Subject: SMML VOL 2126 Date: Thu, 20 Feb 2003 00:16:42 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Re: Aztek airbrushes 2: Raven and Roberts Book! 3: Alphas 4: Publishing Decisions and Mr. Preston 5: Re: Airbrush 6: Re: World's Worst: Alpha Class 7: Re: World's Worst: Alpha Class 8: floating crane 9: 2 new products 10: Models of Alpha Class SSN -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: Woodland Products ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "David Griffith" Subject: Re: Aztek airbrushes Thak you to everyone who shared their views on Aztek airbrushes and their advice on airbrush use and care in general. I suppose it really goes to confirm the common sense view that the person using the tool and how they use it is more important than the tool itself. It reminds me of when I was at Medical School, and I was asked the question, "What's the most important part of a stethoscope?" I smelt a trick question, and gave what I thought was the most appropriate answer, "The bit between the earplugs!" Basically, before I posted the question to you, I was having a REALLY BAD DAY, with air blowing back into the paint cup and spraying me rather than the model. It was all my fault. I should have known better, but I was (ducks under the desk...) painting a tank, with wheels and tracky things. So I was just asking for it. For the time being I'm going to carry on using my Aerograph Super 93, which, when I'm being sensible with it, really works perfectly OK. But it was reassuring to find out that I'm not the only one who stores the nozzles in solvent. And with the money I'll save, perhaps I can buy another model? Regards, David ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Gollin, Phil" Subject: Raven and Roberts Book! I see from the US Amazon.com site that they are claiming that the Raven and Roberts book on the Design and Development of British Battleships of World War Two will be re-released at the end of May 2003, priced $90. I can't see this advertised on Amazon.co.uk, or Chatham Publishing's website, but have heard that the USNI have it on a flyer. This is great news as it is a wonderful book, both for the huge quantity of information in it and the wonderful drawings. Two questions; 1; Can anyone confirm the "actual" date? 2; Is this merely a re-printing, or an updating? and a plea - When is the Cruiser volume going to be re-printed? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: DortaB Subject: Alphas I don't think the Soviets lost 3-4 Alphas. They have lost 1 Golf, 1 Hotel, 1 Yankee, the only Mike and 1 Oscar II, but no Alphas. As far as that SSN being a bad design, well.... yes, at 40 kts they were supposed to be noisy, but supposedly from the Soviet standpoint it wouldn't matter. They were supposedly also very manuverable, among other virtues, all to protect thier SSBNs. George, Tampa ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Joel Labow Subject: Publishing Decisions and Mr. Preston >> Do they read scripts of the books they plan to publish or do they rely solely on the alleged reputation of the writer??? << Darius, Sadly, I fear you have hit the nail on the head. The bigger the reputation of a writer the more he is able to insist that his works be published without modification or editing. This is particularly true in naval and military affairs where few editors know much about the subject matter. This is why early works are often best and later ones wind up protecting the finish of coffee table tops. Best regards, Joel ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: VONJERSEY Subject: Re: Airbrush I am new to the airbrush experience having gone through the hand wringing process about 18 months ago - this site was most helpfull in my decision process i bought the azetc airbrush/compressor combo and paint hood and although i had to negotiate a learning curve - especially with the use of acriy paints - i am very happy that i made the move the paints seem more scale like than the enamels and as long as you clean the air brush (i use isopropyl alchohol) as soon as you are done it works fine and easy less danger of fumes (but i agree with the earlier posting that any fumes are dangerous and one should be careful by the way - about 10 years ago a bought a more traditional all metal airbrush - and never liked it - part of the problem was that i cut corners and didn't buy the compressor - but also the airbrush was a faillure botton line - very happy with the azteck and compressor and hood ken auslander ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Ives100 Subject: Re: World's Worst: Alpha Class The following websites have information on the Alfa class (Project 705, 705K) submarine. Perhaps the most astonishing fact is that this program was initiated in the late 50's in response to the perceived American focus on submerged speed in the Skipjack class. The liquid metal reactor yielded high power density by operating at very high temperatures. However, it also created unique problems in the constant need to keep the temperatures higher than the solidification point of the metals. The first Alfa, K-377, was lost to a metal freeze accident in it's reactor core. The Alfa's were also notoriously loud, and therefore easy to detect on sonar. The story goes that SOSUS arrays in Bermuda picked up Alfa speed runs in the GIUK gap region. Whether the above qualifies Alfa as one of the world's worst warships is strictly an opinion question. It was a bold and innovative experiment on several fronts: liquid metal reactor, titanium hull, small crew. I myself tend to agree with the previously espoused opinion as to Preston being the World's Worst Warship writer. For a more authoritative view, I myself look forward to the Norman Polmar's book on Cold War Submarines due out in June of this year. Here are some links: http://rc_submarines.tripod.com/id102.htm Pictures of Project 705 Lira (Alfa class) http://www.bellona.no/imaker?sub=1&id=10119 History of the seven individual submarines and class characteristics http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/ship/row/rus/705.htm More history of Alfa As to models' DML and Revell made or make not terribly accurate kits of the Alfa in both 1:700 and 1:350 scales. Your best bet in terms of accuracy is the Blue Water Navy Alfa kit. See http://www.bluewaternavy.com/alfa.htm BWN Alfa page Additional information on the Alfas has recently emerged, and some changes to the kit are probably in order in light of this information. Unfortunately, many of the texts are in Russian. Tom Dougherty ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: "D.Przezdziecki" Subject: Re: World's Worst: Alpha Class Chuck, I am not sure where you are getting your informations from?? World's worst??? If anything, the Alfa class was a revolutionary design which, despite the fact that it was conceived in late 1960s could dive deeper and run faster than anything up to the USS "Seawulf". True they weren't trouble free (show me a revolutionary design that is) but they were finally doomed by the factors which had nothing to do with their design. There were two reactor problems on Alfa class: K-377 (K-47), suffered from reactor faliure during sea tials in 1970 and was scrapped as a result. There was another reactor falliure on K-123 in 1982 but it is debatable if the fault was caused by the reactor's wear and tear, sloppy maintenance or a human error. Alfas titanium hulls were also prone to cracking but those problems weren't severe enough to put even a single boat permanently out of service. Problem was that in 1980 the shore facilities which supplayed superheated steam to keep Alpha's liquid metal coolant liquid when reactor was shut down broke down and were never repaired. From than on all the operational Alfas' reactors were kept running constantly and this coupled with deteriorating state of the Northern Fleet were the main reasons why IMO Alphas' power plants started to malfunction and why the remaining subs were retired prematurely. As to the model -Dragon released 1/350 scale kit of the ship of this class. There is also a few resin models around. For one of them check: www.submarinestore.com/models-russian.htm Regards Darius ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "david angelo" Subject: floating crane HI Bob Thank you for the information, Knowing the YD number will make an Archives search for plans & info possible. Where did you find the info you passed along? Much Obliged, David ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "shaya novak" Subject: 2 new products I was at the American Toy Fair in NYC and had along talk with Dragon Models they have just opened Dragon USA to handle the models and ships are back in production. In the next 2 months restocks will arrive in the US. The biggest news is Panda Models Distributed by Dragon the 1/350 Arleigh Burke is in production they had the finished model there. It looks like there 1/700 full hull model only in 1/350. www.pandamodels.com Other items to follow USS Decatur 1/350 Flight IIA USS W. Churchill 1/350 IIB 1/350 Russian Fuzhou 1/350 Sovremenny 1/350 Lexington Vietnam CVA-16 1/350 Intrepid CVS-11 later 1/350 Stennis/Geo Washington Ath Toy Fair I spoke to Revell it is true Revell/Germany will be producing a new tool of a Type VIIC in this scale to be released in November 2003 go to: http://www.revell.de/cgi-bin/kat/katalog.pl?cmd=overview&KOSCHL=03&grp=9998& ARARTN=05015&modellsuche=&showall=&ps_KOSCHL=&SWO=&MAS=&frei=&lang=en&kat=modell&sort=&page=1&mas= Shaya Novak Naval Base Hobbies www.modelshipbuilding.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: Starline / Fleetline Subject: Models of Alpha Class SSN To: Chuck Messer You have a choice of six Alpha models none of which are really accurate. 1/700 AARI called Red Sun or something similar. Assume it's a re-pop of the DML kit. 1/700 DML Nice little model suffers from being in-accurate (flood ports & deck fittings) also no creep motors or reactor water inlet housings 1/350 DML Same comments as above. 1/350 BWN resin kit. Flood ports & deck detail better, otherwise as above. 1/200 CNN Chinese kit. Nice big model but same comments as the DML version. 1/200 CNN kit same as above with bogus towed array pod atop the vertical stabilizer. In fact I am currently working, on & off, on a partial correction kit for the 1/200 kit, it will include the creep motors and reactor water inlets and perhaps a new bow dome (to fix the blatantly wrong tube arrangement). If anyone else is interested let me know on starline@netspace.net.au and I'll let you know when it's ready. It shouldn't be expensive. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "shaya novak" Subject: Woodland Products http://www.modelshipbuilding.com/drytransfer.html We carry both the dry transfer & Acrilic Jell for water from Woodland Scenics. We are now carrying Mike Ashey's Building & Detailing Ship Models on CD http://www.modelshipbuilding.com/asheybook.htm Shaya Novak Naval Base Hobbies www.modelshipbuilding.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