CVL-72 Francis Underwood

USS CVL-72 Francis Underwood

Minicraft
1/700

Spruance-Class Carrier "Francis Underwood", CVL-72, October 2016

Manufacturer: Minicraft

Scale: 1/700

Additional parts: scratch build parts, parts from spare part box, Trumpeter aircraft

Model build: Apr - Sep 2014

What-If Modelers

Ghost of the Gulf: The Last Flight of the CVL-72

The October sun beat down on the ancient carrier, the CVL-72 "Francis Underwood." It was the sole survivor of its class, the Spruance-class light carriers. While its contemporaries - the sleek Nimitzes and hefty Ticonderogas - dominated the headlines, the "Frankie" remained a workhorse, a relic of the Cold War thrust into a new era of conflict.

Captain Nadia Alizadeh adjusted her cap, the salt spray a familiar kiss on her weathered face. The "Frankie" was nearing retirement, whispers of its decommissioning swirling amongst the crew. But for Nadia, every deployment mattered. This patrol in the Persian Gulf was no different. Tensions had been simmering since a drone strike targeted a key Iranian general. The air crackled with anticipation.

Then, the alarms blared. Missiles. Multiple inbound. Nadia's heart hammered against her ribs. The "Frankie" wasn't designed for a full-blown air war, but its Harriers were its pride and joy. Four nimble jets, primed for short takeoffs and vertical landings, were the ship's only defense.

Lieutenant Youngblood, the hotshot pilot fresh out of flight school, taxied his Harrier to the deck edge. Fear gnawed at him, but Nadia's voice on the comms, calm amidst the chaos, steadied his nerves. "Youngblood, focus on your launch. We'll handle the rest."

Two missiles erupted in a fiery bloom, intercepted by the ship's ancient Sea Sparrow launchers. A third slammed into the flight deck, sending shrapnel raining down. Youngblood felt the deck shudder beneath him, his heart a drum solo in his chest. But his training kicked in. With a roar, his Harrier lurched forward, a defiant insect against the fiery backdrop.

One by one, the remaining Harriers launched, their pilots ghosts against the smoke-filled sky. Nadia watched, anxiety a cold fist in her stomach. Then, a flicker on the radar. An enemy fighter, sleek and menacing. Youngblood, the rookie, was the closest.

"Youngblood, engage!" Nadia's voice crackled.

A tense silence followed, broken only by the roar of the sea and the frantic chatter of the crew. Finally, a triumphant crackle. "One bandit down, Captain!" Youngblood's voice, laced with adrenaline, cut through the tension.

The battle raged on, a dance of missiles and countermeasures. The "Frankie," battered but unbowed, took a glancing blow on its side. Smoke billowed from a gash in its hull, but the old ship held firm.

Finally, the last enemy missile sputtered and died. The air grew thick with the stench of burnt metal and cordite. Nadia surveyed the scene - the smoldering flight deck, the limping Harrier taxiing back, Youngblood emerging from the cockpit, shaken but alive.

The "Francis Underwood" had taken a beating, but it had survived. As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow on the wounded ship, Nadia knew this might be its last stand. But for now, the ghost of the Gulf, the last Spruance-class carrier, had proven its mettle once more.

When the last of the 31 Spruance-class destroyers was completed in 1980, Ingalls Shipbuilding offered the US-Navy a sea control ship based on the Spruance design.
Being a light carrier with the capability to carry 5 AV-8A Harrier and one helicopter (or three helicopters and 2 Harriers), Ingalls Shipbuilding pointed out that the similarities to the Spruance-class destroyers would reduce the building and maintenance costs.

Therefore, the USN ordered a total of 22 of those ships which were delivered between 1985 and 1997, designated CVL 50 - CVL 72.

Besides their air wings, the ships were initially equipped with 2 × 5-inch (127mm) 54 calibre Mark 45 dual purpose guns, 2 × 20 mm Phalanx CIWS Mark 15 guns and 1 × 8 cell NATO Sea Sparrow Mark 29 missile launcher.
CVL65 - CVL 72 were also equipped with a A 61-cell Mark 41 VLS launcher for Tomahawk/ASROC missiles. As those ships nearly had the same armament than the original destroyer designs, the engines had to be reduced to only two General Electric LM2500 gas turbines, with a total of 40,000 shp which were able to propel the ship to 25 kn.

The CVLs were widely used around the globe and also took part in major USN operations since their commissioning. During Operation Desert Storm, CVL-54 was hit by an Iraqi missle while Harriers on the flight deck prepared for take-off. The missile impact caused several secondary explosions which lead to the loss of the ship.
In 2008, CVL-69 was rammed by an oil tanker in the Street of Hormuz after a major engine failure. Although being badly damaged, the ship could be saved.

While all Spruance-class destroyers were decommissioned by 2005, the Spruance-class carriers were activly used much longer. By 2016, only the first 8 ships were mothballed, the rest is still in active duty.

The model shows the last commissioned ship of this class, the CVL-72 "Francis Underwood" in October 2016.

The model is based on a 1/700 scale Minicraft kit. The superstructure was build using the original one, but making it much narrower. Flight deck and hull extensions were made from polystyrol plates.
The aircraft are made by Trumpeter, the helicopter and some of the armament comes from the spare part box. The model was airbrushed with Revell Aqua color and additional PE parts & crew form Eduard was added.
Antennas were made form EZ-Line.

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