--Originally Posted 7/14/13--

To explicitly lay out the "scratch-bashing" procedure used to provide PE (mostly strut-) details - so that these can be identically reproduced - is almost as difficult as figuring out and doing it in the first place. Detailed pictures are key - both for saving thousands of words and a clearer description, anyway - and so here, below, are exactly the PE snippets I found to work:


Wing "N"-Struts:

These shapes - two of which are indicated at top, in lavender - were cut from bottom rungs of the "Forrestal Deck Edge Antenna", as found - likewise outlined in lavender, at bottom - on the Gold Medal Models 1/540 scale "Midway/Forrestal/Essex" fret. Note it supplies up to 8 such identical "N"s - enough for four SOCs (or also Matt Stein Models F3Fs).

With a ruler, I attempted to measure the height of these parts, to be approximately 0.12" - bearing in mind that the only hand-tool really capable of measuring such tiny parts would be a micrometer. So my numbers could easily be off by 20-30% - which can be enough to throw off the fit (particularly of the upper wing). However these "N"s - whatever their true dimensions - are just the right size.

Also in this vein, note all these pictures (both above and below) are not orthographic, but instead shot at slight angles (to avoid overhead glare/reflections) - meaning that you can't measure absolutely accurate proportions from them. I did rectify them somewhat, digitally - so they are certainly in the ballpark, and clearly recognizeable - however you can't reliably get precise measurements by counting (these) pixels.

The above fret has two sections, of which that shown is the lower/bigger one. The other, smaller section also contained PE which was used, for:


Wingtip-Float Diagonal (inboard) Struts:

Click on Image to EnlargeThese were rectangles (top, again in lavender) cut from "One-Bar" railing, of which there is a single, full-width segment (bottom) included in the GMM 1/540 Midway/Forrestal/Essex fret. The long dimension of each chopped-out rectangle is approximately 0.11". This is a good 20-25% longer than it should be - however when installed the over-long struts don't detract, IMHO, from the appearance of the SOC.

As I worked up these examples, the above diagonal struts went on first - so that resin mounting pegs could then be removed. However now that these specific parts - and especially their (at least, approximate) key dimensions - are known, you can now start with bare wingtip floats - leaving off the resin peg(s) entirely - instead simply gluing on:


Wingtip-Float Vertical (outboard) Struts:

Click on Image to EnlargeThese tiny rectangles - approaching the limit of what my foreceps can even grip, while leaving one edge clear to dip in superglue - were chopped from (what I think are) float-net baskets (top), which are included abundantly on White Ensign Models' 1/600 Moskva fret (bottom). The height - that is, now, the short dimension - of each detached rectangle is approximately 0.03" - and the long dimension (whatever it measures, exactly) is a comfortable 70% or so of the chord of the SOC lower wing, to which it gets attached.

The most (surprisingly) difficult-to-find PE shapes were finally located on another GMM fret, providing:


Main Pontoon Struts and Bracing:

Click on Image to EnlargeThese "open hour-glass"-shaped pieces (top, in lavender) were cut from X-bracing labeled "Taiho" (for the IJN CV) on the GMM 1/500 IJN Carriers fret (bottom). I cut each leaving one end open (aft, on the SOC) to preserve access to a resin mounting-peg, still needing to be removed. But now that you know the part - and I'll tell you its height (short dimension) measures somewhere around 0.09" - your need for any mounting peg, and thus to leave an open aft end, is eliminated - and you can use the full hour-glass shape to provide both front- and back main pontoon struts, in one go.

Note, however, that the above Taiho bracing will provide only 4 such complete hour-glass pieces - enough for only two planes. However also note that immediately adjacent on the fret are X-braces (apparently for Ryujo, or possibly additional parts for Taiho) appearing extremely similar - probably enough so to use for (in toto, at bottom) 8 more, on a full quartet of aircraft.

All the above are workable solutions - as good or better than any others I think one is likely to find. However I am not yet satisfied (at least, not enough to devote time to making a graphic presentation here) with the one type of strut remaining:


Fuselage (-to-top-wing) Struts:
A solution for these is simply not yet "ready for Prime-Time" - but I will keep you posted.

Likewise, I am also missing a graphic - though one is not really needed - for:


Two-Bladed Propellers:
These I chopped from 4-bladed aircraft propellers of the Gold Medal Models 1/500 USN Naval Ships fret - which contains exactly four of them - so now there are none left on the fret, to show you. However the bashing couldn't be simpler: just chop off opposing blades - while of course protecting the central mounting ring - to leave a two-bladed prop. Note another source stock of 4-bladed props - lots of them - is presented by the smaller section of the GMM Midway-Forrestal-Essex fret, mentioned earlier. Their blades are longer than those on the above GMM 500-scale Naval Ships fret - so you will need to (at least) be careful the final pieces look like they will clear the SOC's main pontoon - however chopping back the tips a bit, as needed, shouldn't present any particular difficulty.

I hope the above is helpful. Again, I will definitely keep updating/posting, as any more/better options come to light.

Cheers,

-Matty