollars to refurbish the Rosie for active duty, money that might have been better spent on a ship design (Nimitz-class) with a 50-year lifespan ahead of it versus a ship that was worn and had maybe 15 years of life left in her. That kind of reasoning came up not long ago when the Navy seriously thought of reactivating the USS Kitty Hawk (which was in reserve but will eventually be scrapped soon). The problem with using Kitty Hawk is that the hull had been battered for over 40 years already and they could maybe get 8-10 years more out of it. The bigger issue was the powerplant -- the US Navy hadn't trained sailors to maintain and operate that boiler system for over a decade! It would have cost a lot of money to bring back old sailors to train a new crew to operate the boilers safely and who knows how much money it would have taken to rehabilitate a decade-retired supercarrier?!?
@Mishn03 жыл бұрын
@@AvengerII I was on the Coral Sea in '79-'80 just after her '70s refit. That's when they removed the last of the 5" guns and I think replaced the catapults with a new model in addition to a lot of habitability upgrades. She got one more upgrade in the mid '80s when she got new radars and CWIS. I think the plan at that time was for her to replace the Lexington as the training carrier down at P-cola but that didn't pan out and they scrapped her in about '89 I think. The FDR was, I think, the first of the Midway class to get the angle deck and they learned from that when they did the Midway and then the Coral Sea. I think that's a big reason that she was scrapped, the angle refit was the least well planned and since she was the first reworked, she had deteriorated more than the Coral Sea and Midway.
@AvengerII3 жыл бұрын
@@Mishn0 Actually, the Coral Sea was scrapped between 1994 and 2000. There are pictures of her during the scrapping process online. [What was more puzzling to me than the FDR scrapping was WHY they kept all those Essex-class carriers in the reserve fleet into the 1990s. There were at least 4-5 Essex-class carriers in mothballs beyond the 2 museum ships they had by 1982. By the time they retired, the Essex-class ships were worn out and were basically only good for use as helicarriers because the jets became too big for them. They couldn't mount fighters bigger than the F-8 comfortably and the A-6 was too big for them.] It took 6 years to scrap because the original company that won the recycling contract went bankrupt and the hulk was in limbo for a while. Until the Forrestal herself was scrapped, the Coral Sea was the largest naval vessel ever scrapped. I think Constellation is now the largest military ship scrapped but she'll be surpassed by the Nimitz within a decade. The Enterprise is taking the longest to recycle because of her unique 8-reactor set-up. Thank goodness they didn't make anymore 8-reactor ships after the first and only one!
@jetsons1013 жыл бұрын
Just finished, lots of info and great narration. The box art is fantastic..... Thanks again Mike
@kcouche3 жыл бұрын
Wow! In so many ways, you took me back to my childhood. Thanks.
@mpierrela6 ай бұрын
Most appreciated.
@alantoon57083 жыл бұрын
Yes, I had that Lindberg Cutless model, too... And also had the Wasp. Great kits for a 8 year old.
@allgood6760 Жыл бұрын
Thanks for this.. a friend of mine was a Royal Navy exchange pilot on the USS Forrestal.. thanks from down under 🇳🇿
@richardlundin15283 жыл бұрын
I got an early Aurora Forrestal but the planes were dark blue plastic. '57 or '58 was around the time the Navy transitioned from blue airframes to light grey so both would be reasonable. I also remember that mine never had A4D's. They must have been added later. Thanks for this video, it really does bring back the memories.
@ronaldfrancis58133 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the trip down memory lane. Built the Revell Midway CV 41 (FDR kit with new decals) and the Aurora Forrestal in the late 70s. I also served on the Forrestal from 1990 through 93 when she decommed.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Wonderful comment, and thanks for your service!
@stevecausey5453 жыл бұрын
This was a lot of fun to watch. Another vid where i said " it's over already?" Thank you Mike!
@brentjames93882 жыл бұрын
Thanks Mike for bringing model building back to my attention, I think it will help my anxiety and PTSD, it will help me focus on something else, Thanks again Mike great channel.
@Duececoupe3 жыл бұрын
Got to love the flattops! I'm somewhat obsessed with the USS Yorktown CV-5 and CV-10 plus USS Coral Sea CV-43....hopefully, some day, I'll get my dirty mittens on one of them old USS Coral Sea kits.... 🤞🏻 Great video, as always! 👍🏻👌🏻👏🏻
@jacklewis52743 жыл бұрын
I was a paper boy and a lot of my money went into models and model rockets, I’m 73 now and still building and launching rockets for the grand kids! And I became a painter and graphic artist. Thank you so much for all your videos!!! Your model collection is way better than mine, oh well . . . keep em’ coming!!!
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
@joeschenk84003 жыл бұрын
Great memories....I had the Lindberg carrier in a later boxing, had the Revell FD Roosevelt or Midway or Coral Sea a couple of times. One Christmas I got the Revell USS Essex, my favorite since as a 5-6 year my family took me on the actual USS Essex, at the time an ASW carrier. I have an 8mm film by my father, of me standing on the starboard elevator looking into the hanger deck...A-1s and S2Fs. Thanks for a great post.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Wonderful comment, thanks!
@walkerm7772 жыл бұрын
Great video. I served on the USS Coral Sea CV 43 in the 70s. I just found a straight deck model a few months back on ebay. Sure wish they would bring them back. One thing is that most sailors are never talked about. The sailors below decks. The ones that run the ship. We only hear about the planes. I was a Boiler Technician. I worked in after evaporators. And made fresh water for the ship. And this cv42 was my sister ship, along with the Midway.
@fluseint.13033 жыл бұрын
The Artwork of the Forrestal is really amazing. I can understand why this one has a frame👌
@bosoerjadi28383 жыл бұрын
I framed the box art of Aurora's USS Saratoga and of Revell's USS Ranger.
@fluseint.13033 жыл бұрын
@@bosoerjadi2838 Nice, I bet they have a nice spot in the house👌
@plantfeeder66773 жыл бұрын
@@bosoerjadi2838 I always loved that Revell Rangers box cover. Got to see her in Drydock at Hunter's Point, San Francisco when I was a kid.
@MGB-learning7 ай бұрын
I am just finishing the later Revel version of the USS Forrestal for my father who served on her in the early 60s during the Vietnam conflict. This version has F14, F18 and Intruders and Prowlers.
@rebsarge3 жыл бұрын
I really enjoyed this! I built the Aurora Missouri, Bismark, and Saratoga, and the Revell Forestal, Buckley, and Buchannan.The models all went the way of all styrene in young boy's lives, but I saved all the boxes! I bet I had 100 complete boxes from the '50's and early '60s. When I was in the Marines, Mom thought they were pretty stupid and burned them all, along with a western boot box full of bubblegumm or baseball cards of all the Yankee greats from those days. Several hundred cards went up in smoke.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment and for your service! Sorry to hear of the outcome.
@map33843 жыл бұрын
Many thanks for the trip back to my youth. I loved Revell carriers. I remember Christmas of 1976 I received both the Revell Forestall and Saratoga kits. I built the Modified Bon Home Richard and Wasp also. I’m waiting for some company to reintroduce the Midway in either 1/540 or hopefully one day in 1/350.
@awritenthat3 жыл бұрын
Really enjoyed that , many thanks . I have the carrier kits in my collection . I'm glad you didn't go in for criticism of the old kits , each has their charm as you suggest . Back in the day they were the best you could get . . Thanks again Jim
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Agreed on those old kits!
@billward62223 жыл бұрын
One of the first kits I ever built while living on Long Island was the Roosevelt. A few years later I did the Forrestal. Thanks for bringing back so many great memories.
@plantfeeder66773 жыл бұрын
My introduction to modeling came when, at 4 years of age in 1956, I watched my father build that exact Revell USS Forrestal on our living room table everynight for two weeks...I was hooked.
@jetsons1013 жыл бұрын
Agh !!!!! I have to wait 32 hours.......... Thanks ahead of time.
@701CPD3 жыл бұрын
A baby-sitter I had as a kid in the late '50s-early-'60s had two teenage sons who must've built those carrier models, because they had dozens of tiny gray jet airplanes they'd let me have to play with. Those planes had to have come from those carrier kits!
@kennyraicherter12643 жыл бұрын
I Renner going to the a and p food store with my grandma on Saturdays and nextdoor was a little stationary store and she bought me the Aurora Forrester,what fun with all those airplanes
@Dana-nv4ej6 ай бұрын
Hey, thanks a lot I bought two versions of the wasp, one as the boxer, and one as a mislabeled Yorktown with the number five to put on the flight deck. I added some detail to them and enjoyed owning them.
@lizard8693 жыл бұрын
I started modeling in 2019 for my 10th birthday. My first model was a 1;800 USS Kitty Hawk. I later turned my Kitty Hawk into a Forrestal, because I couldn’t find any Forrestal kits. Now I wish I was born in the 50s to build and see these kits.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the comment, and how cool that you were able to convert the USS Kitty Hawk kit! I know Revell and Monogram re-released the Forrestal-class carrier kits well into the 1990s, and they can be found on eBay today. Appreciate your watching the channel!
@Hypernefelos2 жыл бұрын
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 There's also an Airfix 1:600 Forrestal kit that came out in 1977 or 1978. I bought it in the 90s, when it was sold as a Heller kit, but didn't get around to painting it until last year. Interestingly, although the kit came out in the late 70s it depicts the Forrestal as it was in 1957. Its air wing is represented by three Skywarriors, six Skyraiders, six Furies, five Demons, and a Retriever.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97822 жыл бұрын
@@Hypernefelos Great comment, and sounds like a wonderful model. Thanks for watching!
@redr1150r7 ай бұрын
I was fortunate. I lived and grew up around the real planes and ships, then later, I got to work on some of those same aircraft and was stationed on the Forrestal and the Nimitz. I just retired from working for the Coast Guard for the last 20 years, on search and surveillance aircraft, and I can say it all well worth it.
@hertzair11862 жыл бұрын
Outstanding, Mike! Loved every second of the kit time travel!
@celebratingaviationwithmik97822 жыл бұрын
Many thanks!
@bertg.60563 жыл бұрын
Mike, I really respect the way you point out inconsistencies and errors in box art, but quickly affirm that "It just works". Loved the flattop presentation!
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Thanks Bert!
@fhwolthuis3 жыл бұрын
Great video!
@michaelnaven2132 жыл бұрын
What I absolutely love about your videos is that it takes me back to when I was looking at those kits to decide which one I was going to buy. Best days of my life.
@jamesroets8003 жыл бұрын
Cool stuff, Mike! I remember I got a model of the Revell U.S.S. Ranger (CVA-61) for Christmas in 1968, shortly before we moved across country to NAS Alameda, where Ranger was homeported. My dad was going to sea on Yankee Station with the Ranger. He went on for three cruises in Vietnam's waters. The art work was fantastic, by John Steel. The model was really complex for me, and I'm afraid I didn't do such a good job building it. Thanks for doing this series! Brings back a lot of memories for me.
@dmflynn9622 жыл бұрын
I just watched this video again, and I liked it again. Thanks for making it. I have bought about 8 Aurora and Monogram Forrestal class carrier models over the years, and I am pretty sure that those 3 A4 Skyhawks on the deck of the display model were added later. They came with the 1978 Monogram retooled version. If you look carefully they look a little different: darker gray, and more refined molding. Keep up the good work.
@lancelehman11052 жыл бұрын
I consider these videos as among the very best when I choose to travel into the past and experience the plastic of the past. Special thank you for doing these. I am into this as a collector, builder, and I just love models.
@johnmoran88053 жыл бұрын
Thanks Mike! What a trip down memory lane.
@findo123 жыл бұрын
Thank you Mike. Like many other children, I remember admiring those kits in the Clyde Model Dockyard, Glasgow.
@stormtroopercommander79473 жыл бұрын
I absolutely enjoy your videos! Can't wait to see this one!!!
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Many thanks!
@thetreblerebel3 жыл бұрын
Good to see someone appreciate the historical value of model kits and the icons they represent.
@maxsmodels3 жыл бұрын
How many of those did I build?
@alanclarke32283 жыл бұрын
All those kits are equally beautiful! Thanks for another dose of eye candy!
@fredkruse94443 жыл бұрын
I built the Aurora Forrestal model in the mid-sixties.
@toadstool14043 жыл бұрын
Very nice presentation Mike, thanks!
@jkdm76533 жыл бұрын
Thjanks! Enjoyable! I assembled the FDR, Wasp, and Forrestal kits you showed herein. Just a bit of correction: The FDR and its Midway-class sisters didn't have wooden flight decks...steel.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Yes, good catch! I'd remembered that the deck in that kit was to be painted tan.
@orangelion03 Жыл бұрын
I recall I built three carriers in my youth: Revell (?) USS Hornet (with B-25s); Revell Forrestal (maybe a re-release with markings for a sister ship); and the biggest of them all, the Aurora USS Enterprise CVN-65. can't recall what happened to the other two but the Enterprise met its doom by fire at the bottom of the pit that would become a neighbors pool. I had some of their airplanes in my spares boxes until well into the 90s.
@danf3213 жыл бұрын
I love all your models. With all the unbuilt models that Max has, you guys should open a hobby shop and call it M&M Hobbies (Mike & Max).
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Love it, thanks!
@plantfeeder66773 жыл бұрын
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 and I have the perfect town to put it in......mine😊
@Paddman3 жыл бұрын
Thank you very much. Your way of narrating is excellent! Stay healthy, best Greetings from Germany.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
@trainliker1003 жыл бұрын
When I was maybe 15 years old (about 60 years ago) I built the Revell Saratoga CV-60. All the buzz was to build the Forrestal, but I wanted to be contrarian so built the Saratoga. As I was already a fairly fastidious model railroader by then, I assembled it very neatly. But I didn't paint it prototypically. I didn't like red below the waterline and painted that black instead. I sprayed Floquil paint for the ship's gray and then masked for the black below the waterline. I used some sort of sprayer at the time that used a little compressed Freon bottle or something. The paint surface quality came out perfect (thanks to model railroading painting experience). I painted all of the walkways along the edge by hand with silver. And just painted all the airplanes silver. Not "proper" but I liked how it looked. So not painted in any accurate way, but a stylized way. A friend of our family had a table saw and helped me make a wooden base for it. I had glass pieces cut at the local hardware store and glued them to be a rectangular cover using some sort of cement that adhered to glass. Finally, I also built a Fletcher class destroyer No. 675 and made little wood blocks for it to stand with its waterline equal with the Saratoga. I don't know what kit that was made from, but it is either the same scale (which was the idea to show the contrast) or very close to the right scale. The destroyer should be just over a third of the length of the carrier, and it looks that way. Yes., I still have this sitting on a book shelf near me. It's amazing what a glass cover can do to preserve a model.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Fabulous story Charles, thanks, and I built both those kits as well. Sounds like yours turned-out better!
@waynebrumley23153 жыл бұрын
My uncle was in the navy in the 50's and got me the Revell Forrestal kit We put it together on one of his leaves, may have been 1958-59. The model was the main reason I served on USS Kitty Hawk from 1970-75. Thanks for video and the Nostalgia.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Thanks for your service!
@jameswsomers3 жыл бұрын
Thank You for your great VLOG's.Also,I remember you had to cut the wings on the airplanes if you wanted the wings folded.
@seanh23903 жыл бұрын
wow ... awesome video. thanks for posting!
@merlin51h843 жыл бұрын
Very impressive collection you have there Mike. Great reviews as well.
@jockellis3 жыл бұрын
My father was VF-81’s duty officer on the Wasp’s first Pacific cruise under then Cdr Frank Upham, later Admiral. Pop bought me this model in the early ‘50s and gave it to me at the Atlanta General Depot personnel department Christmas party. One of his pilot friends, who ended the war as a guest of the Japanese after his F6F-3’s engine died, had stationery printed when he became a judge after his return that showed his Hellcat up close from the starboard quarter as it prepared to land on the Wasp in the distance. Wish I had kept the letter he wrote in the late ‘90s, telling Pop he would be unable to attend the grand opening of the National POW Museum at the former Andersonville Confederate POW camp. He died in 2006, five years after Pop passed
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Appreciate the great comment, thanks!
@redr1150r7 ай бұрын
I spent 3 years on the Forrestal, 77-80 while in an A-6 Squadron, VA-85. :-)
@celebratingaviationwithmik97827 ай бұрын
Thanks for your service, and "Fly NAVY!"
@michaelsanteler27463 жыл бұрын
Very cool collection.
@daniellabra41863 жыл бұрын
What a wonderful Video... I was about 9YO (in 1974) when I saw some uncle of mine building a Revell Forrestal... In my view -being just 9YO- it was so huge, so complicated. Of course the room where he was building it was absolutely off-limits... Thanks for bringing those momories back :-)
@LineaDeus3 жыл бұрын
*Excellent presentation, educational clear and concise on the kits, This video is a great reference video*
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Many thanks!
@wrightflyer78553 жыл бұрын
Thanks for the stroll down Memory Lane. The old Aurora aircraft kits were plenty good for young modelers and I remember well the first plastic kit I ever built, the Aurora 1/4? scale P-26 molded in Schwinn blue plastic. Boiler plate rivets notwithstanding it looked like a P-26 and that's all that counted. In those days Revell was the undisputed champion of ship kits....their aircraft carriers were seriously impressive. No photo etch, no paint masks, it didn't matter. Those were our own creations that would never be judged in an IPMS competition. But at night when we went to bed and looked around the room at our very own Navy and Air Force, we were happy and satisfied. Because they were ours.
@mannyestacio86583 жыл бұрын
I built all four of these carrier models at one time or another in the early to mid 70's, and even today I have an unbuilt reissue of the Aurora Saratoga (sister ship), as well as the retooled Revell Forrestal waiting for attention. I still have an original Forrestal model built for me in the mid 70's which I hope will sit next to the updated Forrestal as she was modified in the mid 80's. (It's my understanding that Revell altered its original molds to update the carrier, so there will no longer be any reissues of the ship as first built.) This video really brought me back to simpler times and wonderful memories. I'm glad I stumbled onto this video, and thank you for producing it!
@alantoon57083 жыл бұрын
And do not forget the USS Enterprise done by Aurora....
@mannyestacio86583 жыл бұрын
Yes, I still have that model sitting on my shelf! This video needs to be updated to mention the old Aurora model of CV-6 Enterprise from WWII ...
@raybin68733 жыл бұрын
That aircraft carrier operated heroically in WW2... it should've been preserved - not scrapped. 🇺🇲
@skipeb33 жыл бұрын
Thanks...enjoyed that. I also built models in the '50's back on Long Island. Really brings it all back. Thanks, again.
@markfrommontana3 жыл бұрын
Oh wow. Nostalgia time again for me especially when you presented the Aurora Forrestal. (My build didn't come close to the factory build, but I was still quite proud of it.) Thanks so much for another great presentation. Love these shows, Mike! PS: I really enjoy your signature sign off... "So there you have it". Yes, indeed we do.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Thanks, Mark!
@lrg38342 жыл бұрын
I'm impressed by the sheer number of unbuilt kits you have. I don't feel so bad now with mine! (Not a putdown, btw. Completely understand why.)
@sunguar3 жыл бұрын
Mike, I say it again. You could take every one your kits, do a video, and I'd watch that in a heartbeat. Finally, a expert in aviation who can comment on aviation related model kits (and of course the box art). Never built a carrier in my youth, but a great video nonetheless.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Appreciate the comment, thanks!
@johnosbourn43122 жыл бұрын
Hey Mike, when the Forrestal entered fleet service, she initially had one elevator located on the forward flight deck, right behind Cats-1, and 2, but, that was changed to the configuration shown in the model kit.
@CRUISOMATIC3 жыл бұрын
Amazing! Thanks for showing those two build-ups, it is rather interesting to see what the assembled kits actually looked like.
@glennweaver30143 жыл бұрын
Another excellent video Mike. The only carrier I ever built was the Revell USS Forrestal. A lot of model and a lot of money for my nine year old hands and piggy bank. In fact, I had to have some of the "big kids" help me out with some of the assembly of this very impressive model. I stuck to building mostly aircraft after that. Fabulous box art on those vintage kits too.
@johnplaninac99803 жыл бұрын
A very nice group of Targets. All kidding aside the Box art is just amazing and colorful. Interesting to see the jets with flame coming out and they are getting ready to land on the carrier.
@titiparisien59153 жыл бұрын
Wow, another super video! I own a Revell kit (original box, not assembled) of the Aircraft carrier "USS Wasp, Prime Recovery Vessel for Gemini", complete with Gemini capsule, Grummann S-2 Trackers and Sikorsky Sea King Helicopters. I keep it as it is as I am collecting all possible Space exploration-related toys and models. I hope that you will devote one or several of your videos to this super exciting topic.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Yes, in the works for this Summer!
@titiparisien59153 жыл бұрын
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Great! 👍 Thanks again for your great channel. I would dream of an equivalent here in Europe, with the same variety of experiences, gifts and talents that you have.
@jangelbrich70563 жыл бұрын
I love the way You present these mint condition kits!
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Many thanks!
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
@@dalecomer5951 Agreed!
@davep73083 жыл бұрын
Thank you sir
@Rob995523 жыл бұрын
That's a great presentation of these fascinating kits, thank you.
@ronjon7942 Жыл бұрын
The Cutlass! My favorite. There is evidently a warbird project of one in Mesa. The same engine that was the bane of the X-3 applies here. Laf, I think. I could stare at Cutlass photos all day. Sometimes I do.
@dave85993 жыл бұрын
I built the FDR and Forestall as a kid memory lane. my punk kid brother broke them all.
@teenagerinsac3 жыл бұрын
The USS Wasp was built in Quincy MA Fore River Shipyard during WW 2, and was also brought back to the same location when it was decommissioned. Got to see it in the 1970 time frame when my late uncle took us around the inner harbor on his outboard. At that time, the former USN Air Station at Squantum still had its old hangar being used as the storage part of the Then Boston Harbor Marina.
@teenagerinsac3 жыл бұрын
Wikipedia does place the ship in Boston during the fall of 1970 and I guess that was when we saw it there.
@AvengerII3 жыл бұрын
@@teenagerinsac That was the second Wasp (CV-18), an Essex-class carrier. The previous Wasp (CV-7) was a single-ship class. That one was sunk during World War II and the Paul Allen maritime research group found the wreck of CV-7 a few years ago. Its namesake (CV-18) was decommissioned in 1972 and scrapped in 1973. Most of the Essex class carriers were scrapped fairly quickly after they were decommissioned. A couple like the Bennington and Hornet survived for decades in reserve even though it was obvious they would be highly restricted in modern aircraft operations. If they had been reactivated, they would have likely been used as helicopter and V/STOL carriers.
@teenagerinsac3 жыл бұрын
@@AvengerII USS Hornet recovered Apollo 11 - Hornet plus 3 :)
@terryboehler57522 жыл бұрын
Loved it.
@woodychadick59053 жыл бұрын
Yep, had that cutlass.
@djburland3 жыл бұрын
Great info, I remember the best carrier kit I built as a teenager in the 60's was USS Oriskany
@jeffwhit49873 жыл бұрын
The flat bottom models were the best. That way I could split up my "Navy" into an enemy fleet and 'our' fleet. And place the enemy fleet at one end of the living room floor and the other fleet at the other end of the living room floor. And then I would make the sound effect from the movie "In Harms Way" (I believe) when the Japanese and American fleets began moving at each other for the sea battle. "Whaaa - waa Whaaa - waa Whaaa - waa" :-) Oh, and ya, the great naval battle had to take a time-out when it was time for Dad to watch the news. I'll betcha that Bull Halsey and Chester Nimitz never had to stop a major sea battle because their Dad's wanted to watch the news :-/ :-D
@johnwagner47763 жыл бұрын
I started assembling plastic model kits in '63 or '64 (with some initial help from my older brother.) Although I'm pretty sure I built a Monogram warship model (I think it was North Carolina BB-59) Revell was always my favorite. I built all four Revell Iowa's; the Arizona; Long Beach; Independence CVA-62; the Skipjack; the X-15, and others. I still don't know why Revell did Nautilus as a "Regulus" sub; and I was very upset that the Seawolf kit was exactly the same as the Nautilus kit (As I'm sure you know, Seawolf's sail was noticeably different.) I'll never forget the Revell artwork showing Independence in the East River with the Brooklyn Bridge in the background. I remember that so well because my Dad took us to visit Independence when she was at the Brooklyn Navy Yard for maintenance in 1962. Much respect for your detailed knowledge and love for the hobby!
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Thanks John, and I remember seeing the Independence at the Brooklyn Navy Yard from a Circle Line Sightseeing cruise around Manhattan in 1962. A majestic-looking carrier!
@johnwagner47763 жыл бұрын
@@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 What a great coincidence! I was only six when we visited Independence. We were living in Mott Haven at the time, and we took the 6 Train from 143rd down to City Hall Station, and then walked across the Brooklyn Bridge. (I'm pretty sure my Dad carried me part of the way.) (BTW: My dad was a NYC native and a Bennington CV-20 plankowner who saw combat in the Pacific in '45.) With that said: I'm digging around for the few surviving b&w pics of our visit to Independence in '62. The last time I saw them they were in rough shape and starting to fade, but I'll take pics of them with my phone and email them to you at whatever address you specify. Back in the 60's, my dad took us down to the west side every April for Fleet Week. (We moved to Yonkers in '63.) I have a few pics of those visits, which included Columbus CG-12; an Essex-class (sans hurricane bow); Newport News CA-148; the four DD's of STANAVFORLANT; and even SS United States.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
@@johnwagner4776 Great story, thanks, and to me, the coolest things about seeing all the great liners in the early sixties was how the sterns of the SS United States and SS France extended out past the ends of their piers on the Hudson! The Navy ships looked so spartan in all-Battleship Gray by comparison, but also "all business." Would love to see those photos whenever you find them: mikemachat@gmail.com.
@lancerevell59793 жыл бұрын
I built the Revell USS Midway kit as a kid, and would dearly like to find one again. This class, including the Franklin D. Roosevelt, had the first armored flight deck of American carriers, never wood. I have the Lindberg Cutlass on order now. I've built it years ago. It is the very early version, which was severely underpowered, and never saw operational use. The later version was virtually a different plane, larger and more powerful, eventually even mounting the early Sparrow missiles. This version is available as a kit but is really expensive. The ancient Lindberg kit does look good when finished.
@bosoerjadi2838 Жыл бұрын
This episode was far too short. I hope Mike will someday soon revisit the different model kits of Forrestal and Ranger.
@richardwillett3 жыл бұрын
I built then lindberg Wasp aka Lexington aka Yorktown aka Enterprise! I built it as the Lexington from Polar Lights. It still has the paper flight deck and still comes with all them Hellcats! I painted the canopys on all the planes and painted some a bit longer to make them look like a TBM Advenger! Lots of fun!
@chrispacer42313 жыл бұрын
Quite the AURORA STASH... I’m really starting to get into your channel / site... My favorite carrier kits... ARE ... the REVELL YORKTOWN SERIES USS YORKTOWN USS ENTERPRISE... really hard to find USS HORNET... which I have in original box art...GREAT VIDEO... from MAXSMODELS... Chris from Ohio
@chiconian493 жыл бұрын
Nice upload. I never bought any of these kits but they sure looked neat on the hobby shop display shelves. I had a 4 x 8 ft. Lionel layout in my bedroom and no room for models.
@whiskey11niner Жыл бұрын
Mike, I’ve never seen you before this video, but I must say you look exactly how I’d pictured you, 😂 keep it up with the great content btw
@celebratingaviationwithmik9782 Жыл бұрын
Many thanks!
@13stalag133 жыл бұрын
The USS Forrestal CVA-59 and USS Saratoga CVA-60 were actually laid down as straight deck carriers, and were modified to slant deck during construction.
@finlayfraser99523 жыл бұрын
I will tell you something Mike, the more you give, the more we will want from you!
@chrispacer42313 жыл бұрын
I had the REVELL USS SARATOGA...
@billeaton26513 жыл бұрын
I recently bought original Lindberg FJ Fury and Hellcat kits in that beautiful blue plastic and have been tempted to build them and not paint them.
@tonerotonero13753 жыл бұрын
Love these time capsule unboxing. I just find hard to consider that you managed resisting the temptation to build these! In France, although I am 50, I never saw any Aurora in a shop. I loved the Monogram brand. Great channel, keep going sir.
@celebratingaviationwithmik97823 жыл бұрын
Many thanks!
@sugarhillsrr3 жыл бұрын
Very Interesting, thanks for posting, at that point in my modeling I was only interested in car models, sure missed out on some nice models !!!!!!!!!