Subject: SMML VOL 1767 Date: Sun, 23 Jun 2002 14:07:27 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: DD 484 USS Buchanan (Gleaves class) 1949 2: Endoscopes 3: Re: retaining "junk" ships 4: Heller HMS Hood. How Good Is It? 5: Re: Club video equipment 6: Re: HP-Models Website? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model club & SMMLcon Infomation 1: Festival of Sail and Model Contest -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: JFR1945@aol.com Subject: Re: DD 484 USS Buchanan (Gleaves class) 1949 >> I'm doing a US Buchanan in it's 1949 fit-as transferred to Turkey. Unfortunately I can find no photos of the ship either online or in the Classic Warships book. I was wondering if anyone would know what the ship looked like at the time of transfer-what weapons were fitted, what radar etc. Help! I need to ship it by August 10th. Thanks all-keep up the good work...Mike T << There is a photo of Gelibolu in the 54-55 JFS. She seems to still have the standard 1945 radar suite. Armament is 4-5" 38cal, 12 40mm (2 twins port & stbd second funnel), 2 quads port & stbd just forward "X" 5"), 5 21"TT between stacks, and gun tubs for at least 5 20mm (3 aft "B" mount, 2 port & stbd forward funnel). JFS claims 6 20mm -- impossible to tell.... I'd be happy to scan photo for you, if it is the best you can find. Good luck, John Reeder -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: URUDOFSKY@aol.com Subject: Endoscopes I think there is a huge market for medically "obsolete" endoscopes out there. The price for veterinary endoscopes even less. I am pretty sure that borrowing one from some med school physiology or experimental surgery lab is you best bet. I would not be surprised that even Major Walker's fantastic gizmo is one that has been put into storage by some medical establishment. Try: http://www.endoscopy.com/ Ulrich Rudofsky -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: raisingirl@mindspring.com Subject: Re: retaining "junk" ships hello all.... Mike wrote: >> Good point on the auxiliaries RD Bean, but I disagree on the CGs and FFs - they are junk, meaning they have been stripped. Guns barrels cut off, radars gone, fire controls and so on. More importantly they no longer have any preservation efforts done on them and are usually open to the elements with hatches open and so on. Probably Philly does a better job of protecting them since they seem to get the mothballed warships that have any hope of returning to active duty. << One reason why there are so many "junk" ships currently being retained is because the economics of scrapping them are, at the moment, prohibitive. The cost of scrap metals is depressed, plus the costs of scrapping them in the United States are so prohibitive (EPA/OSHA regulations, higher costs of US labor, etc.). Several US breaking yards formed in the early '90s to cash in on the "peace dividend" went belly-up (most famously, see the case of the long, sad, protracted scrapping of the Coral Sea). And the times the US has tried to send its old navy ships overseas to be scrapped, it's been a political nightmare -- politicians raise sand about how it takes jobs away from American workers, environmental groups raise sand about Americans "dumping their garbage" in foreign lands, etc. (There's also a fear of espionage at work, too. When the USS Shangri-La was sent, seriously deteriorated but basically intact, to Taiwan for scrapping in 1988, it came to be known that the Chinese were taking a very close look at her to learn things about building aircraft carriers of their own. So, years later, when the Bennington was sold to Indian scrappers, she was scrapped basically down to hangar-deck level before she left the United States. I don't think many, if any, combatants have been sold for scrap overseas since. Besides, many of these yards in India and Bangladesh are a horror -- just read the Pulitzer-winning newspaper articles that were written on this subject a couple years ago.) One reason so many ships are still around, although in horrid condition, is that it's just uneconomical given the present economic situation to scrap them. That's why a lot of old airliners that are basically shot airframes with no further hopes of re-use are still sitting out in the desert, and it's one reason why the SS United States is still around -- it would cost too much to scrap her. (It's also why the NS Savannah is still around, but she poses yet another set of disposal circumstances due to her reactor.) jodie -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Nick and Joy Rogers" Subject: Heller HMS Hood. How Good Is It? >> I'm looking for opinions on how good this kit is in terms of detail and accuracy...Is it comparable to some of their Kriegsmarine offerings?? Any comments would be appreciated... << Greetings, The Heller HMS Hood 1/400 scale kit is getting better all the time. Firstly,it has been re-released at long last by Heller. First time since the 1970's? A new dedicated Photo-Etch set is being rehashed from the superb White Ensign Models PE from their now discontinued 1/350 resin Hood kit - as we speak. (Quote #WEM PE 4004 to place your pre-orders!!) Replacement resin 1/350 scale UP Launchers are available from WEM. Lovely one piece items. A big improvement on the Heller bits. (#WEM PRO 3501) Replacement 1/400 scale Photo-Etch ships railings,vertical & inclined ladders and stanchions [for scary dioramas with canvas awnings] are available now. (#WEM PE 4001) Royal Navy 1941 paintwork can now be recreated thanks to the COLOURCOATS enamel paints range at White Ensign Models. See www.hmshood.com for the colours you'll need. Finally, if you buy the revised 2001 edition of the definitive Hood book, John Robert's "The Battlecruiser Hood" from the Anatomy of the Ship series by Conway Maritime Press, you get 1/400 scale elevation & plan drawings on the reverse of the dust jacket. How good this kit is in terms of detail and accuracy?? Holding the 2-piece x 66 centimetre long hull I seem to be able to find all the sexy coke bottle curves of the anti-torpedo bulges,the steps for the 7" & 12" armour belts and the flare of the bows. OK so the fairleads aren't too hot. Maybe some port holes are in the wrong spot and the bow profile isn't quite magical. Still this will make some damn fine big Hood kit practice till the ICM 1/350 scale Hood is available for sale. To me the hull is the most important part of a ship kit. Heller seem to have gotten Hood's complex hull form OK by my reading of the body plan(sections) on page 59 of John Robert's book. There are some problems with the rest of the kit.The worst is the shelter deck. The shelter deck (the big one with the funnels and the boats on it) doesn't go to the full width of the hull.Instead there is a narrow "aisle" along the side on the middle of the hull at forecastle deck level. See pic's of an uncorrected full hull Heller Hood to illustrate the problem. As built by Stefano, on his Knights & Battleships website. http://web.tiscali.it/lidcal/HMS%20Hood/source/10.html From the SMML archives I have found a waterline version of the Heller Hood by an English (formerly New Zealand?) modeller, Chris Drage. http://smmlonline.com/members/mainbrace/chris_drage/hood.html He has gone a long way to fix the phantom "aisle" or shelterdeck fault. So it can be remedied. Mike Bartel,of Imperial Hobby Productions,USA built a waterline Heller Hood which he corrected thoroughly. The following website has some small images of his excellent result. Totally accurized. http://ihphobby.tripod.com/hellerhood.html Other problems with the Heller Hood kit I am trying to understand exactly, include what is wrong with the shape of the 15" gun turrets (at least they come with blast bags) and the severe lack of portholes/doors or detail in the superstructure. My impression is one of an annoying lack of detail,rather than all that much which is wrong. At least missing stuff can be added. I am happy to own a Heller Hood.The kit is of the ship in her final 1941 configuration. I recommend it if you are ready to do the rework and all the detailing chores. Looking forward to hearing from other folks on what needs fixing on this kit. Cheers, Nick Rogers, Auckland, New Zealand. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: Joel Labow Subject: Re: Club video equipment >> The endoscope (or similar equipment) allows for internal viewing as well, but the humungous cost ($75,000 for the endoscope alone) makes it Pie-In-The-Sky for us, and for most clubs as well.<< You might consider checking with the surgery or ear, nose and throat department of your local hospital. Most busy departments replace all their endoscopes on a 2-3 year cycle and you might be able to get a cast-off bronchoscope (which would still be perfectly suitable for model use) for much less than the price new. Similarly, operating rooms discard surgical instruments at the slightest sign of misalignment...I have populated my toolbox over the years with a number of neat ophthalmology clamps. Joel Labow -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Sab1156@aol.com Subject: Re: HP-Models Website? H.P. models from Germany has no webside. The only importer is Pacific Front Hobbies. They got last month the type XXI,but until now,they did not ordered the type XXIII or any other german submarine from HP. NNT models from Germany have a webside (NNTModell.com), they also stock HP models. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Model club & SMMLcon Infomation -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Boatbldr Subject: Festival of Sail and Model Contest HI Kerry (And fellow Nor'Westers) I feel a miniSMML coming on - what about making it coincide with the event? regards Boatbldr -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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