Turning Battleships into Aircraft Carriers

In this episode we're at the wall of ships with a model of Akagi.
To get your own Akagi:
www.buildcobi....
To send Ryan a message on Facebook: / ryanszimanski
To support the museum and this channel, go to:
battleshipnewjersey.org/videofund
The views and opinions expressed in this video are those of the content creator only and may not reflect the views and opinions of the Battleship New Jersey Museum & Memorial, the Home Port Alliance for the USS New Jersey, Inc., its staff, crew, or others. The research presented herein represents the most up-to-date scholarship available to us at the time of filming, but our understanding of the past is constantly evolving. This video is made for entertainment purposes only.

[@nomar5spaulding]

Any time you want to do the 10 hour long Grand Fleet of Models Review, just know that we're here for it, and also extremely jealous of your most manly and impressive collection of super cool toy boats.

[@nyrmetros]

Cobi!

[@davelewandoski4292]

Looking forward to The Wall if Ships video!

[@MrDowntemp0]

That funnel is wild!

[@emmgeevideo]

I just finished reading "Shattered Sword: The Untold Story of the Battle of Midway". It tells the story of the battle primarily from the Japanese perspective. The authors reach far back in Japanese history to explain the origins of Japanese militarism and the roots of the Japanese navy and its core doctrines. They discuss the origins of the Akagi and the other fleet carriers and the smaller carriers. It is a worthy book to read in general but especially if you're interested in details of Japanese carriers. It also discusses the sunset of the battleship as the main naval asset as the doctrines of both sides to use carriers as the main naval assets were still in their infancy. Fascinating read.

[@F-Man]

Last time I was this early, the Pentagon was still considering a New Jersey battlecarrier conversion!

[@godlugner5327]

Jesus 4 hour old comment, video premiered 25 minutes ago 😂

[@larrybrown1824]

You can make a boy grow up...but the boy's heart lives on forever in his toys! :-) If I didn't build models as a hobby, I'd be looking into that Big E Cobi kit myself!

[@DeadBeatDaddy64209]

Just built it myself. You should get it, give into the urge.

[@whatever8282828]

I appreciate Ryan's infectious enthusiasm!

[@JedTheRedd]

You have Brick Models? This channel just got even cooler for me!

[@40sBlockProductions]

The cobi wall 😮😮

[@CaptainSkillfull]

bro got a whole ass fleet

[@wolftamer5463]

@@CaptainSkillfullIt looks amazing

[@SimulatedEarthboundMisfit]

Love it when you geek out on brick built ships.

[@JadaFinistair]

Ryan, I love the wall of ships. I like to build Cobi models also.

[@nyrmetros]

Cobi!

[@richardsweeney197]

When I was a kid, I think it was Nitto of Japan which made a much later "Half carrier" conversion of an Iowa class along the lines of Ise and Hyuga. I can't get at it at the moment, but it had the rear main turret removed and a raised flight deck with a jump jet deck. The model carried harriers.

[@scale_model_apprentice]

It was Nichimo, it's a 1:900 scale model.

[@richardsweeney197]

@@scale_model_apprentice Yes, sorry I misidentified it, Thank You!

[@christianvalentin5344]

The Iowa class CV conversion might’ve happened if we had lost all 3 Yorktown class CVs at Midway. But emphasis on might. A likely scenario would be more cruiser conversions into CVLs if it could get flight decks into the fleet.

[@Tuck-Shop]

Cobi needs to sponsor Ryan. They are going to sell so many

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

they do.

[@MT-ni1id]

I bought the Cogi Iowa class battleship because of this video. Very cool.

[@ahseaton8353]

There were a couple of "hidden conversions" on the American side. The Midway Class of heavy carriers were built on the same hull and machinery of the unbuilt Montana Class battleships. Going in the other direction, the Alaska Class "Very Heavy" cruisers (battlecruisers?) were built on the same hull and machinery as the Essex Class aircraft carriers.

[@jacobdill4499]

The Alaskas are officially large cruisers. Also, while they use the same machinery, the hull is not the same shape. They are shorter in length & height. Regarding the Midway class, the arrangement of the machinery spaces was inspired by the montanas but the hull shape is different there as well. I wouldn't really call either a hidden conversion. Both are better explained as examples of reusing a design you are already happy with.

