Subject: SMML19/02/98VOL095 Date: 19th febuary, 1998 12:39 shipmodels@wr.com.au ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- INDEX 1: Re: USN .50 cal AA MG's 2: Re: whalers 3: Re: SMS Seydlitz 4: H.M.S. Sheffield Radar 5: AIRSTRIKE 1/700 HELOS 6: Re: USN .50 cal AA MG's 7: Re: .50 cal Brownings 8: 1/350 Scale Tall Ships 9: Whaling Ship Wanderer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: ALROSS2@aol.com Subject: Re: USN .50 cal AA MG's >> I'm hoping someone can fill me in on the proper configuration and types of .50 cal machine guns as carried by pre and early war USN ships. << The prewar mounts were water-cooled single mounts. They were mounted on tall conical pedestals which had a tubular "L" shaped backrest coming off the right side of the cradle. You can find a good photo of this mount on page 154 of Naval Weapons of WWII by John Campbell. Al Ross II ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: SantMin@aol.com Subject: Re: whalers Mark, I assume you are only talking about plastic kits (there are wooden kits for MORGAN). I was born in New Bedford (Where Morgan was built) and spent my youth between there and Mattapoisett (where Wanderer was built). I have the model of WANDERER on a shelf here and it was a pretty good model. I have not seen it available for many years except once in a while you will see one listed in the "kit collector" magazines, offered for something like your wife and first child. There is also a small (1/200) model on MORGAN currently available but it lacks detail. It is sold as "New Bedford Whaler" by Academy/Minicraft. If my memory is right, Revell had a MORGAN out at one time too. Bob Santos ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: witsie/ken mckelvy Subject: Re: SMS Seydlitz Stuart: I should be getting a commission from Taubman for this (second day in a row I've cited him). ;-) Anyway, Taubman carries a set of drawings for the Seydlitz in 1:200, 3-Sheets @ $35.00 (item #GB-06). I don't know whether or not they include hull lines, but should at least have transverse sections. You can obtain address/phone information at: http://www.seaways.com/mall/abe.html Ken McKelvy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Dave Carter Subject: H.M.S. Sheffield Radar Hi Aubrey, >> does anyone know what radar the Sheffield had at the time she was sunk. I have pictures of the ship with the 965 type radar and the 1022 type. << Sheffield never carried the later 1022 radar.. she was sunk carrying her 965 double bedstead. Re the black stripe, this was not carried horizontally but vertically to distinguish the British Type 42s from the Argentinian Type 42s we had recently sold them!!! I do have pics of her burning where both these points are illustrated if anyone is interested.. if you can get it, Lippiet's Type 42 Destroyers is worth it's weight for detail pics. BTW, we produce a very nice photoetched 1022 radar (the only people who do), and also a 965 double/single bedstead, with individual diapoles in both 1/600 and 1/700 Scale. Now, at last, the modeler can accurately superdetail both a nice Airfix 1/600 Leander OR a 1/700 Type 42 destroyer... Cheers Caroline White Ensign Models http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/avenue/xdt22/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: Dave Carter Subject: AIRSTRIKE 1/700 HELOS Hi there again, We have just received the first batch of photoetched helicopter brass for the AIRSTRIKE 700 range. The aircraft that are ready are as follows: Seaking (3) Wessex (3) Brass is here, still awaiting castings, for the following: Huey(5) Chinook(2) Cobra/Sea Cobra(5) Lynx(5) Wasp/Scout(5) Sikorsky/Westland H5F Dragonfly(x5) Sea Stallion(3) (with etched brass) Kaman Seasprite SH-2F(5) These are £4.22 per bag... POST FREE If any of you lot out there would like to place a reservation, it would be appreciated, as I have to get the final casting numbers to MDC... See some of you at least at the Fleet Air Arm Museum on Saturday, if not, some of you Southern British or Begium, Swiss or French chaps at Truks and Traks at Folkestone... or Truks and Traks and Transoms as we've renamed it this year!! Cheers Caroline White Ensign Models http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/town/avenue/xdt22/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) Date: Wed, 18 Feb 1998 10:31:06 -0800 Subject: Re: USN .50 cal AA MG's Dan: The weapon in use immediately pre-war and into 1942 was a water-cooled Browning M2. These significantly different in appearance from the non-AA water-cooled weapons (usually .30 cal, I believe). There is no protruding muzzle at the bottom of the water jacket, rather the jacket is concentric to the barrel and there is a 'gland' at the muzzle-end which effectively incases the muzzle. Further, the coolant tubes are both near the breach-end of the waterjacket (at approximately 10 and 2 o'clock) with what may be a drain plug at 6 o'clock. These utilized two mounts: the Navy Mark IX, which is a conical pedestal not unlike those used for the later 20-mm, and the Navy Mark III, which is has a large offset arm extending out from the central base column and curving back in to the center (imagine something vaguely similar to the jaws of a caliper). This one (the Mark III) is hard to describe, so I'll leave it at that. A photo of the Mark III appears in the Norman Friedman book "US Naval Weapons (p.75), but this is a close-up that does not show the entire mount. Naval mounts are characterized by a pair of 'handlebars' with a 'trigger' in the form of 'brake-lever' with an operating cable running forward along the bar. The photo in Friedman's book shows a variation of the Mark III without the handlebars, but, instead, a curved pipe extending from the right to support the gunner. Lastly, the coolant tubes enter the mount's pedestal, near the base. I can photocopy the three pictures that I have if you need them. Generally, the mounts carried the large round-topped ammo cans, although one of the illustrations I have shows a smaller flat-topped can. This particular version of the M2 was also issued to the Army and, presumably, the Marine Corps on a variety of AA mounts. I believe I've seen one in the film clips of the air attack on Midway that Ford made. Ken McKelvy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "mike.leonard" Subject: Re: .50 cal Brownings All of the photos of them on CVs and BBs that I have seen showed the water-cooled version of this weapon. MIKE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Bill & Kaja Michaels" Subject: 1/350 Scale Tall Ships I am intrigued by Minicraft's 1/350 scale Tall Ship series of kits. I'm considering USCG Eagle-- the hull shapes look good, though the deck detail is rather skimpy. I'm thinking some photoetch parts would look nice on this model. Can anyone recommend a (small) set that could nbe used on this model? I realize that there isn't anything out there specifically for these tall ship kits. I'm trying to avoid buying an expensive set for a $10 US model. For example, Gold Metal Models has a 1/350 merchant ship set, but it is really intended for the big Titanic. (I figure the Eagle kit only needs 15-20 inches max of railings, 8 doors, etc.) I'd spend $36, and have a big pile of leftovers! Anybody got any great ideas/recommendations? Bill Michaels Acton, Mass, USA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "Bill & Kaja Michaels" Subject: Whaling Ship Wanderer >> I fondly remember the old Aurora whaler kit The Wanderer. Actually my memory probably overlooks defects in the kit, but that's what memory is all about. Anyway, I've given up ever finding a kit of the Wanderer, but that has led me to think about other plastic whaler kits. I seem to remember a plastic kit of the Charles Morgan, I want to say it was by Revell, but I'm not sure. I'd be interested if anyone has any info on any of these plastic whaler kits. I always prefer "larger" kits, say 1/96, if that's any help. << I remember building this kit as a youngster. The things I remember best are the display base whales and the fact that the yards and billowing sails were molded in one (heavy) piece of plastic. I remember having a hard time getting those heavy units to stay in place on the masts. I understand that the Wanderer is very hard to come by, and commands big buck$ in the kit collector market. I was in the hobby shop yesterday, and there was a smaller (1/200 or so, maybe?) kit of the Charles W Morgan. I don't remember who makes it-- I'll look next time I go. Minicraft has recently released a series of 1/350 scale models of tall ships. There's the USCG Eagle, the Gorch Fock, Sagres, and several others. There may be a Whaler in that series-- something else to look for on my next shop visit! Bill and Kaja Michaels ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume