Subject: SMML17/12/99VOL762 Date: Sat, 18 Dec 1999 00:05:46 +1100 shipmodels@tac.com.au -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: 54mm scale 2: Re: Help on translation material, please 3: Re: USS MASSACHUSETTS 4: Re: PE questions w/ answers 5: Re: 54 mm Scale 6: Letraset Dry Transfers 7: Eil-Boat 8: Letraset Dry Transfer lettering 9: Re: Ship Classes 10: Re: 54mm 11: Re: Enterprise lighting in the hangar deck 12: 54mm Scale 13: Re: E-Boats 14: HMS Swiftsure 15: DE-695 Request 16: Re: 54 mm figures 17: 1/700 Dudes 18: 'Cher 19: Modern USN paint color 20: Re: "EilBoat" 21: Merry Christmas and a Happy New 2000 22: Navy Gray, Hulks, and Chicago Pianos 23: Re: Cher/Missouri 24: Paint problem 25: Re: HMAS ADELAIDE 26: New Magazine 27: Essex class - the short & long of it 28: Re: Essex Long/Short Hulls 29: E boat designations -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Heller DUNKERQUE/STRASBOURG 1/400 2: US Navy Paints & Imperial Japanese Navy Paints 3: DECEMBER UPDATE 4: SMML site update for Hotmaillers -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Les Pickstock Subject: Re: 54mm scale Roger wrote >> I just bought (on eBay) a Higgins boat set that is stated to be in 54 mm scale. I know that this is a military modeling scale and results in men about 2.5" tall. But how did this scale evolve and what does it equate to in terms or units that I am familiar with. i.e. 1" = 35 ft or whatever. Is it close to any other ship modeling scale? << 54mm is a model soldier size equivelent to 1/32nd scale (about 9mm to the foot) The scale seems to have developed from the old model railways scales and is still popular as a model slot car scale as well as the massive model soldier market. A more accurate scale can be determined by dividing 78ft (Higgins boat length) by the length of the model's hull. If the model turns out to be 1/32 or even 1/35th scale many accessories could be found in the model Armour market. Also, I think, HR do ship parts to 1/32nd scale. Les Pickstock. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: frederick wagner Subject: Re: Help on translation material, please Steve, I'm no expert, but if you want to learn Japanese, you need a terrific memory since you won't have any linguistic associations (Latin roots,etc) to help you along. If you are willing to do a piecemeal translation of picture captions, you will need a special Japanese-English dictionary which contains Kanji(Chinese ideographs) and Romaji (romanized Japanese-preferably in Hepburn-the more phonetic romanization). That way you can associate the ideograph with sounds. (It would be nice if the dictionary also contained Hiragana (script for newer words) and Katakana (script for foreign words). Then get yourself a Japanese Naval terms dictionary for specialized language. Good luck, Frederick Wagner -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "John Snyder" Subject: Re: USS MASSACHUSETTS Alan: So far as I know, there are no 1/500 or 1/600 models of any of the SOUTH DAKOTA class BBs. There is (or was) a 1/700 kit from one of the Japanese manufacturers, and Revell had (has?) a dismal 1/720 kit. The best available -- and it happens to be MASSACHUSETTS--is a 1/350 resin kit. Now, insofar as all your modeling needs there in the UK and wanting to support small business goes, you need to get in touch with White Ensign Models who not only make exquisite resin kits, but also carry most everything else you'll ever want/need. John Snyder Snyder & Short Enterprises The Paint Guys -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: PE questions w/ answers >> First; I see all these posts about PE sailors. Are these available in the smaller scales? like 1/600 and 1/700? << Yes,. I believe Toms Modelworks and GMM produces them in 1/700 & 1/350 scales. Flagship Models includes figures with most of our 1/700 and 1/350 scale sets. I think White Ensign Models produces figures but I'm not sure what scales are available. >> I've gone through all the hobby shops I know of in this area (SE Wisconsin) and nobody seems to know what it is I want. Which leads me to my second question, any of you SMMLies living in this neck of the woods, can you recomend a hobby shop thats well stocked for ship modelers? I'm getting tired of having to drive down to Wheeling Il, just to get some bloody railings. << Finding a well stocked hobby shop for ship models is rare indeed. Flagship Models details can be ordered through most any hobby shop (I sell to distributors and direct all over the world). You can check out my web site as well as GMM and Toms Modelworks over the net and order from there. If you're in a real hurry, I offer Priority Mail and Express Mail delivery. You can see my entire product line at the URL below. >> AND here are 2 destroyer questions: Tamiya's 1/700 Fletcher is almost nil on surface detail. Any source (and im talking line drawings here) available with such info? << Floating Dry-dock has several good plans of Fletcher class ships. I have the 1/192 scale USS Kidd plans and they are very well detailed. >> And finally...are all Tamya's DD and DE kits crap? If anyone knows of any good ones (at least some detail) then please let me know. As I don't really have the money to splurge on a Resin kit or one of those pricy Skywave models. << Crap is a strong word (ever been to a stock yard)?. Tamiya's Fletcher is quite accurate for what's in the kit, but you're right about the lack of detail on the bulkheads. 1/700 hatches and other details are available from the companies above that will greatly improve these little models. While Skywave is the best, they are also the most expensive. Not as high as resin kits, but pretty close. I would strongly recommend getting the Fletcher class anti-skid walkway decals from Toms Modelworks. I just put them on my 1/350 Fletcher and they look GREAT! They are available in 1/700 as well. Without a doubt, the best and most detailed /700 scale Fletcher class model is the Skywave Cochrane (I hope I spelled that right) kit. Lots of incredibly small detail on the bulkheads. You can order all these items from online hobby shops that advertise on the Warship web site. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ "Yeah I want Cheesy Poofs" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: Edd Pflum Subject: Re: 54 mm Scale >> I just bought (on eBay) a Higgins boat set that is stated to be in 54 mm scale. I know that this is a military modeling scale and results in men about 2.5" tall. But how did this scale evolve and what does it equate to in terms or units that I am familiar with. i.e. 1" = 35 ft or whatever. Is it close to any other ship modeling scale? << Hi Roger, As you state, 54mm is a scale (size?) where a normal figure is 54mm tall. Although this results in a kind of scattershot effect in sizes (given the 15% or so variation in the height of human beings), when I was involved in the hobby, it was accepted that 1:32 scale accessories were in scale with the figures. HR products weapons sets sold for use with these figures are listed as 1:32, another data point. What is the 'Higgins boat set' you bought? Figures, or the boat itself? The Lindberg LCVP is 1:32 and is a fairly good model. Happy Modeling, Edd -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "chenyangzhang" Subject: Letraset Dry Transfers Hi John I ordered some through a specialist drawing office supplies firm. Letraset have a very extensive range so you do need to see the catalogue. Chris Langtree -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "Pletscher-Lenz-Schneider" Subject: Eil-Boat Sorry guys, I am afraid you are on a completely wrong way. I never heard the term "Eilboot" (or Eil-boat). I only know the word "Eilbote" (English: express courier). Of course, gregorys7 is right when he points out that the Germans called their torpedos "Aale" (English: eels). But this has nothing to do with the German syllable "eil" which comes from the verb "eilen" (English: to hurry or to hasten). I don't know definitely where the designation E-boats came from. Nobody seems to know this. The most common explanation is that it is derivated from Enemy Motor Torpedo Boat. I also can see no real contradiction if that German report, which Robert Lockie mentioned, speeks of "E-boats or S-boats". I guess it only put the English designation against the German one. If you don't like the usual interpretation, however, why don't you take thea E for the error the British made in designating the German S-Boote as E-boats ;-) Falk Pletscher -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Kurt Van Dahm Subject: Letraset Dry Transfer lettering Leterset transfers are available at art supply stores. Also, in the RR section at the hobby shop, there are all sorts of transfer lettering sets for RR stuff. Check it out as I have used this for some very small lettering that was much smaller than that available at the art supply stores here. Take care, Kurt Van Dahm Westmont, IL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: Bill Rowe Subject: Re: Ship Classes I am not aware that the USN officially assigned ships classes in the '50s and '60s. I don't think they do so now. The closest it comes to an official designation is when new ships are ordered. Differences come about if they a built in multiple yards and as new models of equipment are used. Then there are repairs, modifications, and alteration (SHIPALTS). By the end of their useful life the ships built as a class provide wonderful verity as modeling subjects. Anyone can refer to a group of similar ships as a class; Ships and Aircraft, and Janes are likely to follow accepted usage. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: SantMin@aol.com Subject: Re: 54mm >> I just bought (on eBay) a Higgins boat set that is stated to be in 54 mm scale. I know that this is a military modeling scale and results in men about 2.5" tall. But how did this scale evolve and what does it equate to in terms or units that I am familiar with. i.e. 1" = 35 ft or whatever. Is it close to any other ship modeling scale? << Roger, The "54mm" scale for figures comes from the size of dime-store soldiers that were sold in the '30's and 40's. There is a lot of confusion there because some manufactures measured from feet to top of the head, others from feet to the top of the headgear, etc. Today, 54mm scale for figures is considered 1/32 scale. Cheers, Bob Santos -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: Erwin Van Deynze Subject: Re: Enterprise lighting in the hangar deck Forget the wheat bulbs, Terry. They give way to much heat, even the very small ones. Especially encapsulated in such a small place, it won't be long before you'll see tiny sink holes appear in your flight deck, followed by little specks of light... I did use them once in my TIE-fighter, and that a sphere about 5 cm in diam. At a local show, they were on for about an hour, when I saw that dreaded speck of light... I've been studying the lighting problem with several SciFi kits and there aren't really that much options, I'm afraid. Especially here, where space is a premium... Grain-of-wheat bulbs are out of the question, you'll need zillions of them, and by then you'll have a nice frying pan. Even on a lower than designed voltage they emit enough heat, and what's more they emit a very yellowish light at lower voltages, and at higher voltages, they burn out... Fluorescent tubes are a nice option, very little heat, very much light, and a nice quality of light (cool to very cool). But although there are fluorescents available with a diam of 3 mm, even these are to big for you. Try Applied Magic at: http://www.appliedmagic.com/ LED's are even better, they last almost for ever, emit no noticeable heat, are available in red, green, yellow, orange, amber, blue and white. Especially the new blue and white-ones emit a spectacular amount of light! Problem is that they are rather expensive, emit their light only in an angle of about 15 to 30 degrees (depending the type), and have to be specially wired. EL-sheets (Electro-Luminiscent or lightsheet as they are more commonly known by modellers) are just great, they're flat, available in multiple colours, can be cut and folded into shape... They are as you say rather pricey, don't give out that much light, require a special driver circuit and they tend to fade as they age. Don't forget you don't have to buy them from Lightsheet (the firm), I believe there are cheaper variants available on the net, a query on rms usually will give you an address. A new product are EL-strings, based on the same principle as EL-sheets, but these are strings who emit light when they are driven by a 400 Hz 100 V power supply (ie a lightsheet driver...). Maybe these are not so costly for your application, you'll just need to run a couple lengths along the hangar deck, just above the fixtures (I'll suppose they are mounted in rows...). I've seen these in the Farnell catalogue and on a couple of sites on the net, I'll try to look these up... Another option you could try, is something similar to fiber-optics. Take a perspex plate, roughen one side where the fixtures should be, and light it on the sides. The plate acts as a light guide. Maybe with some experimenting, you can come up with something nice... For some nice ideas with fiber-optics try Flexi-Lights website at: http://www.flxlight.demon.co.uk/ Another site is : http://www.ektc.net/~indian/ Erwin Also busy lighting the Enterprise, but its the 24th century version... -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: Suvoroff@aol.com Subject: 54mm Scale Toy soldiers, an old German tradition, have for over 150 years been measured in terms of height in millimeters (though height to what varies; eyes, top of head, top of headgear). 54mm does not seem to have any particular basis. This is generally held to come out to about 1/32nd scale, which is why figures (especially in Europe), airplanes, and the old Airfix and Monogram military stuff is in 1/32nd, while for some reason the Japanese chose 1/35th instead. Yours, James D. Gray -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: "Alan Roots" Subject: Re: E-Boats E Boat:-I have look this up in the The New Shorter Oxford English Dictionary (With Thumb Index, boy - a thumb - useful isn't it?) Shorter, it is over 3500 pages in two volumes, however it states that the term E boat derives from - Enemy+boat hence E Boat, Easy when you think about it - ennit? This seemed to apply to all small German fast small boats. Glenn Kidson:- I have asked by a friend if I could identify a WW2 minesweeper, I don't know for sure if was a British ship (Boat for the pedantic) or served with another nation. I am waiting for an answer from the National Maritime Museum where I have a contact, in the meanwhile is there any SMMLie who is able to help? Regards Alan Roots Hi Alan, If you have access to a scanner, scan the picture & post it to the SMML site. Worked for me a few months back with my "mystery -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: "Leslie Brown" Subject: HMS Swiftsure Airfix Magazine of October 1963 contained an article describing the modification of the Tiger kit into the Mauritius, Uganda and Minotaur (Swiftsure) classes. Contact me off line with your snail mail address if you would like a copy. Regards Les Brown -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: Guy Rich Subject: DE-695 Request Does anyone have a photograph of the USS RICH (DE-695)? Naval Archives at Annapolis have no surviving picture(s). RICH was mined D-Day plus two of the Normandy invasion. Survivors (about 20) meet yearly and would very much like a picture of their ship. Thanks, Guy Rich -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: "Craig Brown" Subject: Re: 54 mm figures 54 mm figures are used with 1:35 scale armour and sometimes with 1:32 scale aircraft but there are 1:32 figures available and these are more to scale with the 1:32 aircraft. The 54mm are often produced by 1:35 armour manufacturers. Craig Brown -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: Mike Connelley Subject: 1/700 Dudes Howdy: Tom's Modelworks sells a photoetched fret with about 120 sailors in various different poses. I hope this helps. Cheers Mike -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: Mark McKellar Subject: 'Cher >> More importantly, will WEM be producing a 'Cher', in various scales, er excluding 1:1 due to the amount of 'plastic' required......... << At what point to we move from modeling to stalking???? Mark in Boston where (thank heavens - we've had not a flake of snow yet) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: Kenneth Perry Subject: Modern USN paint color Does anyone know the FS number or at least the name for the gray used on modern US Navy ship hulls? Thanks. Ken -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: d gregory Subject: Re: "EilBoat" Mind you, I am aware the traditional understanding is that "E-Boat" is a RN invention. There have been some recent books that have found this assumption may not be correct. The "EEL BOAT" hypothesis sounded like an intriguing possibility. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: "FCR" Subject: Merry Christmas and a Happy New 2000 Hello to all I know that this is a little soon to send this but I am going tomorrow (Saturday, 18th) for vacations and I only came back on the 3rd of January. Certainly that I will carry with some ship "hulls" to work on this time. I hope that my computer don't "blow off" because I won't to see news from SMML when I came back. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW 2000 Regards Filipe Ramires PORTUGAL -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: "Mike Leonard" Subject: Navy Gray, Hulks, and Chicago Pianos Bob Beynart asked: >> It is my impression that the US Navy paints everything it owns which does not float a uniform shade of gray. Is this so (or even pretty much so), and does this ubiquitous "Navy Gray" have an FS number? << If it floats, flies, or has wheels, it is usually painted some shade of gray, but I don't know what FS numbers apply. (Aircraft modelers can probably provide some help there.) I've been told that during WW2 most Navy vehicles were left in an factory 'olive drab' finish and gray paint did not come into widespread use until the mid-1950s. Today many vehicles (sedans, minivans, and pickup trucks) are painted white. Roger Clemens stated: >> But there must still be quite a few 30 year old hulks at the bottom of the pond at North Central College in Naperville, Illinois. << Paging Doctor Ballard! Charlie Jarvis asked: >> By the way, is there a good source of the 1.1" AA guns used through 1942? << Not sure if this was regarding reference material or scale model parts. In 1/700, the updated Skywave WW2 US Navy set has 1.1" mounts. In 1/350, Classic Warships lists some sets but haven't seen those yet. Mike L Alexandria, VA USA -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: Chris.Evenden@agso.gov.au Subject: Re: Cher/Missouri I know I'm a bit late on the Cher/Missouri issue (I've been away). I remember when that song came out, I was in that "just getting interested in girls" part of teenagerhood - a skimply gressed woman and a battleship in one videoclip! What more could a young guy wish for!!?? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: GKingzett@aol.com Subject: Paint problem Hi all. I like to mix my own shades of paint when doing brush painted details with acrylics. I mix up a few drops in the bottom of a very small plastic cup. The paint thickens and begins to polymerize before I can finish. When that happens it can't successfully be thinned. I have to mix another batch and of course, in these small amounts it is impossible to match the previous color. Can any of you suggest what to use as a retarder? TIA. Gary Kingzett -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: b29@ix.netcom.com Subject: Re: HMAS ADELAIDE To answer your question, Art, yes, there is at least one model of the ship available, in 1:1250 scale: by Argonaut (#150), which depicts the ship after her 1938 refit, with 3 funnels and eight 6" guns. That's why I want painting info, because I want to repaint mine. The model is not currently in production, but might be located second-hand. Paul Jacobs -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: "Michael C. Smith" Subject: Essex class - the short & long of it Dave Baker's comment on the Friedman book is well-taken. It is the best source for the design history of the Essex class, and the drawings are, of course outstanding (Dave is being modest). Joseph, thanks for the suggestion (and the reference to the Princeton - I was looking for the post-Essex class Princetons two nights ago for some research I'm doing on the Independence class CVL Princeton (you might consider doing a model of it from the 1/700 scale kit, which is excellent, by the way). I doubt I'll have the time to do a writeup for the website - I would suggest that you read Friedman for the full whys and wherefores of the revised bow arrangement, refer to my drawing in the Essex book for the basic work to be done to a kit (I've got photos of when I did it to one as well), and the postwar modifications and handled well by Friedman, an excellent series in several Plastic Ship Modeler issues, and in the Terz. book (which as others have noted, has some errors, so I'd confirm anything with Friedman). Tiger, you've already done more work on the postwar Essexes than I have - I know generally what was done, but I haven't tried to analyzes the grouping - if I ever build a particular ship I'll just trace that ship's modifications because, contrary to the many renaming of the Revell kit, they all didn't look like that. But as far as the long/short dichotomy, you're exactly right. The waterline length didn't change, and the flight deck was actually shortened approximately 19 feet overall (to provide better arcs of fire for the bow and stern 40mm mounts). The change in length is the extended bow and the stern sponson to allow two 40mms quads to be mounted on the bow and the stern. Oriskany was built to a new design (SCB 27A) and the bow and probably the stern were lengthened even more. I believe she carried 3" weapons at the bow & stern on completion, not 40mm, and the mounts are clearly larger and extended further out, so there's your difference there. It appears to me that when the older short hull ships were modernized to the Oriskany's condition (you've got the precise modernizations down a lot better than I do) and received the extended bows, the short/long distinction essentially disappeared, and apparently they started being reclassified based on some other set of characteristics that were more important, which probably explains the variety of names for the classes. I consider the names as just the lead ship in a particular modernization, and that really doesn't mean much to me - they're all Essex class. I think I can help with the explanation of why the earlier ships were modernized, not the later. At the end of the war, would you want to keep in service your newest ships, or your oldest? Your newest, so you mothball the older ships. When you decide you want to modernize some ships, which do you modernize - the ones in commission that you'd have to replace with a reactivated one from mothballs that would have to have an expensive reactivation and partial upgrade just to replace the ship on the line, or the ones in mothballs that you can modernize without the cost of the partial upgrade (I hope I'm saying this right). So the newer ships stayed on the line in Korea while the older ships were modernized (had their guts taken out and replaced). The newer ships were the last in line for the big upgrades, and by that time, the Navy didn't need them as badly and shuffled them off to LHA and other duties where they didn't need to be upgraded. At least that's my guess - the Essex class ships were capable of a wide variety of duties based on how modernized they were, so several never received upgrades as front line carriers since they were suitable in their original or only partially modernized condition. Hope the above helps, Michael Smith Marshall, Texas -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) From: ECammeron@aol.com Subject: Re: Essex Long/Short Hulls The SCB-27a project was for H-8 Hydraulic Catapults and support features to operate modern (jet) aircraft. The SCB-27c project was for C-11 Steam Catapults and support features to operate jet aircraft. SCB-125 project was angled deck modifications. SCB-125a project applied only to ORISKANY and gave her an angled deck and steam catapults. FRAM applied only to the ships redesignated CVS in the late 50s and early 60s. It dealt mainly with ASW capability. The first two SCB-27a ships were ESSEX and WASP - one mothballed ship on each coast. Then, LEYTE and KEARSARGE were selected from the Active Fleet, both being earmarked for inactivation. It was calculated to be cheaper to modernize a ship from the active fleet instead of mothballing her than to take a ship from mothballs. KEARSARGE actually got her mod starting in January 1950 when she decommissioned at Bremerton. LEYTE missed hers when the Navy got funding to keep four rather than three ESSEX class active in early 1950. Then came Korea and money wasn't so tight. When the SCB-27a program was well underway, the steam catapult appeared. Three ships (INTREPID, TICONDEROGA and HANCOCK) got steam cats and axial decks. Then came the angled deck and three ships (LEXINGTON, BON HOMME RICHARD and SHANGRI-LA) got both steam cats and angled deck in one yard period. About the same time the original three CVAs with steam cats got their angled decks. From this time on, the two sets of ships had very different appearances. ORISKANY was last to be upgraded to steam cats in the late 1950s. Ships with SCB-27a mods and -125 angled decks (and LAKE CHAMPLAIN - the sole 27a only ship) were downgraded to CVS as carriers with steam cats appeared. Jets were getting too heavy for the H-8 cats. Because of the original selection of mothballed ships for modernization in 1948 and the outbreak of the Korean War, the newest ESSEX class (VALLEY FORGE, PHILIPPINE SEA, PRINCETON, etc) never received either mod - they were needed in the active fleet. As a result, the newest ships went to mothballs and the breakers yards first - LEXINGTON, the second oldest, became the oldest operational ESSEX. Eugene -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) From: "Robert Lockie" Subject: E boat designations I am grateful to Bernhard and everyone else who responded on this thread, although it would seem that we are not much further on. I read (and mentioned on SMML) Hummelchen's suggestion that the 'E' stood for 'effekt' (from 'Lurssen effekt) a while ago, which at least has the advantage of being a German term. However, the Germans always seemed to refer to them as S-boote. What baffled me is why the affidavit from the German interviewed in connection with the disappearance of the British raiders referred (in translation) to both terms. If the British knew what he meant by 'S-boot', why not translate it into the term 'E-boat' used in English parlance and if the German only knew the term 'S-boot', why would he have mentioned 'E-boat' at all? I know it is a translation and that the original German statement may hold the answer but there seems no logic to either the British or German versions mentioning both terms unless there were some difference between them. I know this is all pretty esoteric so entirely understand if everyone decides to boycott this thread in future. I probably just don't have enough to do... :o) Robert Lockie Cambridge UK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Mirco Zerbini" Subject: Heller DUNKERQUE/STRASBOURG 1/400 Hello everybody, My name is Mirko Zerbini and I recently joined SMML: this is actually the first time I write. My request is simple: if anybody has, and wants to sell, an Heller STRASBOURG or DUNKERQUE BB in 1/400, or has any hints on where I could find them, please write to my address. Thanks and happy modelling to everybody Mirko Zerbini -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Conan35@aol.com Subject: US Navy Paints & Imperial Japanese Navy Paints Model Expo has just finished bottling our first set U.S. Navy World War II warship colors. This paints have been fully tested for accuracy and quality, and are based on the great paint chip sets by Snyder & Short, which we are selling also. We have added 30 US Navy colors, items nos. MS4701 thru MS4730. Also, we have added 8 Imperial Japanese World War II warship colors, item nos. MS4901 thru MS4908. All available at our web site along with 4200 other items at: http://www.modelexpoinc.com Best Regards Rob Finley Web Site Mgr. Model Expo, Inc. Serving hobby enthusiasts everywhere since 1974. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Bill Gruner Subject: DECEMBER UPDATE Our new December UPDATE will be mailed out by Monday, and will go online on our website possibly as early as Dec.18. It will also go online on the WARSHIP website http://www.warship.simplenet.com by next week. Thank you. Bill Gruner Pacific Front Hobbies http://www.pacificfront.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Marc Flake Subject: New Magazine SMMLers: Ed Grune and I ran across a new magazine at one of our local hobby shops today. It's "Historic Naval Ships," a publication from the Historic Naval Ships Association. The HNSA lists over 100 Hhistoric ships that are preserved from the HMAS Advance to the USS Yorktown. Ships in Australia, Canada and Europe are included. Two preserved ships not in the magazine are the Aurora in Russia and the Mikasa in Japan. The Georgios Averoff in Greece is included. There's a brief history of each ship, vital statistics and contact information. For diorama builders, there's a photo of the Hornet and what looks like a Sumner-Class destroyer (USS Southerland) doing the replenishment underway thing with an oiler between them -- all very close together. It has a Spring 2000 publication date on the front. Looks like it published by the same folks who do Sea Classics, Challenge Pubications. Web address is: http://www.challengeweb.com. Marc Flake Tarrant County Texas (Where I've spent all week assembling more than 40 20mm guns for the USS Texas.) -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- From: Shane Subject: SMML site update for Hotmaillers Hi gang, Here's hoping that tonight the Hotmaillers get SMML. I've sent the last weeks worth of SMMLs to Mike & he's uploaded them to the site. In the future, I'll be sending him a copy after each SMML goes out & trying to get the rest upto date as well. Regards, Shane -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for having SMML at your home, why not stop by our home at: http://www.smml.org.uk -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume