by Steve Wiper of Classic
Warships
reviewed by Timothy Dike |
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| The Ticonderoga was the the first of the second generation
of Essex class aircraft carriers, known as a "Long Hulled Essex". They
are often referred to as the Ticonderoga Class as they were improved from
the original Essex class. This book focuses on that lead ship, and covers
her in depth from her building to her final configuration. As with his
other books Steve Wiper has researched the best photo's of the ship, many
never seen in print before. There are many excellent close ups that not
only show the details, but in some cases are labeled to identify the parts. |
click to
enlarge images |
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| The are 16 color photo's included that will be an excellent painting
guide for anyone building a model of this ship. The photo's are high quality
and they follow the ship throughout her entire career. |
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| The Tico was refitted after the second world war and was reclassified
as CVA-14. This book illustrates her SCB-27C conversion with the addition
of an angled deck and new island configuration. Later in the book, the
SCB-125 conversion is covered The photos are all well captioned so the
important features of the photographs are noted. |
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| UNREP shots with close-ups of the rigging and equipment
are another great feature. Hanger deck shots and close-ups of the details
of the ship are shown throughout. There are many photo's that show the
aircraft being handled and armed, with plenty of crew shots.
There are also many images of the aircraft that operated on the Tico
over her career. The original WW2 aircraft are featured as well as the
Skyhawks and Crusaders. Reclassified as CVS-14 the Tico operated Trackers
and Tracers. There is also coverage of the Apollo and Skylab recovery missions.
A list of the aircraft squadrons is included in the back of the book. |
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| Conclusions:
 A
great book for anyone interested in the Essex or Ticonderoga class. This
book is 72 pages with 106 black & white photos, and 16 color
photos. A history and record of movement for the ship, and general
statistics throughout the years in a 8-1/4" x 11" soft book format.
With a retail price of $15.95 US this book is an excellent value and a
great addition to your Warship reference library.
Warship Pictorial #22 - USS Ticonderoga CV/CVA/CVS-14 ISBN #0-9745687-2-4
Links:
More Classic Warships books |
