Subject SMML12/10/99VOL696 Date: Wed, 13 Oct 1999 00:27:39 +1000 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Garibaldi 2: RANGER kits and WASP 3: HMS Cossack 4: More MS-9 5: Signal Flags 6: Re: Viking Models 7: Re: Alaska class 32/7c colors 8: Airfix book 9: Re: HMS COSSACK 10: Photos 11: Searchlights 12: 1/600 HMS Ajax ? ? ? ? ? 13: Midway 14: HMS Victory 15: Re: NEW ICM KITS IN 1/350 16: Sightings -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Copyright infringement 2: Re: BEWARE VIKING MODELS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Pietro Caltabiano" Subject: Re: Garibaldi >> I have a 1/150 wood/resin/metal kit of italian 1st W.W. Garibaldi (produced as Japanese "Kasuga" from Canav) << >> Hi Pietro; Where can we get this model? What other ships do they make? Ciao Chuck Duggie << Hi Chuck; CANAV is from Genova (Italy). I bought my "Kasuga/Garibaldi" 3 or 4 years ago and I think it's still in production. This kit has a wood hull, resin turrets and smokestacks, white metal guns, vents, props and photoetched details. I know they also make a Liberty ship.You may find this model in shops that sell wood model ships or you may try to an italian model shop, italian distributors is the same for plastic kits (I think Fujimi), figures and decals. Pietro Caltabiano -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "John Snyder" Subject: RANGER kits and WASP Unfortunately for those still coveting Corsair Armada's 1/700 RANGER kit, it is out of production and I understand it is out of stock at CA. You might try Pacific Front Hobbies or one of the other dealers to see if there are any still available. As for WASP, I can state that I have seen the in-progress master for a 1/700 resin kit of her. Alas, I can--and will--say no more about it or who will be producing it at this time. Just a note to tell those interested to start saving their pennies. John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint Guys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "chenyangzhang" Subject: HMS Cossack Hi Richard Now that you've managed to drag a bit of information out of WRPRESS (not an easy feat) the Humbrol colour you should use is NO.145 which is quite a good match for AP507B. Chris Langtree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Doremus, Mark" Subject: More MS-9 Folks, thanks for the help with the MS-9 question. But, I'm afraid it did not ask the right question. I now know for sure that an early war fleet boat would be all black. My confusion and my question is about whether the finish is gloss or flat. In "Fleet Submarines of World War Two", Walkowiak shows Navy drawings of the MS 32/3 & /9 camo. Both of these have gloss black on the "flat" portions of the main deck and use dull black elsewhere. Did the same pattern exist for MS-9? To bolster Tom's comment about red anti foul before the war, Mike Leonard sent me a color photo of the SS-193 being launched. It is quite red below the WL and quite black above it. It also shows Revell style dimples on the fwd torpedo tubes, after I carefully filled and sanded them flush, AARRGGHH! Mark Doremus Eden Prairie, MN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "Doremus, Mark" Subject: Signal Flags Now that Don Preul and John Sheridan have shared their knowledge about Call Signs and Signal Flags, I only have a few more questions. How big were the signal flags? I'm sure the set Revell plops into every box scale kit are way too big for my 1/700 Johnston. Are there other sources for flags in this scale? And oh, should the Call Sign be port or starboard? The expectation that the flags would add a little color to a MS 21 was understated. For Johnston, (NIKZ) that Zulu flag is going to be an eye catcher against any background. Thanks Guys!!!!!!! Mark Doremus Eden Prairie, MN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Charles Stephanian Subject: Re: Viking Models I want to add to Rusty White's warning regarding Viking Models. While my problem with them was very minor compared to the seriousness of Rusty's (for detail, search dejanews), how they dealt with it was similar. It took me forever to get my kit completed, after numerous emails, phone calls and promises. I'm sure Rusty was just giving them the benefit of the doubt when he said they were the nicest guys around, but I'm afraid that to compare them to some of the truly 'nice guys' in this ship modeling community (like Tom Harrison, the Carters, Rusty, for just three examples) is just not accurate. My opinion of their kits is fair at best (although I know others think they are much better than that), and my experiences with their customer service was frustrating...I would really think long and hard before purchasing one of their products again. Charles Stephanian -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Bruce Burden Subject: Re: Alaska class 32/7c colors Hi gang, I picked up the photos of the Alaska class Ms 32/7c camo drawings today, and the colors listed on the drawings are: Hull: Light Gray 5-L Ocean Gray 5-0 Dull Black BK Deck: Ocean Blue 20-B Ocean Gray 5-0 What is interesting is that USS Guam matches the drawings for Ms 32/7c. USS Alaska might be in the same colors, but it is NOT the same pattern. Bruce -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Peter Sketchley" Subject: Airfix book Hi Shane, I have tried to purchase this book online and have been informed that it has not been published as yet. Maybe they are holding on to it until the UK IPMS Nationals at the end of October? Regards Peter Sketchley Cambridge UK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "John Snyder" Subject: Re: HMS COSSACK WRPRESS has stated she was in overall medium gray. That would be AP-507B for the time period in question. Of course,you know where you can find that color.... John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint Guys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: WRPRESSINC@aol.com Subject: Photos Am interested if anybody has seen photos of the following R/N ships in the time frames listed below:- Renown as around november 1940; there is evidence that she was in patterned camouflage during the battle of Spartivento. Bonaventure in late 1940 showing her in a dark grey and white design. Shropshire in the latter half of 1940. Dorsetshire in the latter half of 1940. Neptune at any and all periods in 1940. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: Ophelia Subject: Searchlights Hello everyone; I need some help. I'm about to start working on 350 scale searchlights for Bismarck and I'm trying to figure how to go about doing this in the best possible way, but obviously not necessarily the easiest. For 700 scale drilling the lense and using Kristal Kleer is enough but I'm scared for 350 it may look wrong, especially since it appears to have shutters and I don't want to have the thing look like a window, if you know what I mean. I've heard about plastic or even glass lenses that could be used, but I'm not sure. How could you add shutters or dividers or whatever happen to be over lenses to divide them with accuracy. Also, should the inside of the searchlight be painted for effect like white or silver. Thanks; Mark. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: "Shaya Novak" Subject: 1/600 HMS Ajax ? ? ? ? ? A member here asked is the Ajax any good. Felix Bustelo has his 1/600 Iron Duke displayed on our site. Kit same quality as the Ajax. Take a look what can be done with an Airfix and GMM kit. A work of Art. Goto: "British Battleship" page at: http://www.modelshipbuilding.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "Steven P. Allen" Subject: Midway cn wrote: >> I am currently searching for the Revell kit (now out of production)... but I wouldn't be able to display her with the deckload of aircraft as I would like (F7F's, F8F's, F4U's, and AD6's) unless maybe WEM (Hi Caroline!) would be willing to produce some in the 1:545 (?) scale.... oh well - one of these days... << The Midway kit is readily available on eBay; I see it there once or twice a week. Look for the latest incarnation, the FDR. And I, too, would love to see the named a/c in the right scale. I back-dated my kit to Fleet Week, October 1945, by scrounging quad 40mm from a Missouri in like scale, reworking the island, and repositioning the directors. Steve Allen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: hpetersen@zebra.net (Dr. Hazel Petersen) Subject: HMS Victory Hi all, This is sort of off-topic but it is about a plastic ship model so... I just received a 1:100 Heller kit of Nelson's HMS Victory for my b'day. Does any one have any experience with this kit? I know it's ancient (and a sailing ship, ACK!)compared to what the other SMMLies model but thought I'd see if anyone had any suggestions, sites to visit, reference books, experience, etc. The instructions appear to be somewhat tedious but, hey, I'm not complaining. Especially after reading Rusty's post about the theft of his work. That stinks. Thanks for the warning Rusty, I'll be on the lookout. Glenn Merrill In Mobile, LA (that's Lower Alabama). Home of the marvelous USS Alabama, USS Drum and a not half bad replica of the CSS Hunley, as well as an assortment of aircraft including a B52 and an SR 71!! -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: Shane Weier Subject: Re: NEW ICM KITS IN 1/350 >> Great news on the 1/350 Scale front for ship modellers. We have been notified that the following are scheduled for production from this company, ALL in 1/350 Scale: HMS Nelson British BB Knjaz Suvorov 1905 Russian BB IJN Takao heavy cruiser Slava 1914 Russian BB << For what it's worth, their web site is http://www.icm.com.ua/enov.htm The above information has been there a couple of days, with Takao incorrectly labelled a battle-cruiser *unless* (unlikely) it really is of the planned but unbuilt ship Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: "John Snyder" Subject: Sightings The things one can find in the background of movies! I was just watching Danny Kaye in "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" and what should show up in the background of one scene? The QUEEN MARY, still in wartime gray (quite light, along the lines of 507C) and still wearing her degaussing cable. John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint (and old movie) Guys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Loren Perry Subject: Copyright infringement After reading Rusty White's note about his being victimized by an unscrupulous manufacturer pirating his copyrighted designs, I have to chime in. As the designer and manufacturer of Gold Medal Models photoetched ship model products, I too have been the target of a dishonest manufacturer who blatantly copied some of my own designs and then attempted to sell them to his customers as his own creations. Fortunately I was able to force this disreputable firm to cease and desist. But they've also been selling other versions of my designs (notably my 1/700 IJN sets) with minor changes. I haven't pursued them on this as yet, and furthermore, they've never so much as apologized for the previous transgression. Many of you are still patronizing this firm. I know what Mr. White is feeling. To put many hours of labor into a complex design and then painstakingly de-bug it for production only to have a thief steal it from you and market it as his own is not only dishonest, it costs you, the modeler, in both dollars and product availability. Mr. White has now spent a great deal of money to defend his designs from theft. This comes out of his profit. Some manufacturers will call it quits under this type of pressure because there isn't enough money to be made to justify the headaches and expense. Others will raise prices to compensate for their loss. While Mr. White won't advocate this, I will: once a company has been unmasked as a disreputable plagiarizer of other firms' designs, they have forfeited any right they might have had to being considered a reputable firm. And once they've committed such an act, their sole motive becomes clear: They only want your money. If they happen to produce a useful product in the process, that's just a happy accident. It wasn't their primary objective. One way to tell this is to watch if they release strikingly similar, but lower quality products as those offered by another firm, but at a far cheaper price. They can do this because they've passed their research costs onto the backs of their victims: the original designers they stole from. If they were truly passionate about bringing out the best products they could, they would have done their own research; done their own design work; done their own refining of the production process. In my case, the company plagiarizing my designs has simply photocopied some of my IJN designs (cranes, etc.) and then made minor artwork changes in an attempt to avoid copyright infringement. While this may prevent legal problems, it results in a product that is not only an inferior second- or third-generation copy of the original, but it's also less accurate due to the changes being forced onto them. If you, the world's finest ship modelers, want to continue to receive the highest quality products at a fair price, then you must shun any firm that steals the designs of others for their own profits. Once they've done it, they'll likely never stop. Loren Perry/Gold Medal Models -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Caroline Carter" Subject: Re: BEWARE VIKING MODELS Hallo SMMLlies, I wish to pass my vote of support on to Rusty White of Flagship Models for his decision to post. Always difficult to do by one producer against another. We at WEM already had a major run-in with this company last year which I didn't let on to anyone at the time, as we were also made, in a very aggressive and rude manner, to feel as though we were the only ones ever to have had a poor product/service from them. I now know differently, from a number of sources, and will NEVER consider dealings with these people again. We were lied to repeatedly, like Rusty was, and only on the initiation of legal action through our bank were we, at the elventh hour, able to get partial satisfaction... although the end-loss to ourselves was only 80 pounds, unlike Rusty's deficit (and it does sound like they could have been copying his etched brass, a pracatice which, as many of you know, I feel very strongly about). We will NOT support producers who act in the way that these people have. Like Rusty, I believe that folks have a right to know. Anyhow, thanks for your time (and thanks to Shane for allowing us to post on this matter). I would hope that someone at Viking has got the guts to post right here on SMML. Regards, Caroline Carter White Ensign Models -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for having SMML at your home, why not stop by our home at: http://www.smml.org.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume