Subject: SMML VOL 2068 Date: Fri, 20 Dec 2002 02:28:40 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: U-boats 2: U Boat kits 3: Bonhomme Richard 4: Re: Trumpeter Hornet - anyone in Canberra got one? 5: Merry Xmas 6: Steel Navy Off-line??? 7: Re: HMS Manchester -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: New items at SANDLE Hobbies ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Phil Collins" Subject: Re: U-boats Hi everyone. >> Why hasn't anybody suggested the 1/35 scale U-Boat? I forget the manufacturer, but I saw the kit in a store recently. The box (actually a wooden crate) was stood on end, and it was around 6 or 7 feet tall. Now THERE'S a project! What a diorama it would make, perhaps with some Italeri Opel Blitz trucks dockside, and all that armor detail available!!!!! Now if I could only find $1800 to spare. << If this the kit I'am thinking off then it was by a company called Andrea Miniatures. Their demo kit is a displayed in drydock diorama. I cannot find the words to describe how superb this looks. Try to get hold of a back issue of Military Modelling, 10-30 May for full photos. It has to be seen to be believed! >> Not only that but Joe Jr. was involved in something truly heroic. It was a B-17, not a B-24, and here's what it was. A "war weary" B-17 was modified with radio control and packed with roughly 20,000 pounds of very high explosives. The pilot (Kennedy) was to take the plane off and get it flying in the right direction, and confirm that it was under active radio control. << It was one of the V2 sites. Phil ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "David N. Lombard" Subject: U Boat kits Another source of U-Boat kits is Mirage, a Polish manufacturer. I have several of their surface ships and aircraft; the moldings are quite fine and crisp. Most of their submarine subjects are German. Check them out at http://www.mirage-hobby.com.pl/ PE for Mirage kits are available from Mirage and from Part, another Polish manufacturer. Part frets along with Mirage kits are available from Jadar-Model, a model shop in Warsaw. They're online at http://www.jadar.com.pl/ As one might guess, Polish ships and aircraft are my favorite subjects. I have no connections with any of the above companies... David N. Lombard Rossmoor, Orange County, CA N 33 deg, 48', W 118 deg, 5' ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "Kerry L. Jang" Subject: Bonhomme Richard Hi Charlie, No, there is no kit of the Bonhomme Richard that is any good. You will have to scratch build it and the best set of plans (although still a reconstructions) are to be found at: http://www.ancre.fr The Bonhomme Ricahrd was a converted French Indiaman the Duc de Duras. There is an excellent book available from the French publisher ANCRE on the battle itself, a set of plans. There have been a few models built to this plan, but its a massive job. The BBC news article is interesting as it talks about how the Serapis shamefully struck to the Bonhomme Richard. If you read the book on the battle from ANCRE, the Serapis struck because the BHR was on fire (it was a fierce battle between the two crews) and the British captain was worried the thing was going to blow up and take both ships. Indeed, his officers had no idea that they had struck (nor did the Americans ralize it as so much fighting was going on between decks). The British captain was court martialled for the loss of his ship, but was acquitted and indeed, given an award for saving the massive convoy he was protecting from the BHR. the BHR had sailded from her French ports (she had just been converted from the Duc de Duras) and sighted the convoy with her consorts (a number of French ships, like the cutter Le Cerf) to capture these rich prizes. When the Serapis and BHR closed, the convoy got away and the British captain outsailed John paul Jones and raked the BHR several times. The Americans, following French practice placed sharpshooters in the rigging and this cleared the decks of the British ship, and the BHR was able to close and the two ships got locked together. Both fired their cannons pont blank into each other. the BHR was badly damaged, most of her sides were stove in and was on fire. The two crews borded each other and fought like mad, each refusing to strike to the other. The British captain, so the book says, realized the danger of the fire and struck to save lives. Not quite the "disgrace" alluded to in the BBC news report. The silver bowl the British captain received for saving teh convoy is shown at the RN museum in Portsmouth. One qustion that remains to this day is waht happened to the French cutter, lugger and frigates that accompanied the BHR out of France. Its unclear if they "ran" or unsuccesfully went after the convoy. All accounts suggest that they did not help the BHR if the battle with the Serapis. The Ancre planset is a reconstruction. Now that the BHR has been found, I wonder if there is enough left of her to to see if they are correct. the same thing happened with La Belle (Lasalle's ship). A lovely set of plans were released and then the real La Belle was found and excavated in Texas. They showed some discrepencies in the plans. Its funny how we worry so much about accuracy but in the wooden sailing ship modelling world, best guesses and reconstructions (and all the errors, liberties introduced) are taken in stride. Models are still built and each one gets better as more and more about each ship is found. Cheers, Dr. Kerry Jang ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Bob Evans" Subject: Re: Trumpeter Hornet - anyone in Canberra got one? In response to "Stephen Allen"-yes I have recently received the Trumpeter Hornet and would be happy to oblige. Bob Evans ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: filipesnavy Subject: Merry Xmas Hello List Going out of Lisbon for holidays and no computer for the next 15 days. To you all a Merry Xmas and a Happy 2003. Happy Modelling. Regards. Filipe C. Ramires Lisbon, PORTUGAL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: annobon4 Subject: Steel Navy Off-line??? Hi What's happened to the steel navy website? Lately it's been off line. I checked my spelling and tried two other suggested search engines. What's going on. Hi Craig, I just checked & Steel Navy is still on-line. Check with your isp to see if they're having hassles or not. Shane ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: David Sepos Subject: Re: HMS Manchester >> If anyone can locate a shop which still sells a 1:700 model of HMS MANCHESTER, TYPE 42 DESTROYER please could you contact me A.S.A.P. It is urgent and I am very desperate!!!!!!! << This month's (December) Squadron sale flyer has a Revell Germany 1/700 HMS Sheffield for $ 9.99. Knowing the model companies, it's probably the same kit with different boxart. Hope this helps. Regards, Dave ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: SANDLE Hobbies Subject: New items at SANDLE Hobbies We now have the complete list of titles from WR Press thanks to a batch of books arriving yesterday. If you're looking for aircraft books, we've recently picked up Aerospace publications (mainly about Australian military and civil aviation). There's a fair amount of holiday reading in this lot. Also arriving soon is the Airfix 1/600 HMS Tiger/Daring set & the 1/144 SRN-4 Hovercraft - check the site over the coming day or two for full details We are also selling a large collection of second hand kits for a friend. Many of the models have extra detail sets bundled in with the kit, so it's worth a look. Cheers Lorna Jenkins SANDLE Hobbies http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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