Subject: SMML VOL 1813 Date: Wed, 17 Jul 2002 01:20:00 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: my stuff 2: Tico designations 3: DLGs to Cruisers 4: Re: Naval Ship's boats 5: Re: RN Uniforms/Colour 6: Re: Small parts, carpets 7: Barbette vs. turret 8: RN Navy News has not heard of HMS Nottingham .. surprise surprise 9: U.S. Navy ship's boats 10: Re: Higgins Boats/PT Boats in New Orleans, LA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Allan and Crystal Plumb Subject: Re: my stuff >> so without starting a battle or any arguments between SMML people here.. why then are the Ticonderoga class ships listed as cruisers (CG)???????? << 1) Morale: "I'm on a cruiser" >> "I'm on a destroyer". 2) Vacuum: Otherwise the USN would have nothing to call a cruiser. Without a cruiser, how can you be a Real Navy (tm)? (Why else do they still keep those Battleships (!) hanging about?) 3) Politics aka Money: Easier to convince Congress to spend X billion on a "cruiser" than on a mere "destroyer". Any time you see them do a blanket rename of "frigate" to "cruiser" (except for the DL2's), there's a reason other than technical. I've been cynical ever since. On the other hand, "a cruiser by any other name"... The map is not the territory, i.e. it doesn't matter what they _call_ it, it matters what it _does_. Enjoy. Allan "Courageous was a battlecruiser, but see above" Plumb As to the battles - too late! :-) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Devin J. Poore" Subject: Tico designations >> so without starting a battle or any arguments between SMML people here.. why then are the Ticonderoga class ships listed as cruisers (CG)???????? << While I was in and stationed on a Tico (the Normandy, CG-60) I asked the same question, as the hulls are identical to the Spruances. I never really got a straight answer from anyone I asked. I heard that it was due to the limited anti-sub capability with massive anti-air capability, others said it was due to displacement, and some said it was "just because they wanted to". Devin ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: NAVYDAZE@aol.com Subject: DLGs to Cruisers Andrew, now why did you want to go and start something like this!!! :-) Well, to make it more confusing the DLGs of the FARRAGUT class did not become Cruisers but instead went to DDG status, probably more because they looked like destroyers and not cruisers. Personally I just think they have lost the true meaning of what a cruiser is today's DDG and the CGs are pretty close, except for the weapons, electronics and all that and they just had to call them two different things, could not call them Frigates as we joined the rest of the world and use that to designate our Escorts. Well, that is my 2 cents worth! Michael Donegan NAVYDAZE Naval & Aviation Artist http://www.navydaze.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: SHIPMDLR@aol.com Subject: Re: Naval Ship's boats >> Does andyone know of a book which would describe and possibly give plans for Naval Ship's boats as I need to build some for different ships that I'm building. << The Floating Dry-dock has an excellent book that covers many of the small boats used in the Navy. It includes scale drawings for all the boats in the book. You can order it from their web site. Rusty White Flagship Models Inc. Purchase online with your Visa/Amex/Discover/MasterCard http://www.okclive.com/flagship/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: John Snyder Subject: Re: RN Uniforms/Colour Hi David, Want to avoid all that filing and knobbly knees? Then simply have her closed up at action stations. The crew would have been in long trousers and shirts, and anti-flash gear. Hi John, Comments forthcoming. I know the ICI book well, and it IS very good. However, it--like the current Munsell Book of Color--bears no particular relationship to historical paint colours used during WW2. As for that B55 sample, it was matched directly to an Admiralty Colour Card, and represents a late-war variant of B55 when blue pigments were in short supply. Randy and I now have a sample of the earlier (blue) B55, which Randy intends to put out in RN Set 3, and which we will be including in the Colourcoats line once all the Kriegsmarine colours are in hand. The reference materials (i.e., the 1929 Munsell Book of Color) are great when one can't lay hands on original samples, which remains the S&S preference. Only a few of the USN colours were matched to the Munsell, and the RN colours were matched either to actual paint samples or to Admiralty Colour Cards. We stand by them. Best, John Snyder White Ensign Models http://dspace.dial.pipex.com/white.ensign.models/ ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "michael thrupp" Subject: Re: Small parts, carpets just idly wondering....ref. Joe's word 'statistically' - do errant small parts of the 'poiiinnnnng' variety follow a ballistic or aerodynamic trajectory or flight path? I appreciate this is more about winged, rather than wet, objects. Yours philosophically Mike Thrupp ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: Rod Dauteuil Subject: Barbette vs. turret As I recall, the Barbette is the platform and enclosure the gun (turret) sits in. In some pictures of battleships under construction, the barbette usually appears as a large round hole where each turret will be. But I could be wrong. While I'm posting, I'll make a query to SMMLies. I recently purchased the Heller model of the LeSuroit. I was planning to make this a model of some commercial research and salvage vessel, but then I visited the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) website and saw some of the ships they use. While not prototypical, I think the LeSuroit would look good as one of their ships. What I'm looking for are the NOAA Logos. Does anybody make these? It's a flying seagull with light blue bottom and dark blue top. I suppose they'd be easy enough to cut out of colored decal paper, but a pre-printed decal would be much easier. Rod ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Michael Kear" Subject: RN Navy News has not heard of HMS Nottingham .. surprise surprise I know the RN's web site is supposed to refer to the Royal Navy in positive terms, because it's their own site, but you'd think there would be SOMETHING on there about HMS Nottingham, even if it was only how heroic were the crew's efforts to save the ship from potential disaster. They can hardly pretend that one of their biggest ships isn't half full of water in the Western Pacific Ocean. It's not like it's a secret in Britain or anything. I don't see why they don't acknowledge there's been an incident (because when the report comes in there's going to be LOTS and lots of publicity in Britain about it) and put a favourable spin on it. There's no positive way to say you have a ship on the rocks, but there is plenty positive they could say about how the crew handled it and how despite extensive damage the ship stayed afloat and functioned anyway. How the crew is in good spirits and there is a lot of good PR work being done on Lord Howe Island etc etc. I just think if you ignore bad news it only looks a hundred times worse. And its not all bad news here. Cheers, Mike Kear Windsor, NSW, Australia www.modelwarship.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: BSteinIPMS@aol.com To: shipmodels@tac.com.au Subject: U.S. Navy ship's boats >> Does andyone know of a book which would describe and possibly give plans for Naval Ship's boats as I need to build some for different ships that I'm building. << Sure, The Floating Drydock has a nice little comb-bound book on ship's boats with basic views and photos, and the title is something like: Ship's boats and service craft of the U.S. Navy", or somesuch. http://www.floatingdrydock.com Bob Steinbrunn Minneapolis Nautical Research Guild ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: GKingzett@aol.com Subject: Re: Higgins Boats/PT Boats in New Orleans, LA Go to the D-Day Museum. I don't remember the address, but it is across the street from the Convention Center near the river. Very informative. In fact it isn't about just D-Day, but amphibious landings in both the Atlantic and Pacific theatres. Contains a great deal of information regarding Higgins boats and the war effort. Notice the 1:1 model of the Avenger in the entrance hall. Gary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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