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Starboard flight deck top view, flat-top painted overall dark grey acrylic, landing striped painted black acrylic. White outlines painted in white acrylic, embedded black stripes are handed painted with black ink marker. Middle yellow-white landing stripes are white acrylic with yellow decals.
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Model shows three starboard and one port flight elevators. WW2-era carriers usually had two elevators near carrier bow and stern areas. However 1944-1945 Imperial Japan "kamikaze" suicide plane attacks targeted these elevators, for knocking out one elevator would in effect disable carrier ability to launch and recover airplanes. Postwar design moved the elevators to the side to circumvent this vulnerability. Kamikaze - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kamikaze
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Rollover : Bow view, with two F-4 Phantom jets at twin launch pads. In WW2, plane launch catapults were powered by hydraulics. Advent of 1950-era jet age, more power was needed to literally throw planes into the air. Hence, hydraulic system was replaced by compressed steam. Aircraft catapult - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steam_catapult
- Kitty Hawk is second US naval vessel to bears its name, first one was WW2 cargo and aircraft transport vessel designated AKV-1. The ship was a civilian vessel named SS Seatrain New York, more or less drafted by US Navy in 1941 and deployed to Pacific frontlines including Hawaii islands, Midway, Guadalcanal. She was returned to civilian owners in 1946. USS Kitty Hawk (AKV-1) - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Kitty_Hawk_%28AKV-1%29
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