Subject: SMML VOL 1660
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 2002 00:11:52 +1000

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MODELLERS INDEX

1: British Ships
2: Re: british liner orontes orien line 1929
3: Re: USS Hornet captured in museum model
4: Re: 1:600 Kitech Charles De Gaulle
5: Re: What to use for 1:700 rigging INJ destroyer?
6: Re: CVL books
7: Re: Hasegawa Kits
8: Few thoughts about the scale
9: Independence CVL Book
10: Re: USS Cole

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MODELLERS

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1)
From: GUSDOCVILL@aol.com
Subject: British Ships

 SMMLies,

 I seek information on details of the following WW2 British ships: Ajax, Suffolk, Belfast and Warspite.

 Looking for placement of doors, hatches, ladders, davits, etc.

 Looking for accuracy of colors listed in the instructions and areas to be painted. It calls for Humbrol cream and cockpit green different areas of the decks. Is this correct!?

 Looking for measurements of aft superstructure of other Kent class cruisers. I found a Suffolk kit and want to build another Kent class cruiser. I have no idea what the aft structure looks like. Have always loved the ocean liner look the Kent class had, with that high freeboard.

 How were each mast and yardarms rigged? Where were the lines secured to -- flagbag or cleats?

 How many "guy wires" did each funnel have? Where were the lines secured to?

 And please, do not tell me of the numerous books that are out on each of these ships - I know. I sincerely appreciate the SMMLer who posted the ebay books. But, I had to chose between the books or PE for each ships. I am not financially set that I can have both. Lord knows if I had the money, I would break WEM for all the books, resin accessories and PE they have that I want!!

 Thank you all in advance!

 Grace and peace of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, bless you all and your beloved families.

 Gus
 Semper Fi
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2)
From: Mike Potter <potter4@att.net>
Subject: Re: british liner orontes orien line 1929

>> please could advise where we could get a photo of the above ship <<

 The World's Merchant Fleets 1939 (ISBN 155750959X) by John Jordan has photos of either this ship or others of her class. http://www.usni.org offers it.
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3)
From: "Bill & Kaja Michaels" <billkaja@tiac.net>
Subject: Re: USS Hornet captured in museum model

>> What he taught himself about the now–famed mission in order to create this 130-pound historical document is as mind–boggling as were the fascinating facts surrounding the Tokyo raid.

 <snip>

 “I had been doing modeling since I was seven, airplanes and such, but to mark this point in my life, I wanted to do something more challenging, something big.” The young man, then living just across the SC–Georgia border in Gwinnett County, ran into his first challenges soon after he determined that “something big” would be the construction of a 1/700th scale model of the USS Hornet. 

 <snip>

 The Doolittle planes are fully decorated on the model, then there are 400 more model airplanes positioned on the correct decks as they would have been on that fateful mission. There are also 500 miniscule men, freeze-framed in their various lines of duty.

 <snip

 “When it was finished, Fritz (Hamer) came over with a covered truck and took it back to Columbia.” Spencer gave the completed model to the Raiders who in turn gave it to the SC State Museum. It was on exhibition during the 50th Doolittle Reunion and was brought out again for this, the 60th and probably last reunion. <<

 I'm confused about the USS Hornet model posting -- I suspect some key details were mis-typed,......

 What scale is it? 1/700? That doesn't sound like "something big". Maybe it is really 1/72 scale, which would make it about 10-12 feet long...?

 Does he really have a 130 pound historical document? Or does the model weigh 130 pounds?

 The model can't really have 400 model planes on board, can it?

  Bill and Kaja Michaels
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4)
From: Mike Bartel <promodelmaker@yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: 1:600 Kitech Charles De Gaulle

>> Has anybody seen these for sale in Europe/UK, After Mike Bartels initial review i really want one, the trouble is where from? I don't think Mike would appreciate a bunch of shipping orders for a chinese copy of a ship when he produces and sells some very fine resin kits.

 So does anybody out there know where we can purchase these kits from? <<

 Why, thanks for the good words, Geoff. Hope you eventually feel the same about the new forthcoming metal kits! I only saw the De Gaulle kit myself for the first time in one of my local shops a month ago or so, and it might be a couple of months before they make it to Europe. If you don't mind paying by Paypal, I could always try to accomodate those in Europe who can't wait. It's not something I'd be making money on, but if I can help you out, I will.

 Mike Bartel
 IHP
 http://ihphobby.tripod.com
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5)
From: SteveWiper@aol.com
Subject: Re: What to use for 1:700 rigging INJ destroyer?

>> I'm completing my first model, a skywave 1:700 IJN Destroyer. I'd appreciate any suggestions as to what to use for rigging and how to attach it. I have some fine stainless steel orthodontists wire but it frankly looks too heavy. Is a fine black thread a good idea? How is it secured. <<

 Go to a fishing supply store and ask for fly fishing tie line, a Japanese mono filament, which come as small as .002.

 Steve Wiper
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6)
From: Rick Heinbaugh <heinbau@gte.net>
Subject: Re: CVL books

>> Squadron has issued the new book on Independence class CVL's. It pretty good. A while back I got a copy of warbook club ads and have lost it they describe another book on the Independence class that appears to be hard bound any one see it? <<

 I saw the new hard back CVL book from the Naval Institute Press. As a modeler (I claim), I am interested first in pictures. I found the book really disappointing and decided not to pick it up. (Saw it at Barnes & Noble)

 My ulterior motive was to get some additional info about the 1950 update on the Cabot. No joy. A paragraph of text and no pictures.

 I'm expecting Mike Smith's "In Action" book from Squadron to be much more valuable for modeling.

 Rick
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7)
From: Gernot Hassenpflug <Hassenpflug.Ismail@mb3.seikyou.ne.jp>
Subject: Re: Hasegawa Kits

 In VOL1658 Ken LeClair <koolken1962@shaw.ca> wrote:

>> I was in my local hobby shop and was tempted to purchase one of the 1/450 ships by Hasegawa. Would apreciate some good or bad points known about these kits before I do make a purchase. <<

 I have this to say: avoid Tirpitz and Bismarck like the plague. Vanguard too is a lot of work. Akagi on the other hand is a work of art which you will be able to really enjoy. My opinion of the Musashi and Yamato is that you are better off using the Tamiya kits as a base.
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8)
From: "D.Przezdziecki" <dprzezdziecki@blueyonder.co.uk>
Subject: Few thoughts about the scale

 The more I think about it the more I am convinced that 1/700 scale while appropriate for WWII and even WWI subjects is quite inadequate to do justice to pre-dreadnoughts. I am not a big fan of 1/350 since having any sort of collection in this scale would probably require a purchase of separate building just for this purpose. So what scale should be the best if you still want to take an advantage of PE sets available on the market??? I think 1/400 seems be the best, but would be interested in opinions of others.

 Regards
 D.P
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9)
From: "Jim Kloek" <jkloek1@rochester.rr.com>
Subject: Independence CVL Book

 I have the hard bound book by Faltum on the Independence class CVLs. As a modeling reference it is disappointing, there are only a few photographs, and none of them were new or useful for seeing detail. The book itself is a pretty standard rehash of USN carrier operations in the Pacific. It does include some material at the end about the post war service of these ships. In my opinion, nothing to rush out to get.
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10)
From: "Justin D Richard" <ricjus002@netzero.net>
Subject: Re: USS Cole

>> I saw on the news today that the USS COLE has recommisioned after being rebuilt. <<

 It seems she was never decommissioned according to the AP News.

 Justin
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 Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Backissues, Member's models & reference pictures at:

 http://smmlonline.com

 Check out the APMA site for an index of ship articles in the Reference section at:

 http://apma.org.au/
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End of Volume