Subject: SMML VOL 1843 Date: Thu, 01 Aug 2002 00:12:03 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Getting Kids Involved 2: Kombrig Kit of NEUSTRASHIMY - A Quick Review 3: 1:20!!! GRAFF SPEE 4: Camouflage of X23 5: Re: Getting Kids Involved ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: Mike Bartel Subject: Re: Getting Kids Involved >> I found Dr. Jang's review of Chinese modeling very informative. Kerry definitely has a knack for telling a good story. The picture he conjured of kids playing with ship models stayed with me all day--there's hope for this ol' world after all. Let's hope they teach their elders that it's far better to trade and grow with your neighbors than to aim missiles at them. << I hope you're talking about all kids, Victor- I know a few 'elders' here in the West, too, that could use this advice! Sitting and building a model with your kid is one of the things that all parents should do. It's like playing catch with your kid- you just HAVE to do it. We were talking about this on the Steelnavy site a while back. I noted that there were a lot of kits that were still available from back when I was a kid that younger modelers can enjoy. Revell's offerings, some of the Water Line Series kits, Lindberg's big ship kits, and now the new Chinese releases are ideal for younger modelers, and if you choose the motorized kits from the Trumpeter or Nichimo, for example, you can also play with it in your backyard pool or bathtub when you are finished. Then, gradually, you introduce your kid to the history around the subjects you are building. I'm not a parent, but I can imagine from looking at succesful parents that it's your time that is the best thing you can give your kids, and building a model is a great way to spend time. My mother would sometimes build the more complicated models with me when I was younger, but my father did not- an odd reversal of the stereotype. Guess that's one reason why I'm a bit closer to my mother today than my father. Mike Bartel ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Pletscher-Lenz-Schneider" Subject: Kombrig Kit of NEUSTRASHIMY - A Quick Review I just got the new Kombrig kit of the modersn Russian frigate Neustrashimy, and here is a short report: At first, this is a new kind of Kombrig kit as it contains a PE fret with parts for the masts, some of the mast platforms, some of the radar antennas, the rotors for the helicopter and different kinds of railings. These parts are very nicely done and of nowaday's qualitiy standard. The resin parts, too, look pretty nice at first glance. The hull comes with most of the upperworks molded on. Only the helicopter deck and the bridge have to be added from separate parts. There are lots of details molded to the deck. But for some unknown reason, there are no details on the side of the complete superstructure foreward of the main mast. This is a severe drawback as there should be a row of rectangular windos along each level of these upperworks. Further there are large areas of vent gratings at the funnel base, the funnel cap and the fore part of the supersructure aft of the main mast which are missing with the kit. There are also some minor inaccuracies. The real ship has notches where the rails on the quarterdeck meet the transom stern which are not shown at the model. The small nocks aft of the bridge are missing. Finally some small devices such as the chaff launchers on the main deck are not provided with the kit. Unfortunately, there are also no decals for the hull number. All in all, however, this seems to be a fairly nice kit. Falk Pletscher ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: Minadmiral@aol.com Subject: 1:20!!! GRAFF SPEE Hi Guys; Go look at this. http://www.bismarck-class.dk/shipmodels/german_models/admiralgrafspeeterra.html Chuck Duggie WoodenWalls Listmeister eGroups : WoodenWalls Naval wargamer, amateur naval historian, and ship modeler ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Rui Francisco Matos" Subject: Camouflage of X23 To WRPRESSINC, Hello, According to Accurate Armour X-Craft instruction booklet, this camuflage was used only by the X-craft in the Operation Gambit, on the 6th July. Although I have several books on the X-Craft this was the first time I read about this painting scheme... the bulk of pictures I have show them in a Black/Extra Dark Grey (can't tell the difference - but A.A. refer the Extra Dark Grey full craft painting). I will trust Accurate Armour, although a fine painting guide would be usefull on such a excellent model! You can check the master model build and painted at http://www.accurate-armour.com/aaproducts.cfm?CFID=8872&CFTOKEN=55693988&navlevel=1 Hope this helped, Rui Matos (aka Skipper) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "Daniel Bauer" Subject: Re: Getting Kids Involved Greetings from Minnesota! I have recently moved from Guam to Minnesota.What a temp. change! Well anyway, I am happy to say my 10 year old daughter has been bitten by the model bug. She has always watched me as I sat at night working on a project. Last month she asked if she could have a go at it. Sure thing! We went out to the local hobby shop and she picked out a model of a 1934 Ford Coupe. Well it may not be a ship, but its a start. If I can remember, my first model wasn't a ship either. It was an old Aurora Panther Model. Wish I had that kit in its box now! Keep trying with the kids, who knows our hobby isn't dead yet. Regards, Dan Bauer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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