Subject SMML26/10/99VOL710 Date: Wed, 27 Oct 1999 00:07:03 +1000 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Airfix RMS Queen Elizabeth 2: Anchor & anchor chain colours. 3: On SCB-125 and APDs 4: Re: Roll Models and Ticonderogas 5: Re: Model Expo RN paint 6: Re: Penquin figure 7: Card models 8: Bravo Zulu to Phil Kirchmeier 9: Re: HMS Somali 10: Angled Deck Essex 11: Re: Marine Model Company 12: First Shipboard Radar 13: What happened to my magazine? 14: Re: Ticonderoga Photography 15: Trivia - Radar 16: IPMS UK Nationals - Ship Stuff -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: USS Ross 2: Re: Model Expo RN Paints 3: 1/192 USN WW2 Radar set -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Shane Subject: Airfix RMS Queen Elizabeth Hi gang, According to reports in RMS, Airfix is going to re-release their 1/600 RMS Queen Elizabeth again for 2000. Ok, Felix, stop celebrating ;-)). Don't know what other ships they'll be releasing. Here's hoping they dust off the SRN4, Manxman & the various WW2 DD moulds & let them see the light of day again. Shane - where it's warming up nicely ;->>. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Shane Subject: Anchor & anchor chain colours. Hi ya all, What colours do people paint the anchors & chains. And was there an official colour for the RN. Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "Steven P. Allen" Subject: On SCB-125 and APDs Lindberg had an Angled-deck Essex in two scales; I don't remember it well enough to say anything but that it seems devoid of detail. As for the APD camo: BROWN, huh? BROWN = TANNISH GREEN? But *two* BROWNs? *And* DULL BLACK? I get it: *seven* colors: 2 BROWNS, 4 GREENS, and BLACK. ARRRRGH! Maybe Ms 22; yeah, that's the ticket :-) What of pics of some of the other 'phibs that carry the schemes: if we can't find an APd in color, maybe another. Awaiting developments. . . . Steve Allen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Tom Detweiler Subject: Re: Roll Models and Ticonderogas To: SMML members Hi SMML -- From what I can see, it sounds like Roll Models does NOT yet deserve to be on our "Hall of Shame" list-- many of you have had good service and extra effort from them. Maybe mine was an isolated experience. But, after giving someone a credit card number and then having it lost it with no record of my transaction, and no interest by RM in finding out what happened, I get a bit nervous! Relative to the Ticonderoga thread, all that is probably just common sense -- if the ship is on the ways all torn up for the world to see, then what is going on there is public knowledge with yardbirds and everyone running around all over the place. If the whole operation is tarped over and the place is surrounded by armed marines, then it's certainly not public! I can see Gene's point of view in that certain details (which was NOT what I was asking) of a confidential nature are better not revealed in a public discussion if you are an "insider" privy to military secrets. I kind of just wanted to know in a general way what was going on with the Ticonderoga my daughter is supposed to be going aboard-- and I want to thank those of you who offered the information on the mods she is undergoing and the leads to the Navy sites where we can find out more about that. I was impressed with the massive armaments the Ticonderogas have-- Surface to Air, Surface to Surface "cruise" missiles (Harpoon?) and Surface to Subsurface/antisub missiles (must be the replacement for ASROC), plus a forward single 5" mount, and the CIWS or "phalanx" style defensive system. Wow! This is a GREAT forum, and the members make it that way! Thanks again Tom In Rocklin CA -- (still dry out here, with no rain in sight yet) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Model Expo RN paint >> We hope that modelers will continue to buy our chip sets. Remember, they will ALWAYS provide accuracy, and will not be subject to the vagaries of changes in paint batches, or to the discontinuance or changing of paint lines by manufacturers, and will allow the modeler to mix and match using one's favorite brand or type of paint (personally, I don't care for crylics). Remember who did the research by which others are profiting. << I agree with Mike. I have done a LOT of research regarding marketing a line of marine colors. I have come to the conclusion that the big companies can't make a line of marine colors profitable unless they out and out capture 75% of the available market out there. Marine shades have been tried twice that I know of and both times the companies discontinued the line to insufficient sales. Like resin kits the only place this line of model paints will cost effective is in the cottage industry where small quantities of sales can be profitable. Obviously this line of paints is directed at experienced ship modelers as is on this list. I again wish John Snyder would shove it right down the competitions throat with their own line of marine colors. By far the quality will be far better than the mass produced colors with the TLC of a small cottage industry. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://warship.simplenet.com/Flagship.htm "Yeah I want Cheesy Poofs" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Penquin figure That indeed was mine. Man, they sure hung on to that slide for a while. If memory serves I believe I sent that slide in about 5 years ago! FSM called me and said they just "found" that slide and wanted permission to print it. I had completely forgot about it. Go figure (ha ha). Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://warship.simplenet.com/Flagship.htm "Yeah I want Cheesy Poofs" Hi Rusty, That last line was worse than my jokes & that's saying something. Just don't let the Figures Editor at IM(Mistress Lorna) find out about it ;-)). Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Damian Pliszka Subject: Card models Hi, Here in Poland we have three big publishers (I can say this way)of card models with warships (there are many smaller of course). Already warships are in 1:200 (I saw also 1:00 and ex. 1:97 for sail ships). Details? Some of them have many card sheets and thousand of details (as I remember soviet "carrier" Novorossijsk - 28 sheets A2 size and over 5000 single parts). To built ship like this is quite big challenge. You can make it "as is", I mean just cut and glue or make it more realistic: paint with actual paints, make rigging/railing, use some putty if needed, use some other materials (balsa, styrene etc.) or (I think most difficult but very improving model) scratch hull (with card of course). There are some techniques bringing card models to unbevaliable level... But I think that most important is base model which you can buy. What was released in 1:200 last time? There are: USS Alaska (1945) USS California (1945) USS San Francisco (1942) IJN Tone (1944) IJN Kirishima (1942) IJN Shokaku (1941) IJN Zuikaku (1944) - soon to be released with green camouflage IJN Nagato (1942) USS Missouri (1945) HMS Belfast (1942) DKM Scharnhorst (1943) IJN Yamato (1945) - really big model DKM Tirpitz HMS Exeter USS Saratoga (modern) and many more... As you can see there is quite big selection. Price? In USD about $10 (most expensive). I think that in international distribution they will much expensive. Hope this helps Damian Pliszka Slupsk, Poland -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Loren Perry Subject: Bravo Zulu to Phil Kirchmeier A hearty "Bravo Zulu" goes to Phil Kirchmeier for his Gold Medal Models-equipped 1/250 USS Thomas DE which made the cover of December 1999's FineScale Modeler magazine. His reworked Revell classic was also the centerpiece of a six-page construction article in the same issue complete with a two-page color spread showing off his model's dazzle camouflage paint job. We're proud of you, Phil. Well done! Loren Perry/GMM -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "graham" Subject: Re: HMS Somali Hi Robert that was me who posted, Grin ***** I judged it in the Scratch built class, and voted on it for best in show. Makes my ships look very sorry affairs I must say:((((( But I take heart that with every ship I build They get better. PS I got one of them Airfix Buccaneer sb2, well they were navy, can anyone send me any advice by my email. I have not made a flying thinggy for years, mmmmmmm wonders where these wheels go;) best wishes from the judge who was judging for over 3 hours and missed all the smmlies who came to my stand to see me :{ graham@ the cruiser sig Hi Gang, So who built the Best of Show??? Enquiring minds want to know. Mainly, so I can make sure he meets with an accident before next year, when I go ;-)). Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: Ives100@aol.com Subject: Re: Marine Model Company >> Just received an old Marine model of the Slaver sold be the Marine Model Company, Inc. Halesite, Long Island New York. It was given to my grandfather many years ago. Do you know anything of the company or the Model? Thank you, Lisa Ledgerwood I have never heard of this firm. Anybody have any info on this so I can forward it on to Ms. Ledgerwood? << Hi Felix, I have one of the Marine Model Company kits, a solid wood hulled submarine (what else??) the USS Trigger (Kit # 1124) issued in 1953 in mint condition. The company was in Halesite, Long Island, NY. The hull is 19 inches in length, almost exactly the same size as the Revell Lionfish. The hull shape is decent, although not quite accurate (a little sanding and wood filler will help), and the kit has a box of metal parts. These include what look to be white metal parts for the conning tower (periscope shears), rudder, dive planes, guns, propeller and struts, etc. You also got a set of brass mounting posts, but no wood base. The kit instructions are made up to look like blue prints (drawn by Robert G. Herbert, Jan 1953), and another 4 page pamphlet is included of "General Instructions for Marine Model Kits" with general tips on various topics such as Hull shaping, glue, installing white metal parts, painting, installing the base, marking the waterline, rigging (hey, resin kit manufacturers, are you getting all this?). The blue print-like plans are drawn to full scale for the model, and include many helpful scrap views of details. The instructions also mention that a companion kit, No. 1123, DD710 USS Gearing is available from Marine Model. Don't know what happened to the company; I suspect the less expensive styrene kits killed the market for solid wood hull kits of this kind. I would love to know for certain the original cost of this kit; I believe I was told at the time that I purchased it that it was $5.00-6.00. The Trigger kit itself is somewhat interesting from a historical perspective, as the hull is definitely a WWII submarine hull, yet the fittings include a postwar snorkel and radar, with cut down conning tower bridge. The logo on the kit box is "I'm the galloping ghost of the Japanese coast", whcih was Trigger's motto. Sadly, Trigger was lost, so she never survived to get a postwar snorkel and radar. A new Trigger (Tang class postwar diesel submarine) was built at about the time this kit was built; however its' shape and conning tower differed greatly from a WWII fleet submarine. So, this kit is a historic anomaly, to say the least. Tom Dougherty -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: WRPRESSINC@aol.com Subject: First Shipboard Radar The correct answer can be found on page 98 of Naval Radar, by Friedman, published 1981 by Conway Maritime Press. Those who have the book should read it, those who have not should get it, and those who have not heard of it should go and stand in, and face the corner. It is THE commercial publication on the subject generally. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: Fritz Koopman Subject: What happened to my magazine? Hi Guys n' Gals: I was patiently awaiting this months Model Shipbuilder Magazine (MSB), but instead this Ships in Scale thingy showed up in its place. According to the publishers note at the beginning, Seaways bought out Model Shipbuilder, only to go ahead and retire the title and replace the subscriptions with their existing Ships in Scale publication. A quick look at my last issue of Model Shipbuilder and Jeff Phillips' Editors Note shows no sign that at the time a buyout was imminent. I guess my question is: Does anyone know if Phoenix Publications foundered, or if it was merely Seaways trying to buy out their competition? Whatever it was, it must have happened quickly. While I understand that the publishers may have had some very good reasons for this change, I personally will miss my magazine. After three years of subscription with seven to eight years worth of newstand purchases before that, I have become accustomed to the styles and info generally put forth by its more regularly contributing authors. The info, tips, and techniques that I have garnered through it are second to none. I also already miss the smaller things like the three pages of up to date, modeling related, book listings at the back, from which I have purchased about half my library. While I will have to wait for a few more installments before I can really make a decision whether I'll stick with this new Ships in Scale, being somewhat stubborn and thickwilled, I'm not prone to adapting to change. Especially when I've made the desicion that something was worth my time to read. Hopefully, maybe, it will grow on me. But for now, one thing I can say for certain... It just aint the same... Sorry if I sound like I'm ranting,.. just need to get it off my chest and see if anyone knows what happened.. Best Regards Fritz Koopman -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: Kenneth Perry Subject: Re: Ticonderoga Photography Hello, I'm the US citizen Mike was telling you about concerning the pictures in Norfolk, VA and the lack of pictures I was able to take. I had another incident since then involving USS Nicholson, a Spruance class destroyer which is over twenty years old now. They were in Morehead City, NC for a festival going on there and were open to the public for tours. After waiting in line for about thirty minutes toting out cameras, we made it to the begining of the line only to hear the sailor tell us to put the cameras away before going up to the deck. If we were caught taking pictures, our cameras would be confiscated. We were not even allowed to take pictures on the main deck! I remind you this is a ship over twenty years old! Seems I have to go overseas to get pictures to build my ships. Several calls and e-mails to Public Affairs just got me the run-around and never a yes answer. Ken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: "Pletscher-Lenz-Schneider" Subject: Trivia - Radar As far as I know, the first ship to carry radar was the German trials vessel WELLE which received an experimental 48 cm GEMA set in 1935. Falk Pletscher -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: Colin Ritchie Subject: IPMS UK Nationals - Ship Stuff IPMS UK Nationals - Ship Stuff Overall a good national's for the ship modelling fraternity, you'll have seen that the Senior champion was a wonderful scratch built Tribal class destroyer. The word Model really doesn't do it justice, it was as if someone had gone back in time, and shrunk the real thing down in size, a work of art, no less! The ship classes did have a touch of controversy, with a couple of great ship models excluded, due to a problem over the exact class they had to be entered in. Without getting into the rights and wrongs of this case, the models in question were again, works of art, especially the 350th HMS Rodney. This had started out as the IS kit, but with substantial re-working, and the addition of a LOT of WEM brass. With over 300 figures on deck, it was a site to behold. Minicraft surprised me, and a number of others, with there conversion sets for the 350th Titanic. These sets, with Huge PE sheets allow either the Britannic of Olympic to be built. The Britannic sheet has a total of 56 SQ inches of Brass sheet, with a separate resin kit, providing Lifeboats I guess. The chief model maker for the titanic Movie designed the masters, even Caroline seemed impressed! Oh costs, well the Brass is going to be approx $30 per sheet and the associated Resin bits, around the same. Dave and Caroline were, Well their normal manic, wonderful selves. The main interest being the arrival of HMS Mary Rose in 350th. As usual with WE, the resin is pretty well perfect, the PE sheet petite, and beautiful quality, and overall , a super little model. Also on the WE stand was the master for the Peter Hall's 350th Kirov, OH BOY. This sucker is Huge, and I want one now! Dave Parkin on the Flightpath stand said that the 1/72nd Flower class kits are still in development, and he would be producing them, at some stage. One thing he did say was that he was thinking about producing hulls for the Flower's, especially for the Short Forecastle version, but knowing Dave, I'm not holding my breath. On the model Art stand, there were some nice ship kits, including their beautiful 400th scale Flower, very petite, very sweet, and very French! One vendor did have a Charles de Galle kit, at £29.99, but since I was flying home that night, and I had a LOT of hand luggage already, I gave it a miss. So a good National for ship modellers , Colin Ritchie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Loren Perry Subject: USS Ross In 1/700 scale, the USS Ross (a late Fletcher-class ship) can be best built using a Tamiya kit with Skywave WW2 USN weapons added. The Skywave USS Callaghan kit can be used to provide a square-type bridge you can graft onto the Tamiya superstructure. For photoetched details, the Gold Medal Models 1/700 Cruiser/Destroyer set (GMM No. 700-8 @ $12) provides all the required depth charge equipment, mast yardarms, antennas, radars, railing in several styles (including pre-curved bow rails), inclined and vertical ladders, and assorted other useful Fletcher-type fittings. Thoroughly illustrated instructions are included. Other GMM sets applicable to your project would be Naval Figures (set of 100 3-D crewmen in varied poses, No. 700-17 @ $4), Extra Ladders and Accommodation ladders (700-20 @ $5), 20mm Oerlikon Cannon (Sixty total - No. 700-21 @ $4) and 3-D relief-etched Watertight Doors (Over sixty different items - No. 700-22 @ $4). GMM's "Gold PLUS" brass railing set (GMM 700-23 @ $15) provides the closest-to-scale railing available (.003" brass) and includes pre-curved bow rails and destroyer-type rails with netting (integral - not separate) for the main deck. Also available is a Naval Ship Decal set (two 4-color sheets with hull numbers, "E" efficiency markings, and more - No. 700-1D @ $5) and a Naval Flags decal set (GMM No. 700-350-1D @ $6.) Postage for all is $1. You can pick and choose your sets depending on your budget and/or how far you want to take your project. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Conan35@aol.com Subject: Re: Model Expo RN Paints The Model Expo Royal Navy paints are based on the Snyder and Short chip sheets, and we intend on greatly expanding our paint line before the holidays. I will be adding the paints to our web site at http://www.modelexpoinc.com as they become available. We will also be featuring the Snyder and Short chip sheets in our next catalog. These paints have been fully tested for consistency and accuracy, and at $1.69 per 1 oz. bottle, they are a bargain. These acrylic paints are very finely ground, and cover just as good as the floquil oil-based paints that are no longer being manufactured, without the messy clean-up and unhealthy fumes. Best Regards Rob Finley Web Site Mgr. Model Expo, Inc. http://www.modelexpoinc.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "Tom & Carolyn Harrison" Subject: 1/192 USN WW2 Radar set Another new radar set for the big scale builders from Tom's Modelworks 1/192 Scale, Set 2008 US Battleships W.W.II this set includes SK-1, SK-2, CXAM-1 MK-8, MK-22 and more. $25.00 plus shipping. With our holiday discount this set along would get you a 5% discount. For more information on our end of year holiday discount and giveaways check out our web site at: http://www.tomsmodelworks.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Shaya Novak" Subject: Angled Deck Essex Are ported at Naval Base Hobbies goto "Mod. Amer. Carriers" at: http://www.modelshipbuilding.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for having SMML at your home, why not stop by our home at: http://www.smml.org.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume