Huge model of battleship USS Missouri under construction in California

Friday, 09 December 2011 16:39 Written by Joe Follansbee

Ships - Warships - World War II

A team of professional model-makers in Yorba Linda, Calif., is building a 28-foot replica of the battleship USS Missouri, which fought in World War II and is now a museum ship. The group at V-CAT Naval Models is using a technique called "stereolithography," assisted by specialized computer-aided design software from SolidWorks of Waltham, Mass., to build an operational model of the warship for displays in museums and educational sites.

"Battleships like the Missouri bring waves of emotion to people. Seeing these floating parts of history conjures memories of sadness, joy and wonder," said Donn McKinney, who's leading the V-CAT team. "My goal is to bring living history to those people and cities who feel connected to these now almost mythical battle ships."

According to a news release, McKinney's early versions of the project have included an 18-foot wooden ship, and a similar-sized steel ship. The latest rendition of the project is a 28-foot replica that features radar and fully operational scaled weapons. McKinney adding a system that will allow presenters to give full military orders to the vessel and receive an immediate response.

"When these ships were first built, they were termed as 'the most complicated moving man-made objects on Earth.' Indeed they were and continue to stand as great feats of engineering," McKinney said. Once Missouri is completed, he plans to build working models of the three other Iowa-class battleships, USS New Jersey, USS Iowa, and USS Wisconsin.

Launched in 1944, the Missouri saw action in World War II, and it was the site of the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay. Mothballed after participating in the Korean War, Missouri was refitted in the 1980s with Tomahawk cruise missiles, which it launched against targets in Iraq in Operation Desert Storm in 1991. Today, it is a museum ship in Pearl Harbor.

Read a review of a history of the Japanese battleship Yamato.