
I started on external fuel lines on my Hornet (CVS-12) in late November and it’s taken me six weeks to add the last section on the port side aft.
To avoid the catastrophic fuel line ruptures and fires that doomed the old Lexington and Wasp, the Essex class had externally-mounted gasoline lines running from aviation fuel tanks deep inside the ship, one forward and one aft. As a result, the ships have a network of lines that carry aviation fuel out the side of the hull, and then up the sides of the ship to the hangar and flight decks.

I did the starboard side and port side forward in November, but classwork has delayed me getting the last long stretches down the port side aft. But I marked their locations last night, and after I finished my remaining assignments today, I added them in .020 and .010 plastic rod this evening. I also added the platform for the 26’ motor whaleboat that’ll be added later. There’s a docking sponson that the fuel line will be rerouted around still to come (you can see it on Essex) but I can add that later.

This is my third time adding these to a SCB-27 ship – I’ve done it for the 1/540 CV-9 and 1/700 CV-31 shown above. The extra horizontal line, BTW, is a boat boom in stowed position.
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