1:350 US Aircraft Carrier CV-8 Hornet Wooden Deck (for Trumpeter 05601)

Wooden flight deck 1:350 for USS Hornet CV-8

This product is an accessory, not a model. Artwox Model supplies a thin wooden veneer with printed plank laying and a self-adhesive backing, which is laid on the plastic flight deck of the kit. On an aircraft carrier this is the largest continuous area of the whole model, so it is exactly here that the difference between engraved plastic and real wood shows most. The accessory is cut for one particular kit, Trumpeter 05601; check before buying that you have the same variant.

A large area needs a plan

A flight deck is long and narrow, so it is not simply a matter of sticking it down but of keeping the symmetry along its whole length. Dividing the work into sections works well: lay the veneer on dry and mark the center and a few reference points along the axis on the plastic in pencil. Only then start taking the covering film off, and start from the middle. Anyone who starts at the bow or the stern usually collects a few tenths of a millimeter of deviation, which shows at the other end as a visible overhang.

Gluing and fine-tuning the surface

Uncover the film in sections only and lay the material gradually, so that no air is closed in under it. Press from the center line out to the sides with a soft cloth; any bubble can be forced out while the adhesive is fresh. Trim the openings for the elevators and the passages for the superstructures with a sharp knife only after gluing, guiding it lightly along the edge of the plastic. Deck markings go onto wood best by spraying through masks or with a fine brush, as a decal holds worse on veneer. Finally fix the surface with matte varnish.

Who the set is worth it for

• Builders of 1:350 aircraft carriers who are bothered by flat engraved plastic.
• Modelers who want to save hours of shading individual planks.
• For a display case, where the model is seen from above and the deck dominates the view.
• As a first step toward further refining the model with photo-etched parts.

This is not a kit. The base model, glue and paints are not included in the package.