[@Lightman0359]

An interesting modeling project could be to build that Iowa/Essex Frankenship. It would be expensive, but get an Iowa and an Essex [the non-deluxe versions], build the bottom third of the Iowa, the top third of the Essex, and use the remains to follow the lines of the conversion proposal, the leftover bits can be used to modify future or extant models. You could even stream the build process, throwing in tidbits about what would have been done in the actual conversion process

[@Mjolnir117]

My favorite single ww2 vessel was also a conversion: Shinano.

[@RMSTitanicWSL]

One of the few full-on battleships to get converted. She was to be the third Yamato-class originally..... What a waste.......

[@mattguey-lee4845]

I would also note the carrier is one of the few with the tower on the port side.

[@kiphenry4684]

The horizontal exhaust duct (can’t really call it a “stack”) really looks weird. I’ve read that the exhaust smoke and gasses often got sucked back into the ship as well.

[@jeffreymullen4143]

Those models are really cool! Just looked at the Cobi link/website and I’m really impressed. Haven’t built a model kit in 40 years but I’m going to order a kit soon now Thanks for this episode.

[@thebigrog81]

World of war ships have added the “Iowa” class carriers. Great visual representation of a cool design.

[@ComfortsSpecter]

It’s so Beautiful Please Dear God; let Him talk about His models more Great work My Good Man

[@chrislongbeard]

Not a big brick builder. But have been working on my Tamiya New Jersey. Waiting on the wood deck and railing sets. I normally build 1/24 cars and trucks.

[@jochenreichl796]

I want a two or three video series of a drydock tour through the Skimansky vertical shipyard!

[@retireeelectronics2649]

Very nice wall of ships

[@seafighter4]

Part of growing up is learning that Lego is a company with a really strong anti-consumer corporate philosophy. Luckly nowadays, there are good competitors out there.

[@bionicgeekgrrl]

Whist not perfect by any means, Battlecruiser and Battleship conversions were a decent use of a hull that would otherwise likely have been scrap under the naval agreements prior to the start of WW2 and in the case of the British they had quite a few obsolete ships they had to retire under the naval treaty, and conversions were a bit of a loop hole in the treaties in terms of having tonnage on the seas. Obviously purpose build were much better in a number of ways, but a lot of lessons with those earlier conversions were learned that fed into later designs.

[@buglepong]

the little planes are so cute

[@RMSTitanicWSL]

I'd often wondered why some of the WW2 carriers had those funky "porches" at each end under the flight decks.....

[@Buck1954]

Cool models! Would have loved these when I was younger. No place to display them now.

[@borisbadaxe9678]

Very considerate of the Japanese to paint a big bullseye on their aircraft carriers 😊

[@benmiland5245]

Nice dad joke.

[@jackeyboy6538]

@@benmiland5245dad joke? Bro this a great grandad joke!

[@mammutMK2]

And the Germans painted giant angled X on their ships, directly over the rudder

[@HongyaMa]

Tried "Magic Spoon" cereal - It tastes great... I give it 4 out of 5 curators

[@kopazwashere]

Alt reality where USN lost battle of midway, and navy was going nuts trying to find ship hulls that they can turn into a carrier! lol

[@NFS_Challenger54]

Hey, Ryan, curious question. If you could, would it be possible to build USS Montana using 2 Cobi Kits Iowa-class battleships? When you said modifications, my mind started to think.

[@lionheartx-ray4135]

One of my Biggest What if, What if HMS Hood was built into an Aircraft Carrier.

[@captaincharlemagne]

Good video kinda sad to not see what the Lexington-class battlecruisers could have been. But definitely enjoyed the video sir

[@seantu1496]

I love and respect the video's you put out, but from the perspective of naval history, would love it if you created another channel about the history and what was being done and the decisions that were made. As a first video, do one on Emden and Yubari. For the Washington treaty conversions, you could have posted the general plans for the Lexingtons and for Wasp, the plans are on the Internet, and you can see how Wasp's hanger deck is about the same size as Lexingtons, on a lot less displacement for the same power for the air group.

[@richtidd]

Ryan. You have done a great job in documenting the dry docking in vid form, but do you plan on doing a vid re the aftermath of dry docking as in showing all the documentation in paper, pictures, vids, etc that will be around for future? Showing the letters, forms, handwritten notes etc. showing how they are arranged, accessed and stored etc.

[@solarusthelonghaulerrailfa3226]

And don’t forget about the Great Lakes aircraft carrier’s the wolverine & the sable 😉👍

[@wolftamer5463]

Akagi and Kaga: the floofy carrier foxes

[@andromedazoowitski5903]

Hey Ryan - have you done a video on the Cobi IOWA class?

[@lukasstrne3780]

Screw the haters!!... very cool!😊😊

[@henrycarlson7514]

Interesting , Thank You

[@KenR1800]

Do I hear Trooper begging for a cookie at the end? That sounds like a beagle stamping its feet!

[@AvengerII]

Cobi also sells a "MiG-28" licensed TOP GUN kit, too!

[@AvengerII]

I see "Admiral Szimanski" bought the USS Enterprise/CV-6 kit already!

[@ReisskIaue]

I am a little surprised that you did not mention the IJN Shinano, that was a converted from the third Yamato-class hull (and it seemed to have most, if not all, design flaws that you listed, of course it didn't help either that she was sunk by an American sub on its very first journey).

[@ut000bs]

Ryan, I read somewhere the shields on the starboard side aft 25mm were simply for shielding from stack gases and removable. I'll have to research it. I may be mixing up Japanese carriers. Imagine an Iowa carrier conversion with the engineering spaces now containing two nuclear reactors.

[@Mustapha1963]

The British were the pioneers of this back in 1917. Jacky Fisher, who served as First Sea Lord on more than one occasion, had some revolutionary ideas, such as the first all-big gun battleship HMS Dreadnought. But he also had some rather...."fanciful".....ideas as well. He envisioned an invasion of Germany through the Baltic Sea, and he knew he would need big gun ships to pull it off. The problem was that the Baltic Sea was rather shallow in places, so his dreadnoughts wouldn't be able to freely operate there. He hit upon the idea of "large light cruisers"- ships with 4 15" guns (or 2 18" guns) on a displacement of about 18,000 tons and 30+ knot speed. Sounds great...until you realize that, to have that sort of armament and speed would mean building a ship that was virtually unarmored. Yet he pressed ahead and the results were the Courageous, Glorious and Furious. Not surprisingly, the ships proved all but worthless and, when the Baltic Sea invasion plan was finally put on the shelf, there was no real purpose for the ships. That is, until the idea to convert them into aircraft carriers formed. After a few false starts that resulted in multiple rebuilds and refits, the three ships gave excellent service as carriers, especially in the early stages of World War 2 as flattops were at a premium.

[@ParabellumHistory]

Hey Ryan, where I can read more about that potential Iowa class convertion into a carrier? One of Norman Friedman's books perhaps?

[@dannyhonn973]

Ok, Ryan. Any conversion that wasnt done, that you think shouldve,been done? Or a conversion done that you think shouldnt?

[@West_Coast_Mainline]

Cobi my goat

[@pastorjerrykliner3162]

It would have been interesting to discuss IJS Shinnano, the completed Yamato class conversion... Though, ironically she is sunk by a submarine...

[@yankeefist9146]

Still think they should have taken the Kentucky and Illinois and made a pontoon aircraft carrier. 300 planes, fast and dang, that just have been a sight to see!

[@stuartwald2395]

You mean as a catamaran?

[@blshouse]

USS Killtuckinois?

[@yankeefist9146]

@stuartwald2395 yes!

[@michaelpiatkowskijr1045]

The positive in using the Iowa class as an aircraft carrier is that could be converted like the Midway and not have near the problem of the Midway. Two huge problems is in the bow. The carrier would nose dive a lot. The second is nearly a third of the hull is going to be dead space unable to carry aircraft. The biggest positive is the armored hull would give it the weight to support the armored deck and it should be more stable.

[@jacobdill4499]

The midway class carriers were never converted. They used a machinery layout inspired by the Montana class but they were designed as carriers from the start.

[@michaelpiatkowskijr1045]

@@jacobdill4499 when I used like, I was referring to the angled deck conversions. With the Iowa conversion retaining their armored belt, the weight would still be lower than the Midways making them a bit more stable. The question is what would the bow do? Would they have had an enclosed bow to start with? If I remember correctly, there was a consideration to convert the Illinois to an aircraft carrier towards the end of the war or right after it. Maybe the Kentucky as well?

[@scrapperstacker8629]

Great video

[@ericclaptonsrobotpilot7276]

Let’s get Ryan a makeover. Make him into a true Chad Battleship enjoyer.

[@alexsystems2001]

I love your videos! 😊💙

[@AlanRogers250]

I would think that the Akagi, for one, was lost due to her armored belt retaining the explosions within the hull instead of from the outside.

[@jamesmoore869]

Does #BattleshipNewJersey Have a wall of New Jerseys? Might be a great thing❤

[@Jimorian]

Fuzzy memory, but I believe Ryan did do a video about all of the different New Jersey models they have on hand on the ship, but only a couple of them are able to be displayed properly and safely under glass. They're cool, but also dust magnets and so very fragile, especially if they have to be moved often. (Edit: Tried to scan through the videos to find it, but I think he was doing a different story, but just happened to be in the storage room with the models, and briefly mentioned them and why they weren't on display. This ring a bell with anybody?)

[@JasonN2003]

Cheers!

[@mammutMK2]

Next level is the aircraft carrier graf Zeppelin how it was before they started taking it apart again for parts and guns 😂

[@dannyhonn973]

I think Lex and Sara were the best conversions. Whats your opinion of the Independence class? A light cruiser to a light fleet carrier.

[@KnightRanger38]

Lex and Sara might be the best inter-war (or treaty) conversions while the Independence class likely was the best cruiser to light carrier conversion.

[@c1ph3rpunk]

A battleship converting into a carrier, sounds like the beginning of a Marvel movie. Hey, why can’t we have full size transformers? Optimus Jersey!

[@kiankier7330]

could you try to see if it is possible to make a model of New Jersey if she was turned into a Aircraft Carrier? I do remember reading there was talk about it

[@ROBERTNABORNEY]

USS Shiloh, USS Gettysburg, USS Monmouth , USS Yellow Tavern

[@RayFromTexas1]

As of 7:19pm eastern time 22 July 2024, both Akagi sets are sold out!

[@Wannes_]

Those Zeros look more like a Brewster Buffalo

[@tomhenry897]

Think the battleship admirals is why the conversion wasn’t done

[@chexquest87]

What did you do to modify your Enterprise kit?

[@rayparker7496]

Hi Ryan where do you get your models from

[@phil_nebula676]

My favorite aircraft carriers are post-ww2 the USS Constellation (CVA-64), later CV-64 the 2nd Kitty Hawk-class aircraft carrier. Why CV-64 over Kitty Hawk? Due to Connie being the last West Coast (Pacific Fleet), carrier to operate the F-14 with Carrier Air Wing Two (CVW-2), during its final deployment in 2003. Would like to make a scale model of it someday along with the USS Nimitz (CVN-68) during the battle of pearl harbor (The final Countdown).

[@johnpublic5169]

Caprica and the other colonies built battlestars that could launch Vipers.

[@paulg2132]

Do you know of any challenges with the conversion due to the apparent higher center of gravity?

[@kmoecub]

Flight decks are a lot lighter than they appear. The big gun turrets weigh more, and since they aren't on the ship...

[@marymartin4266]

like a kid with his toys

[@Knight6831]

The only battleship carrier conversions were HMS Eagle, IJN Shinano, IJN Kaga and Bearn and all in 1 way or another showed why battleship hulls were terrible choices for conversions

[@Norbrookc]

Both Lexington (CV-2) and Saratoga (CV-3) were battlecruisers converted into carriers.

[@shinjiikari1021]

What about battlecarrier conversions? Such as ise

[@sirboomsalot4902]

Huh, TIL Eagle was a battleship conversion.

[@sirboomsalot4902]

@@NorbrookcWhich tended to be better as they could at least make good speed

[@rogerlevasseur397]

As Shinano was far along being built as a battleship and time was short, the conversion started "as is", no gutting out stuff to make it a better carrier. Kept the armor that was mostly installed to that point.

[@timothyhouse1622]

Debatable that the Independence class were the "most successful" of the conversions. The Bogue Class of Escort carriers were merchant ship conversions and they built 45 of those. They weren't as capable as the following Casablanca class that was designed keel up as an escort but they were pretty effective in the Battle of the Atlantic against U boats.

[@jacobdill4499]

In some ways, the Sangamon class could be considered the best conversion. There were only 4 but all were converted oilers so they could carry a lot of fuel, they could carry up to 32 planes (second most of the escort carriers), had the longest flight deck of all the escort carriers, and all 4 survived the pacific.

[@josephspringsteen6008]

Question not about models. I visited USS Alabama, and there are circular 6 inch about 4 foot off the floor. The objects with holes in them in a lot of the rooms what are they

[@matthewwolff3729]

I guess Illinois and Kentucky could've been converted but they chose not to.

[@JeffEbe-te2xs]

War was ending Didn’t need more carriers

[@lasagna678nerfmods]

Gosh don't tell World of Warships Legends that there were more hybrid battleship designs out there

[@libraeotequever3pointoh95]

I like my Ise. 😊

[@johns1039]

Are those models like Legos?

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Yes

[@johns1039]

@@BattleshipNewJersey Wow, thanks.

[@JeffEbe-te2xs]

Interesting Surprised it didn’t happen after we lost 2 fleet carriers

[@bigsarge2085]

⚓

[@Todd-p4t]

Look at Shinano. It was too late for the conversion, maybe should have just built her out

[@davidspencer8373]

Like video

[@upthebracket26]

@6.20 - he didn't mod that bit, he just lost the piece ;)

[@oldhifi8820]

Is Trooper a cat or a dog? Just curious. On other channels the pets sometime photo bomb them. The History Guy is one that comes to mind. It adds something to a video. Almost like the age old practice of having ships cats on ships up until after WW2. When i was growing up in the 50's & 60's I used have a bunch of the small ship models that were available, I had one of the New Jersey. Also had a few others like destroyers and cruisers and a few sailing ships.I enjoy watching the channel and especially the new things like the laser rust and paint remover that Drachinfel demoed(also a fan of his channel) and the video on the laser printed 16" shell that could be disassembled to show the individual components and how they fit together. Laser printing various items that are unobtainable would be a way to fill the holes and gaps where these items would be. The first thing I think of the is electrical racks of equipment with missing equipment. I think it would be fairly easy to replicate realistic looking face plates to fill in the missing equipment. Probably other technologies will be developed in the future that would help with ship conservation and restoration.

[@pruittiii]

Trooper is a dog - a Beagle to be specific.

[@danquigg8311]

Not laser printed, 3D printed.

[@MrJeep75]

Lexington cv16 was a converted ship

[@bobmartin4942]

No, CV2 Lexington was a conversion. From battlecruser to aircraft carrier.

[@Forkisdeath]

You mean CV2, lexington?

[@carol7311]

I will say this Ryan is lucky the fox Akagi ain't here

[@libraeotequever3pointoh95]

Azur Lane Grey Ghost will protect Ryan. 😊

[@DavidSmith-cx8dg]

From the photo she certainly wasn't hard to spot with all that exhaust coming out the side . The models look like Lego which removes the need for adhesive so I guess they would be good for youngsters , or and oldie whose hands and eyes aren't as good as they were .

[@glennac]

“Fun for all ages!” Though these would not be considered toys.

[@fishua5564]

Dog tax!

[@fredsafarowic3149]

Enterprise vs Japan.

[@cowtailcalvin]

Why would they comply

[@richardfredericks4069]

? Why not get true model kits that require glue, painting, decals....there are a lot of metal pieces that can be gotten to enhance those types of kits...just asking

[@garywayne6083]

Different form of construction and enjoyment. Model kits get tedious to some and these are more fun to pop together. Personal preference

[@AndyAshworth-h6w]

thanks uss Robyn (hms victorious) it wasn't needed

[@pauly260]

3rd! Wooty woot!

[@mriley4955]

Looks like a Lego kit

[@garywayne6083]

Similar but Lego won't make military stuff like this. I have built a bunch and they are just as nicely made IMO and a lot cheaper than Lego too

[@Knight6831]

Title for the video comes off as misleading as Akagi was a battlecruiser not a battleship

[@BattleshipNewJersey]

Were also talking about NJ

[@merlinwizard1000]

2nd, 22 July 2024

[@michaeldantoni4292]

I thought those were actual scale model kits. That looks like a toy or some Lego crap. I've lost faith in you Ryan 😢

[@Plaprad]

They're similar to Lego. Pretty good kits if you can afford them. But well worth it. Knew a guy who did models and his kid wanted to get into it. Instead of hard to build models, he got a few of these so him and his kid could build them together. Great bonding for them.

[@sirboomsalot4902]

We will not stand for this Cobi disrespect

[@jacobdill4499]

The cobi kits are to scale.