Subject: SMML VOL 1695 Date: Fri, 10 May 2002 11:59:52 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Battleship Cove 2: Ship Model Flags 3: Contact for Revell of Germany 4: HMS Burwell Colours 5: ISW's 1/700 Brooklyn (AC 3) "in box review" 6: five carriers, from four different countries -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Dave Shirlaw Subject: Battleship Cove Battleship to Celebrate 60th Anniversary Fall River May 9, 2002 (MOR) - The Battleship Massachusetts will celebrate its 60th birthday on Sunday with a ship re-christening and re-commissioning. The World War II battleship, affectionately known as Big Mamie, will host the grand ceremony, which will include guest speakers, and a dedication of the newly restored admiral's quarters. The USS Massachusetts was launched on Sept. 23, 1941. It was one of the most sophisticated naval weaponry systems of its time. Big Mamie faced battles against strong Japanese air, naval and land forces in the South Pacific. The battleship, which has spent her retirement moored in Mount Hope Bay for the past 37 years now spends its time hosting the public for tours and educational lectures. On Sunday, the festivities will include a 21-gun salute, a reenactment of the 1941 christening by the granddaughter of Mrs. Charles Francis Adams, the ship's sponsor, a reenactment of the battleship's commissioning, and the dedication of the restored admiral's quarters in honor of Benjamin D. Schulman, a former officer of the Massachusetts. Ambassador J. William Middendorf II, secretary of the Navy from 1974 to 1977, will be the guest of honor. "Ambassador Middendorf is a true American statesman and life-long supporter of the United States Navy," said the museum's executive director, Capt. Ernst M. Cummings. "We are honored to welcome a man of his international prominence on board the Massachusetts for this historic event." Middendorf was enrolled in the Navy V-12 program at Harvard University and the Naval ROTC at Holy Cross College. He served in the Pacific Theater in 1945 and 1946. Prior to becoming secretary of the Navy, Middendorf served as undersecretary of the Navy and ambassador to the Organization of American States, and most recently as U.S. ambassador to the European Community. Also an author and composer, Middendorf has been the recipient of numerous decorations, including the Distinguished Public Service Award from the Department of Defense. Other dignitaries at the event will include Daniel P. Burnham, chairman of Raytheon Co.; Rear Admiral Rodney P. Rempt, president of the Naval War College; and Capt. Allan P. Slaff, a former officer of the Massachusetts who later commanded several other ships, including the heavy guided missile cruiser, Albany. Events will begin at 10:30 a.m. aboard the battleship. The public is invited at no charge. A reception will take place after the ceremonies with a buffet lunch. Tickets for the reception are $25, and can be purchased by calling the battleship at 508-678-1100. Dave Shirlaw Editor, Seawaves Magazine www.seawaves.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: Kelvin Mok Subject: Ship Model Flags >> These are silk flags which, when treated according to the enclosed instructions, drape and furl very realistically. << I once asked a professional model ship maker how he managed to make such realistic flags that were thin and draped convincingly. This was on a static three master. His method was to paint flags on thin copperfoil and folded it accordingly. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Henry Blecha Subject: Contact for Revell of Germany I recently purchased the R0G USS WASP kit. One of the trees is missing. I am looking for a good contact where I could purchase the missing tree. I live in So California. Thanks Henry Blecha -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Gordon Scott Subject: HMS Burwell Colours I'm trying to build the B-Resina HMS Burwell (the ex USN flush-decker) and I'm getting stuck on the camouflage colours. There is a very clear photo of her in the new Warships Perspective book and it contradicts the painting instructions with the kit which seem to be the reverse. Anyway, it is an early Western Approaches scheme with dark grey panels at the bow and stern. Now the main colour does not look like white but pale grey (507c?) Is this just a trick of the light and if not are the darker colours WA blue and green or different shades of grey? Does anyone have more infomation. Gordon Scott, Cambridge, UK -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "D.Przezdziecki" Subject: ISW's 1/700 Brooklyn (AC 3) "in box review" The model comes packed in a sturdy box with styrofoam beads as a "fill in". Box contains "instructions", bubble wrapped hull, zip bag full of smaller details and a two lengths of brass wire of various thickness. Let's start with "instructions", here producers took a bold step to encourage potential kit buyers to do their own research. A single piece of paper contains not only very simplified assembly drawings of Brooknlyn but also of Maine and Katahdin. With parts unnumbered and no instructions on how to place ship's boats kit assemblers have no choice but to use their own references or their own imagination. The hull casted in light blue resin is about 3mm too short (which is just about ok) and almost spot on breadth wise (0,8mm to wide). There are no air bubbles on the surfaces and I have noticed only few small gaps which would require filling. My hull was slightly banana shape in profile, but this is a common problem with all resin kits. Of the two bollards located just aft of anchor beds the starboard one is missing and the winch in front of forward turret is not as substantial as it should have been, I am also not convinced about the shapes of the bow and stern but, once again, corrections of all those errors will not be difficult. I would have been much happier too if the very heavy divison lines on the forecastle sides and side sponsors weren't there but (with care) those can be erased and replaced with a painted line. I do however have problems with the portholes which are quite overscaled (on average they are over 5 scale meters in diameter!!!) and so instead of a background they become the main feature of the ship's sides. There are only two varietes of the ship's row boats so if one wants a full complement those will have to be substituted from the spare box. With my kit there was one spare funnel provided but since two of them were badly miscasted anyway I am still left one funnel short and will probably have to replace the whole lot. Overall it isn't a bad model but it is let down by the overscalled portholes and IMO totally inadequate instructions. Regards D.Przezdziecki -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "Robert Healy" Subject: five carriers, from four different countries To All, Nice picture if you are interested. What a diorama this would make. "An historic first, five carriers, from four different countries, caught on camera in the Arabian Sea while taking part in "Operation Enduring Freedom" From foreground to background, by columns: USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT with escort LEYTE GULF astern, ITS GARIBALDI with escort ZEFIERO, FNS CHARLES DE GAULLE with escort JEAN BART, HMS ILLUSTRIOUS with escort SOUTHAMPTON, and USS JOHN C STENNIS with escort PORT ROYAL." http://www.strategypage.com/gallery/default.asp?target=4carriers.htm http://www.strategypage.com/default.asp (Checkout the humor page via the home page. It will keep you busy for a while). There was also an article in the Daily Telegraph. Sea Harriers gone by 2006. "Bernard Jenkin, the shadow defence secretary, will accuse the Treasury of putting "intolerable pressure" on the defence budget." "He will use a Commons debate to highlight the scrapping of the Navy's Sea Harrier fighter aircraft, which he will blame on a £1 billion cut in defence spending since Labour came to power in the 1997 election" http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml;$sessionid$WRKWTSYAAEQZ3QFIQMFCFFWAVCBQYIV0?xml=/news/2002/05/08/ndef08.xml&sSheet=/news/2002/05/08/ixnewstop.html Regards, Bob Healy -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume