A few years ago I was looking through Fine Scale Modeler magazine and saw a 1/72 USS Enterprise and was awed by the workmanship. Some two years later I saw another USS Enterprise in 1/720 scale by Revell in her 1961 configuration. I was also awed at the work and decided to try and build a carrier.

Being a 1/48 scale aircraft guy and having limited experience in building ships I proceeded cautiously. I decided that with my limited space I have I would do a carrier in 1/720 scale. I wanted to do the aircraft carrier Enterprise since my cousin was stationed aboard and I have been aboard a couple times. I began with photos from various sources and then my cousin let me borrow his cruise book. 1998 Desert Fox cruise was of interest to me so I decided to build the Enterprise at that time. This was January of 2001. The Revell kit is the only Enterprise kit in that scale around. So I bought alot of evergreen and plastruct styrene rods and Goldmedal model photo etch sets. Later I would get both Skywave and Fujimi aircraft sets along with a Skywave weapons set to detail out the ship.

The biggest challenge of building the carrier was the island. The Revell kit has her older honeycomb-box structure. The island was rebuilt in 1982 and along with the rest of the carrier has seen numerous changes since then. I started with some plans using references from photos and cruisebooks and the Tamiya 1/350 and ARII 1/800 scale models. It took me three attempts before I felt that the island was just right. I made a makeshift low detail hanger bay.. really nothing detailed. I completely
removed the catwalks from the original kit and rebuilt them using the styrene. Some of the sponsons were borrowed from Italeri carrier kits and also all the liferaft capsules. Other modifications were made included a new "bustier" upper bow and a stern dock. In additional I had to add the arresting wires.

This was my real first time scratchbuilding alot of things and also doing some kitbashing. The "TILLY" crane has been updated. Enterprise had participated in the opening strikes against targets in Afganistan and conducted some 800 combat missions. Wanting to keep her up to date, I finished the model as she was in her 2001 Mediterranean/Persian Gulf/Arabian Gulf tour.