Model comes with 64 accessory pieces

Emblem on front of island is finely replicated


#4 Elevator on forward port side

Details on underside of flight deck, port side near landing lights

Sponson with Sea Sparrow missile launcher near port stern

Crane near # 3 Elevator (starboard aft)

Development of the Forrestal Class, the USN's first super carriers, represented many significant improvements over previous carrier designs. The Forrestal class was the first designed specifically to operate jet aircraft and were built with an angled deck to permit simultaneous take-offs and landings. The revolutionary design became the basis for all future US aircraft carriers.

Additional other firsts were an armored flight deck; an enclosed hurricane bow (to shield from jet blasts); steam-powered catapults; and four deck-edge elevators (one additional elevator).

The Forrestal flight deck had a different layout from later aircraft carriers in that the Forrestal island was placed closer to the bow (moved further aft in later carriers). Also, the starboard elevator configuration on the Forrestal class is "one elevator forward and two aft". This was changed to "two elevators forward and one aft" on later carrier classes.

On the port side, the Forrestal number four elevator is forward of the two waist catapults while on later carriers that elevator is aft of the waist catapults.

Those elevator changes, combined with the island re-location, were done on later carriers  to provide a more efficient flight deck management.

The Navy originally planned eight ships of the Forrestal class. However, after building the first four ships (which comprise the Forrestal class), the last four ships (CV-63 to CV-66) had incorporated the island/elevator re-locations and other improvements from the original Forrestal design - so much so that the last four ships were designated as the separate Kitty Hawk Class.

Photography by Action Asia Photo
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