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There are many decals for the main deck landing and takeoff positions and the safety markings and parking spots. Some of these decals are long and the builder may be advised to cut some of the longer ones in two for placement without damage. As always, clean the surface well with water and mild soap or cleaner to ensure all oils are removed. A possible initial spray of gloss coat is possible, but I have had good experience without that and so just cleaned what I had already painted.
   Then it was time to begin the landing area and take off area for the fixed wing aircraft. Please note, that the deck has these markings etched into it, but many of the dashes and lines have small potrusions for detail. These need to be sanded, ground, or cut away so the decals will lay flat on the surface and avoid portrusions and deformation of the decals. I accomplished this with an exacto knife and sand paper and then repainting those areas effected.
   With the deck markings and the detail thus far, it makes for some good looking close ups, for example, here's the Optical landing system along the outside edge of the deck. The railings and ladders are now all in place.  Next is to finish the props, propellers, and rudders, and then the big job of building, painting and detailing the airwing. I intend to have ten J-15 fighters, four KA-27 ASW Helos, three KA-31 AEW Helos, two Z-9 transport helos, and two Z-8 SAR helos along with a full compliment of deck equipment on the deck and visible in the hangar or on the elevators. So, once again, this is where I have gotten to date. My plan over the next few weeks is the following, and, as usual, I will update this posting as I go along: At that point I will be finished with my PLA Navy Carrier from Trumpeter. Then, I will build my priniple PLAN Escort for the carrier, Trumpeter's DDG-170, Lanshou Type 052C destroyer. This is the Chinese Arleigh Burke-like destroyer with PARS, battle management and VLS air defense missiles. After that, I will build Hobby Boss's PLAN SSN attack submarine, the PLAN SSN-405, ChangZheng5, a Type 091 Han class SSN, for escort duties. Then, rather than build the other three surface combatants (Trumpeter's DDG-168, Guangzhou; DDG-139, Ningbo; and FFG-570, Huangshan) as part of the Chinese Carrier Strike Group, I will build the initial portion of the US Navy Carrier Strike Group. That US CSG will be centered on Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS Enterprise, CVN-65. I will build Trumpeter's USS Bunker Hill, CG-52, and the Los Angeles Class attack sumbmarine (which I have already completed), Testor's SSN-764, USS Boise (It was actaully the San Juan, but I built and marked it as the USS Boise) which I have already completed.
   Then back to finish the Chinese CSG, and then finish the US CSG with the following five vessels: Trumpeter's DDG-82, USS Lassen an AEGIS destroyer, Trumpeter's USS Iwo Jima LHD-7, Trumpeter's USS Freedom, LCS-1, Cyber Hobby's USS Independence, LCS-2, Hobby Boss's USS Texas, SSN-775. I already have completed Tamiya's 1/350 scale USS New Jersey battleship to the late 1980s upgrade and modernization (with the Tomohawks, Harpoons, CIWS, and SH-60 helos). When a USS Gerald R. Ford comes out, I will add it to this group along with another AEGIS Cruiser and Burke DDG. Outside of the new Trumpeter Type 054A FFG-570 Huangshan which comes out in May (and which I have pre-ordered), I already have all of these vessels and the photo etch sets to go with them. I will post seperate postings/threads/pages for each build as I go through it. Once the US and PLAN groups are built, I intend on building complete Russian (centered on Trumpeter's Kuznetsov) and UK (centered on the HMS Queen Elizabeth if it is available, and if not then on Airfix.s HMS Illustrious) strike groups as well. Once the models are available, I'd like to build a Japanese group centered on their new 22DDH carrier and the Hyuga, an Italian Group centered on the Cavour, a French Group centered on the De Gaulle, a Spanish Group centered on the Jaun Carlos, and ultimatly an Australian Group centered on the new Canberra. If they ever build the models, an Indian group centered on either the Vikramaditya or their new ADS Carrier the Vikrant would also be nice. You can see all of these carriers at my site: All of these along with their escorts will be in 1/350 scale. Literally years worth of building. ...and most of their surface escorts at: AEGIS AND AEGIS-LIKE VESSELS OF THE WORLD Jeff Head
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