Subject: SMML VOL 1811 Date: Tue, 16 Jul 2002 00:20:21 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Corsair Armada USS Wasp 2: German tour 3: Re: nottingham & stuff 4: Re: WRPRESS 5: Re: Ensigns and Turrets 6: Small Parts and carpets 7: An answer to Alans question 8: HP's Eagle kit ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Jon Iverson" Subject: Corsair Armada USS Wasp Can anyone give a quick build up review of this kit? Thank you. Jon Iverson ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: CokerRE@aol.com Subject: German tour To our German SMMLies I expect to be in northern Germany in early October and am looking for an English-speaking private tour guide to drive around to the various maritime museums with ship model collections in the area between Hamburg, Flensburg, Kiel, and Rostock. Of course I don't expect this to be done for free. If any of you know of someone, please contact me off line at cokerre@aol.com. Thanks PC Coker ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "Steven P. Allen" Subject: Re: nottingham & stuff >> talking of classifications of warships... over the years we have seen the "demise" of certain class of warships... for instance the battleship.. chances are that there will be never be another battleship again... the large carriers they were looking as being only for the US & now they are starting to make a come back.... Cruisers , they are large & require a lot of crew perhaps they could be next to go?? seeing that destroyers these days pack enough punch similar to a cruiser.. so could fleets of the future be nothing than destroyers mixed with frigates??? what else could be going the way of the dodo << Following Friedman, the last cruiser built for the USN was Long Beach. All subsequent "cruisers" were built to destroyer specifications with respect to hull construction, equipment fit, and basic survivability. (Note, for example, that the first Ticos were originally classed DDs, and the Leahys/Belknaps were DLGs.) In essence, what you have suggested has already come to pass. Steve Allen ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: royrichey@att.net Subject: Re: WRPRESS Thank you for your mature and elegent comment. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: Edd Pflum Subject: Re: Ensigns and Turrets First, thanks to all who responded (or will respond) to my Royal Navy ensigns questions. Very informative, and just what I wanted to know. Second, the terms "turret" and "barbette" both derive from features of land-based fortifications which were adapted to describe the naval items, and therefore may have ambiguous definitions. Within a particular service, the U.S. Navy for example, the terms may have exact definitions to avoid the ambiguity, but these are "local." Here in the States, if you call a Colt .45 six-gun a "pistol", some gun nut wag will tell you it's not a "pistol", it's a "revolver." Only single-shots and autoloaders are "pistols." Ordnance manuals from the period of the introduction of revolvers, however, refer to them as "revolving pistols." Times and technologies change, and the terms change with them. Don't get me started on whether whales are "fish." ;-P Edd ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Peter Subject: Small Parts and carpets Regarding the bib and other tips on not losing parts into the carpet, I have been using the enemy's strength against him, a kind of martial arts approach. Seriously, I have covered the top of my work area with dense pile indoor-outdoor carpet squares. I then put a small self-healing cutting mat on top as my primary work area. The carpet squares act to snag little parts that go "boiiiiing" off my tweezers or as I cut PE. It does not always work, but many times the offending part is snagged on my desk top and never reaches the floor. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Subject: An answer to Alans question A turret, mounting, barbette or what? I am able to shed some light on Alan Ravens question, the differences between the Battle Class and Daring Class twin 4.5" destroyer mountings as I have copies of both gunnery manuals. BR 1635(1951) and BR 2014C (1957) In the case of the earlier Battle Class the gun mounting was arranged to accommodate two 4.5" Mark 3(N) QF/SA guns in one cradle. The revolving structure was carried on a roller path supported on a ring structure between decks. The between deck space around the mounting constitutes the working chamber. (QF/SA = Quick fire semi-automatic). Hydraulic power, with oil as the medium, was employed for rapid elevating and training, for operating the ammunition hoists and gun loading trays and rammers. Power was supplied by a V.S.G. "A" end situated in the working chamber between decks, and was led into the revolving structure through pipe connections arranged in the centre of the turntable. The power unit consisted essentially of an electric motor which drives a variable output geared auto pump. Carriage, Turntable, Base and Gunhouse The carriage is built up on a box section turntable, to which is attached the upper roller path, supported by a number of horizontal rollers on a fixed roller path. The mounting was prevented from jumping by clips attached to the turntable. Four gaps are cut in the upper roller path, on the underside of the turntable, for the purpose of withdrawing the horizontal rollers. The lateral thrust of firing is taken by double flanges on the horizontal rollers and to assist training, when the ship is pitching or rolling, vertical rollers are fitted to the gunhouse supports and bear on the deck coaming which formes theroller path. Thirteen vertical rollers were provided of which five were grouped at the rear of the gunhouse. The turntable was designed with an opening in the centre through which the empty cartridge cases fell into a compartment directly below the mounting. The gunhouse was of the turret type and was carried on supports attached to the turntable and carriage. It was extended at the rear to accommodate the hoists and ventilating fans, and was fitted with a look-out hood. Doors were provided at the rear of the gunhouse. The gunhouse could also be manned from between decks through the gunwell. (This is followed by a further 50 pages of technical text describing the fittings and arrangements). The description is applicable to Mark 4 mountings Reg. No 1-7 fitted in HMSs Savage No 1, HMS Barfleur No 2, 3, HMS Armada No 4,5, HMS Trafalgar No 6,7. Turning to the later mountings for the Post war destroyers. Three 4.5" twin R.P. 41 Mark 6 mountings were fitted in each of HM ships Daring, Dainty, Defender and Delight and two in each destroyers of the Royal Australian navy's Battle class. Three 4.5" twin R.P. 41Mark 6* Mod 1 mountings were fitted in Leopard class AA frigaes and one in each of Salisbury class Air irection and Whitby class anti-Submarine frigates. Apart from differences necessitated by A.C. electrical power supplies, Marks 6 and 6* mountings were identical in layout. It was a totally enclosed semi-automatic rapid fire mounting designed primarily for intallation in destroyers. Two QF 4.5" Mark 5 guns were mounted in a common cradle. The aiming arrangements were designed for auto operation, but alternative methods of power operation were provided in Mark 6 and 6* mountings for the layer and trainer, and for the captain of turret by joystick in all Marks. No provision was made for operating the aiming systems by hand, but for maintenance purposes a hand pump was fitted which could be used to provide oil pressure to elevate or train the mounting in slow time. The revolving structure consisted of a gunhouse which was built upon the turntable and a revolving platform which was situated below the turntable and supported by it. The turntable was supported on horizontal support rollers carried in the training base which was bolted to the deck. The revolving platform was approximately level with the raised floor of the gunbay which was a circular compartment immediately below the deck carrying the training base. The gunbay ring bulkhead was of cantilever construction and supported the weight of the revolving structure. It was built around the revolving platform and afforded unobstructed space for loading the ammunition troughs on the revolving platform. Gunhouse The shield which enclosed the gunhouse was of all welded construction and consisted of a roof, front, back and sides welded together into one unit. The lower edge was fitted with an angle by means of which it was bolted to the floor of the gunhouse. This is followed by a further 5 pages of data and text. Both of these well known destroyer mountings will be drawn, one day when time permits! Oh for more hours in the day! Yours "Aye" John Lambert ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: Dimi Apostolopoulos Subject: HP's Eagle kit Dear All, Does anybody know if H-P has released the Eagle kit? The discussion on the quality of their other carrier kits has been very informative. Thanks! Dimi ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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