Subject: SMML VOL 2335 Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 02:31:13 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Roll Calll 2: Re: Roll call 3: Re: Call the Roll! 4: Re: Roll Call 5: Re: Roll Call 6: Rolling and calling 7: Present for Roll Call 8: LA JACINTHE - A MINIATURE MODEL IN 1:144 9: Re: Backing a topsail 10: Re: George Peat - (marginally) off topic 11: Re: Call the Roll! 12: roll-call 13: Roll Call 14: Roll Call 15: Call the Roll 16: Attention to muster!! 17: Roll Call 18: Roll Call 19: Roll Call! 20: Roll Call 21: Roll Callette....... 22: Roll call 23: Roll Call 24: Roll Call 25: Re: Roll Call 26: Roll Call 27: Rollcall 28: Hey all I got brave 29: Roll Call 30: Re: Roll Call 31: Roll call 32: Roll Call 33: Re: Roll Call 34: Roll Call 35: Re: Roll Call 36: Roll Call and a dilemna 37: Call the roll 38: Roll Call DLM 39: items from an aussie magazine - International Naval News 40: Roll Call 41: Re: Tamiya Bismarck Arado Floatplanes (or lack thereof) 42: Re: Roll Call 43: Re: Roll Call 44: Re: Roll call 45: Roll Call 46: Re: Roll Call [Art Herrick] 47: Re: Roll Call 48: Roll Call 49: Re: Roll Call 50: Roll Call ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Peter K. H. Mispelkamp" Subject: Roll Calll Hi Lorna & Shane, et al! Peter K. H. Mispelkamp reporting in. Married, father of a 4 year old son, and currently in-between careers. I used to be a software-support tech (GoldMine - a CRM software). I have a MA in History (Modern Germany) and a Graduate Diploma in Translation - among others! I am a published author and book-reviewer. In the latter capacity, I have had the distinct privilege of reviewing some of the fine works by some of the more august members of this board, e.g. John Lambert and Al Ross. I live in Montreal, QC, Canada. I have been building for over 40 years - with the usual time-outs for studies, familyand women ([all-right - maybe not in that order:))))] I build [some would say collect:))))] 1/400 full-hull scale warships of WWII. I build injection molded plastic kits, but do plan to acquire some resin kits in this scale. I also [please be gentle and accept the fact that some of us do stray to the dark side:)))] build 1/72 scale Luftwaffe aircraft. My current obsession is to get my not so heavily glue and paint-stained fingers on some [OK several copies of all :)))] of Tamiya's 1/400 scale IJN CA's. Regards Peter K. H. Mispelkamp ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Robert C. Frye" Subject: Re: Roll call Bob Frye, semi-retired electrical engineer, Piscataway, New Jersey, USA My main interests are in WWII and pre-WWII naval history and modeling. I mostly prefer 1/350 - have tried some 1/700, but the small scale is a challenge for me. On the bench: 1/350 Arizona from Tom's Model Works. On the shelf: an embarrassing number. I currently lust for the 1:350 USS Langley from Iron Shipwright. Another one to add to my shelf of models to build someday when I have more time. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "Leslie D. Foran" Subject: Re: Call the Roll! Les Foran Ogallala, NE, USA In response to your Call the Roll request, the following: I am a 55-year-old who has been building models since the 1950's. My main interests are plastic model ships (1/245 to 1/600 scale), 1/144 scale large aircraft (mostly bombers and airliners) and N-scale model railroad. My career has caused me to move around the country quite a lot. Most recent move was this past summer, from Mississippi. I am a Supervisor of Locomotive Engineers for a regional railroad (Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado). Having shed my children as they have grown up and set out on their own, I am now down to my wife, Rene", a dog and two cats. A favorite hobby pastime is the converting of Lindberg model ships into detailed models using scratchbuilt modifications and both homemade and aftermarket details. Ships I have built in this manner are Lindberg's 1/350 KMS Tirpitz, 1/400 HMS Hood, and 1/245 LST (converted to LST 325 as repurchased from the Greek Navy in 2001). Also Lindberg's Blockade Runner (American Civil War) converted as Confederate blockade runner Harriet Lane. This model is now displayed aboard the current US Coast Guard Vessel of the same name. Projects currently on the stocks are Monogram's 1/500 USS Chicago, CG11 (almost finished) with GMM PE, and Revell's 1/144 B-52H (current version with new tooling), almost finished. Future projects waiting to be built include Lindberg's 1/542 Kiev carrier and 1/245 USS Olympia (these waiting for PE), Kangnam's 1/600 USS Iowa, Aifix's 1/600 HMS Belfast, Banner's 1/350 USS Arizona, Revell's 1/600 RMS Queen Mary. Other completed ships in my plastic navy include Revell's USS Missouri, rebuilt and updated to Operation Desert Storm; Revell's 1/570 Titanic; Airfix's 1/600 RMS Queen Elizabeth and SS Canberra; Revell's 1/542 USS Forrestal CV59; USS Saratoga CV60; USS Yorktown CV5; USS Hornet CV8; USS Lexington, CV16; and Airfix's 1/600 HMS Ark Royal (1941). Congratulations on a wonderful and prolific website to Shane and Lorna. Les Foran ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: Michael McMurtrey Subject: Re: Roll Call Michael McMurtrey Publications Manager/Webmaster Kappa Kappa Psi/Tau Beta Sigma National Honorary College Band Fraternity/Sorority Stillwater, OK (SWO) 1-405-372-2333 www.kkytbs.org A long-time aircraft and sci-fi modeler, I have just recently become interested in modern USN ships as a result of an 10-day stay in Norfolk, VA, and a boat excursion past the Norfolk Navy Base. To see 2 Nimitz-class carriers and USS Enterprise all in port at the same time made an impression! I'm also interested in USN carriers of WW II. My father-in-law served in WW II as a naval gunner on the Esso Montpelier (a tanker) and the USS Frank B. Linderman (a Liberty ship) and I'm planning a model of the latter as a gift. Also accumulating kits for a series of modelss of modern USN ships in 1/700. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "Robert Mosher" Subject: Re: Roll Call Robert A. Mosher - lurker and occasional poster now in Arlington, Virginia. Retired Foreign Service Officer with 30 years service - Saigon 1974-1975 (which I left by helicopter and sailed on the USS Vancouver); Kinshasa, Zaire/Congo - 1977-1979 and 1987-1989; Belfast, Northern Ireland - 1980-1982; and Moscow - 1996-2000. Also worked for two years in the Office of the Secretary of Defense 1982-1984 and graduated from the Naval War College Command and Staff Course - 1987 (and took the Operations course that most civilian students skip because I wanted to play with the toys). Now working on my PhD in War Studies - I currently have still in the box (bought for my retirement) the Airfix HMS Belfast and the two Zvezda models of Potemkin and Aurora - in addition to a large collection of military figures and tank models for wargaming. I also do Civil War reenacting as a Corporal in Company B, 28th Massachusetts Volunteers, Irish Brigade - and have a website (in bad need of updating currently underway) www.combatic.com Robert ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: Friedrich Kappes Subject: Rolling and calling Well, My name is Friedrich Kappes, German from South Germany (Heidelberg). Student of the law, meanwhile 25 years old. No model builder (no time, no talent) but collector of data and drawings... Friedrich The FriedrichFiles http://www.geocities.com/friedkappes/flagship.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: CaptainOD Subject: Present for Roll Call Hi, Bob O'Donovan in Fort Lauderdale, currently an entrepreneur (unemployed), Service in the USN, USMC, USA and Merchant Marine, and came to Florida for Eastern Airlines, I know go figure. Originally 1/72 tank and aircraft modeler until I fell under the "evil" spell of fellow member Bob Santos who got me back into ships after many years. Did my graduate thesis on the USS North Carolina and built two 1/72 scale USS Monitors (before and after the sinking) for graduate studies on ship preservation as well as several 1/72 battleship turrets and catapults. If I ever get employed again, will finish a 1/72 Ward and waiting for that 1/72 Revell U-boat. Super group with outstanding members and information. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Kerry L. Jang" Subject: LA JACINTHE - A MINIATURE MODEL IN 1:144 Hello everyone, I have recently completed my latest minaiture model. Its is scratchbuilt except for the crew figures and plastic sheet used for the seascape. It is of the French schooner LA JACINTHE, during the restoration period (just after the Napoleonic Wars). My source reference was the Boudriot monograph on La Jacinthe. I have detailed the full build at: http://www.nutsnbits.com/kerry_jacinthe.htm The techniques I used are taken mostly from Philip Reed's book, and are applicable to ships of all eras. Many thanks to Daniel Munoz for putting the build article on-line. His site is a wonderful resource for those of you who like to mill and turn in metal and wood. His articles on turning cannon are the most useful for example. Comments and criticism welcome, and I will be happy to answer any questions about the model and techniques I used. Best, Kerry Jang ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "Michael London" Subject: Re: Backing a topsail >> CAN ONE OF YOU PLEASE TELL ME WHAT IS MEANT BY BACKING A TOPSAIL << Backing a topsail is to brace the yards so that the wind presses on the forward side to take the way off a ship. A sailing ship's equivalent to brakes (and without ABS!) Michael London ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: "George Peat" Subject: Re: George Peat - (marginally) off topic Tony Mattson, No unfortunately I am not related to your George Peat still Contact me off group at gpeat@globalnet.co.uk ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: William Weckel Subject: Re: Call the Roll! Hi, Here's my specs: 35, married no kids, IT manager, Kent State grad, 3 parrots (2 macaws, 1 Congo Grey). 4yrs active in the USN as an Intelligence Specialist 2nd Class, 6yrs Army Reserve as a 19D SGT. (cavalry scout). I build WWII naval in any scale & WWII air in 1:48. I come from a hardcore Navy family (father and grandfather naval officers, grandfather USMC gunner in France 1918, uncle USMC Lt.Col, brother USNS civilian sailor, nephew Ensign in the Med now aboard the USS Gettysburg), broke my Dad's heart when I joined the Army reserves. Just bought a house and am living out of boxes right now so nothing is on the workbench, but I did recently order 2 fleet boat conversions from Nautilus, and I'm working on embezzling enough from the monthly budget to order Nautilus's USS Enterprise conversion set for my Trumpeter Hornet. Other hobby is the electric guitar. Bill Canton, Ohio (USA) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: "Hans Christensen" Subject: roll-call Hi I am Hans Christensen in Denmark. I have been interested in ships since I was very young. I started a small collection of 1:1200 ships way back in the sixties. The first two being the Ajax and Dorsetshire of the Eagle collection.(does anyone by the way know what happened to the forms of that company). Nowadays the interest is more in the merchant navy direction, but helps my son to gather informations about naval vessels. He is member of the modelbuilding society connected to the danish naval museum, where he now and then does some lectures about battles in the Pacific. I hope in the future to put up a homepage with pictures of ships and whereabouts, from when my dad was a sailor before and in the beginning of the second world war. I will let the SMML group know, when the page is up. Yours Hans CHristensen ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13) From: John Mianowski Subject: Roll Call My name is John Mianowski. I live in Garland, TX (NE suburb of Dallas) & am the CO (i.e. President) of the North Texas Battle Group, a Big Gun warship combat club. I build & fight warship models in 1:144 scale. My currently active warships are HMS Hood, HMS Nelson, & USS Pittsburgh (CA-72). They're more than a handful to keep operational! I also have the following projects in various stages: HMS Abdiel (fast minelayer-cruiser) USS Indiana (South Dakota-class battleship) 4 Gearing-class destroyers My club's website is at http://www.ntxbg.org Anybody who happens to be in the area is welcome to stop by & visit a battle (might even be able to get you the conn of a merchant ship, for a convoy run!). We have battles every month, year-round, on the 3rd Sunday. To finance my fun, I work for Nortel Networks designing call center applications. JM ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14) From: "Edward Wyatt" Subject: Roll Call Hi My name is Edward Wyatt, Electrical Engineer Retired. and live in sunny Malta with 3 Dogs and ONE W.M.B.O.......................!!! I have built, Scratch, The Cutty Sark, the Golden Hind. and the Lusitanian [kit] The wartime Submarine Upholder scratch built and the Malta 107 Air sea rescue launch now in the local Aviation Museum. ALSO I am now on my 4TH "The OHIO" at 1/96 scale 5ft 8" and 8" at the beam, in wartime livery as it arrived in Malta on the 15th Aug 1942 to help save Malta from capitulation, One is in Maritime Museum,and one in the War museum, the 3rd is in my home and is the livery as it was made for Texaco in 1939, On my visit to New York at Texaco's Main office they kindly gave me a copy of the 1939 original drawings. This was the FIRST Tanker to be Welded, I have copies on my computer, if anyone is interested? Please contact me at elwyatt@onvol.net Good luck to you all who have made the "Roll Call" very interesting Edward Wyatt P S The 4th "Ohio" is for the Monaco Naval Museum!!!! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 15) From: "Jerry McKinney" Subject: Call the Roll Hi, all. My name is Jerry McKinney and I live in Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan, USA. I'm 42 years old and have been building models of one kind or another for 38 of those years. I am a lumberyard foreman and my workplace is about 500 yards from one of the busiest lock systems in the world, (connects lake Superior with lake Huron.) so I have been watching ships my whole life. My main modeling interests are warships of almost any era, but I would love to build a plastic model of a classic great lakes freighter if one of the manufacturers would only produce one. Jerry M ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 16) From: rickl454 Subject: Attention to muster!! Rick Lundin, 56, former Hospital Corpsman, USN ("Now this won't hurt a bit ... "). Present: SQL (UNIX) Programmer/Analyst ("Oh, that's a hardware problem ... "). Southwestern R.I., less than an hour from the Submarine Force Museum (USS Nautilus), Mystic Seaport Museum, Coast Guard Academy, Naval Station Newport, Battleship Massachusetts Memorial, Quonset Air Museum, USS Constitution, USS Salem. USNI Silver Member (7 years away from USNI Golden Life Membership). First naval vessel modelled: Revell PT-212 in 1953 - there have been others since. Current interests: 1/1200 & 1/1250 USN 1940's and 1950's, 1/300 modern armor and air, 1/72 air, 1/25 drag/street racers of the 1960's. On the workbench: 1/300 M-55 8" SP, 3 1/1200 Des Moines class CA's. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 17) From: shaya novak Subject: Roll Call This is Shaya Novak 52 yrs. old I run a retail store in Long Island, NY. I only build ship models. Our web names are navalbasehobbies.com, modelshipbuilding.com and we are changing our name to totalnavy.com. The Captain Naval Base Hobbies www.totalnavy.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 18) From: "John Clements" Subject: Roll Call Asking everybody to write a little piece about themselves was a very good idea. I've found the mini-biog's and workbench details fascinating, and it's good to know there are lots of other people about who share our hobby - and clearly spend a great deal more time on it than I do. So here's my bit - I'm John Clements. At 56 I'm old enough to remember seeing the Airfix Hood delivered to my local shop when first released, and buying it. I've never stopped since then, although from time to time I have cleared out the old stuff that doesn't come up to current standards, so my present collection begins with WEM's first kit, the Penelope. Resin and P/E changed my life, as I guess it did for many of us. There's no doubt that the hobby has never been better served, and lots of thanks are due to many people, not least Shane and Lorna. My present interests are WW2 Royal Navy in 1/700, and French and German in 1/400. I've just finished the Samek HMS York with WEM details, next in line is HMS Glowworm. Nearly complete in 1/400 is the Heller Colbert, and I've just started the Maille Breze, using the L'Arsenal range of P/E and resin details. Discovering Ebay has been financially disastrous, but meant that I have an almost complete run of oop Heller kits (including the British ones - they don't fit the 1/700 collection, but they're hard to resist). I've spent a lot of time this year making a Tamiya 1/24 scale Porsche kit for one of my offspring, and discovering that shipbuilding skills are not transferable to cars; a painful experience. And as for the rest of my time, I try and manage the finances of the University of Oxford (CFO to US readers), climb mountains without falling off too often and read as much history as I can afford to buy. John Clements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 19) From: "Reyna, Joe SPAWAR" Subject: Roll Call! Greetings, all! Joe Reyna, about to hit the half century mark, married, 7 year old daughter. I'm a San Diego, CA native, now living in the northern reaches of San Diego County (near Camp Pendleton Marine Corps Base - ooh rah!). I've been building plastic models since 1962. My first kit was a Lindberg USS HORNET, and now due to declining eyesight I limit my ship model building to 1/400 and 1/350 scale and up. Currently checking out the Trumpeter 1/350 ESSEX kit contents, preparing to order the WEM aircraft, ship and Gold Medal ship superdetail sets - gonna need a steady hand putting those photo-etched instrument panels inside each of those 1/350 aircraft - if anybody has a "best practice", let me know! Also currently working the aircraft on a 1/400 25 de MAYO carrier, using a KAREL DOORMAN conversion kit of the Heller ARROMANCHES that was specially made for IPMS Netherlands. My understanding wife supports my hobby, my daughter hasn't caught the model bug, yet, and my German Shephard knows better than to put her paws on the work bench - life is sweet! Go USA! Joe ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 20) From: "Bill Livingston" Subject: Roll Call Hi All, Bill Livingston from Newmarket near Cambridge, UK 46 years old and have been modelling since 8 or 9 years old. Restarted about 10 years ago building aircraft, almost exclusively WW2 late war Luftwaffe fighters. Moved over to ship modelling a year and a half ago after buying an Airfix HMS Ajax as an attempt to 'build something quick to get over AMS' and then made the mistake of checking on the 'net to pick up some hints. Saw Felix's modified Ajax and that was that... Work doesn't allow as much modelling time as I would like, but then to be paid to travel the world is not something I am going to complain about too much. Currently building a Mikasa I picked up in a trip to Korea and Japan this spring (which has become a bit of a chore to be honest) and now rapidly making progress with WEM's new HMS Laforey in 350 scale. Enjoyed meeting all the ship modellers at last years IPMS Nats at Telford and am definitely going again this year, maybe taking Laforey with me if it is finished in time. Main interest is Royal Navy WW2, but have bought a number of pre-dreadnoughts after being inspired by Jim Baumanns work. Also have a Fuso in resin which I'll get round to sometime, it looks wonderful in the box, but at $160 I'll leave it until I get a bit more experience! Rapidly accumulating kits I'm probably not going to get round to building at the current purchase/build ratio.... plus all the stuff from my previous collection. 48th scale Luftwaffe anyone? Including all the Trimaster kits available? Swap for resin ships? Ah well.... worth a try! Bill ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 21) From: "Terry WongLane" Subject: Roll Callette....... It's me! Terry Wong here, full name Terence Wong-Lane or Wòhng Nihm-Geih, also known as Caravellarella, Miss Terreen.............. Description:- Male - well sort of........ Age - 39 with a mental age of 19, physical age of 49........ State - Currently overweight, unhealthy and very, very naughty; but ready to change my ways........ Mental State - Absolutely bonkers, and obsessive in a vaguely autistic way....... Height - short, way too short......... Employment - Administrative Assistant to a Literary Agency, used to be a professional modelmaker though, and a pimp too....... Training - Product/packaging/graphic designer, pimp.......... Marital Status - unfortunately single, come on guys......... Bad things - Smoking, big dinners, chocolate, curries........ Good things - Gay, vaguely glamourous........ Ambition - to be taller (I wish) and slimmer (if only), to have more space for more wardrobes, to finish a model warship......... Origin - Anglo-Chinese, mix of Liverpool-Irish-Catholic and Sae-Yip Cantonese........ Favourite Things - Mmmmmmmmm, let's see; shoes, shirts, shoes, French Interwar warships, the Sud Caravelle airliner, shoes, Sex in the City TV comedy programme, Treaty Cruisers, the Boeing 727, shoes, Absolutely Fabulous TV comedy programme, the larger armoured cruisers, the last generation of pre-war passenger liners, Stan Kenton, shoes, the Richelieu & Jean Bart, any film with Bette Davis, the BIG Contre-Torpilleurs, the Airbus A300B airliner, shoes, shopping, the first generation of post-war passenger liners, the Algérie, Stephen Sondheim musicals, the strange French pre-dreadnought ships with way too many funnels, the Sud-Est Armagnac airliner, shoes! Not in any particular order, but the list goes on and on........ Current projects:- Six 1/400 Heller Richelieu kits........ A 1/600 Suffolk-into-Canarias conversion - on hold for 9 years. A 1/350 Scratchbuilt Amagi battlecruiser - on hold for 9 years. Trying to turn Airfix's Belfast kit into a Sheffield......... Would like to do an Imai 1/150 Le Napoléon though....... Future projects - never you mind! Well SMML did ask for a roll call........... Cheers, Terry, London 2.08pm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 22) From: "Fernando, Yohan" Subject: Roll call Yohan Fernando Framingham, MA USA 30 years of age, married for 3 years, and have a one year old son Software developer by day, fulltime parent/husband by night, parttime modeler when everyone else is asleep. I've been building 1/700 ships for 8 years and have completed about 200. Interested in any WWII subjects, but have a certain soft spot for the IJN. Just finished 1/700 Hi-Mold Kitakami kaiten carrier CL conversion Just started 1/700 Tamiya USS Cushing ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 23) From: Jimmyjb Subject: Roll Call Greetings all. Jim Bloom, here, age 64, Silver Spring, MD, just north of Washington DC surrounded by outstanding ship modeling resources, in DC, Annapolis, etc. Retired tax law analyst for some big six firms, living on a government pension now. Army service just before Vietnam era (got out in 1964). Second career of sorts writing military and naval history, all eras and regions, for journals, encyclopedia, etc. Book on the Roman-Jewish war came out last year. Doing a manuscript for a book on ancient naval "power projection" capabilities. Modeling starting with the old Clevelands and Scientific, then Boucher models of the early 1950s and a lot of plastic kits such as the Gowlands Shipyard, early Revell and Monogram stuff. Hands are now shot with arthritis so buy ready-builts on ebay when the price is right. Mostly tramp freighters, cargo-liners, smaller passenger ships, rescue vessels, tugs, offshore supply vessels, pilot ships, and those wonderful old "coasters" and short sea tradersfrom the golden era, 1900-1965. Examples would be the Tod Head raised quarterdeck, engines aft steam coaster, the Shell Welder coastal tanker, Kittiwake railroad steamer (1890s), Geopotes 14 Hopper-Dredger, Ludwig Prandtl German coastal research ship. The odd sailing vessel such as the Golden Hind, "Rosabella" barque packet ship (1840s out of Liverpool on the South Pacific run), Vasco da Gama's flagship, modern French patrol frigate Floreal, an S-100 class schnellboot, the Feadship oceangoing yacht Virginian. Well, you get the idea. A regular eclectic museum. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 24) From: Albert Choy Subject: Roll Call Albert Choy, Belmont, Massachusetts, USA. Married to a foxy redhead with 2 sons (5 and 3). Feeder & poop scooper for 2 comfort loving cats. I work for software company (handling legal and contractual matters). Free time is spent in the cellar, building RC things for sea and air. My RC ships (kits & scratch) are mostly tugs (steam / electric), torpedo boats (gasoline / electric), sail boats, submarines (dynamic / ballast), a paddle wheel steamer (electric, 50% completed), a battleship (Missouri 5% completed), an ocean liner (Titanic, 1:100 scale, about 40 % completed). Other ships include a few 1/350 scale models (WWII). The RC ships (especially the subs) have piqued my 5 year old’s curiosity enough to want to learn about simple engineering concepts and naval history (why did subs want to sink ships?). And so it begins ... he may one day join the ranks of model ship builders. Thanks to SMML for all the info. ~A ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 25) From: Ives100 Subject: Re: Roll Call Tom Dougherty, 52, Researcher in Infectious Diseases at Pfizer in Groton, CT. Formerly Assistant Professor of Microbiology at Rockefeller University, New York, NY. Married (30 years!) with 2 boys (one in pre-med at Williams College, one in last year of high school). Hobby interest: submarines. Have several submarine models "in progress" at present (three SSBNs, 1 Virginia class SSN) Write a regular column on submarine models for the SubCommittee Report, house propaganda organ for the SubCommittee, a submarine interest group. Also have written (recently) two part article on the US Navy Fleet Submarines, the Type XXI U-boat, and the recovery of the Russian K-129 submarine, all in the SubCommittee Report. Also just had published the book Microbial Genomics and Drug Discovery (Marcel Dekker, publishers), which I do NOT recommend to anyone on this list. Have also built airplane models and, on rare occasions, "targets" (aka "Skimmers", or surface vessels, you know, what most of you build all the time). Also, please note how I managed to get a great job at a company that is right next door to Electric Boat, and just a short way from the Naval Submarine Base. Karma, no? Tom ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 26) From: "Fox, John" Subject: Roll Call John Fox, 39 - Lindenhurst (Long Island) New York. Married with 3 boys (7,9 and 12). They dabble in models when they can pry themselves from their video games. USN '81 - '86 (2nd class Photomate) Work in television now. Interested in mostly 20th century USN subjects mostly 700 but some 350. Currently working on ships of UNITAS XXV cruise of 1984, my only sea deployment of any length (5 months): USS Thorn DD988- Spruance class - Skywave- 85% complete USS Fairfax County LST1193 - Newport class- JAG - on the shelf USS Talbot FFG4 - Brooke class - Corsair Armada USS Garcia to be converted to FFG - on the shelf USS Iowa BB61 - Trumpeter - on the shelf Need a kit of a Coontz class DDG so I can build USS Macdonough DDG39- anybody know of any kits that might be coming out??? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 27) From: "Francis Macnaughton" Subject: Rollcall Greetings fellow SMMLies, I am Francis Macnaughton (francismacnaughton@hotmail.com) and live near Plymouth in UK. My warship modelling varies widely - a 1/32nd Type 42 destroyer which I built to set the radio control distance record sets the upper limit and will keep me busy for years scratchbuilding the fittings. When I get weary of that I turn to smaller items and am working on a 1/76th Landing Craft Tank Mk 5 - anyone else got good plans? I also have lots of plastic kits which I hope to convert to radio control and a loft full of other ones which I hope to round to eventually! Francis ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 28) From: "Don Macdonald" Subject: Hey all I got brave Hey it is neat to see whear all of us are and from and were doing and building, Well I want to let you know that I have taken my modeling one more step besides RC and scratch building. As you know I sometimes take a brake from Ship modeling and I just branch off for a bit, OK I have been wanting to do some 1/25th plactic car building of cars I Grew up with and own, So I took a 1957 FORD american style and decided to turn it into 58 hard top, I have to rebuild the rear or stearn to some ;-) compleatly. as well as some of bow or front end ;-) This brough up an intresting subject, How to do it?. First thing I did was do a little reseach then go talk to the store I was going to deal with. Then did some more reseach. Well I got brave and now trying to teach myself on how to do casting work, For on the ships I was usley able to scratch build what I needed but when it came to car modeling that was something elest, Alot different then ship building somewhat bit in ways the same idea ... So I am now casting my own parts or I should say trying and yes screwing up along away but like ships and scratch building I will figur it out, (I HOPE ;-) I am using a 2 part casting reason and useing some rubber molds that another car builder is lending to me, Well lets say it has been intresting for sure, When I go back to the ships I will have more ideas to play with, SO this old dog is learing something new agin, and they say you cant teach an old dog new trick;s bet me ;-)) Don That Portland Rustbucket ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 29) From: Preston L Hassler Subject: Roll Call Hi all, Skip Hassler here. 66 years behind me. Retired from the US space program. Began modeling with my father's help before I can remember- ships from Strombeck. During WWll, built printed paper planes with a penny glued in the nose for weight so they would fly. Went thru the usual -stick planes and solid (wood) models, planes, trains cars, Ideal ship models, plastic and now plastic and resin. Do way too much collecting and way too little building now. Models that are "on the bench" are Panay, Nautilus (WWll), CSS Hunley, USS Winston Churchill and occasionally pick up some of the little ones- tugs and such, most all 1/350. Do have quite a few 1/700, but usually put them back in the box pretty fast. I really enjoy the messages on this list and appreciate you, Shane and Lorna, for keeping this thing organized and moving. Also appreciate the folks who input info on this list. Thanks to all of you. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 30) From: "Lois and Steve Liberman" Subject: Re: Roll Call I live in Middleton, MA and enjoy receiving and reading the input of the members of SMML. I was a builder of plastic model ships in the early 1960's and have been doing radio control models for the last twenty years, mostly tugs. I have about eight tugs and have also just finished a 1/8 scale of the USS Massachusetts. It is approximately 7 feet long and is extremely heavy (takes about 40 lbs of steel plate to get it to the water line. I made several trips to Fall River, Mass. where the USS Massachusetts is docked to check out some detail. Regards, Steve ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 31) From: Burl Burlingame Subject: Roll call Burl Burlingame from Honolulu - I'm a writer, graphics and documentary-film guy for a daily newspaper in real life, also historian and curator for the Pacific Aerospace Museum and a board member for the Tugboat Hoga Preservation Society. Wrote the WWII submarine history "Advance Force * Pearl Harbor," currently published by Naval Institute Press. Primary interests are flush-deck destroyers and pre-1900 submarines. Last model built was the very cute 1/350 Iron Shipwright model of the Hoga. Currently scratching both a Hoga and a Ward in 1/96 --- yikes! There aren't any prefab parts available! Burl Burlingame Honolulu Star-Bulletin ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 32) From: "Lars Scharff" Subject: Roll Call My name is Lars Scharff and I live in Munich, Germany, working as molecular cell biologist. I build mainly 1/700 cruisers and sometimes airliners. Last finished project was the Chinese protected cruiser Chih Yuan. Currently I'm working on the German armoured cruiser Blücher (as in 1915, WSW) and the light cruisers Königsberg (1929), Leipzig (1941, Samek) and Nürnberg (1942, Samek). Additionally there the finished hulls of the light cruisers of the C- and D-class: HMS Caledon (1941), HMS Coventry (1937), HMS Capetown (1941), HMS Carlisle (1943), HMS Colombo (1943), ORP Dragon (1944), HMS Delhi (1942) and HMS Danae (1941). But this scratch building project is making only very slowly progress. A unfinished DH 89 and a Junkers W.34 are waiting for better days to complete. Next projects: armoured cruiser St. Georg (WSW) armoured cruiser Gromoboj (Kombrig) missile cruiser Ticonderoga (Arii) modernised Spruance-class destroyer (converted Arii) destroyer Shirane (Skywave) light cruiser Cleveland (Skywave) protected cruiser Varjag (Modelkrak) an early protected cruiser (scratch build Chi Yuan, Giovanni Bausan or Elba) central battery ironclad König Wilhelm (as Grosser Kreuzer, scratch build) etc. ;-) Best regards Lars ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 33) From: "Pantelidis, Steve" Subject: Re: Roll Call Steve Pantelidis, Canberra, Australia Public servant, member of the local Australian Capital Territory Scale Modellers' Society (and I have just recently completed a four-year stint as president). I mainly build aircraft, but I have a keen interest in things nautical and have at least one ship on the go. Currently, I am working on the OLD Airfix 1/600 HMS Ajax. I am hoping to improve the outcome by using some White Ensign Models (WEM) photo-etched brass and resin pieces (both highly recommended). ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 34) From: Clifford Franklin Subject: Roll Call Cliff Franklin, 41, married with two children, who seem more interested in model railways than model ships, but we are working on that. I live in the small town of Rangiora, but work as a Lab Supervisor for the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Canterbury in Christchurch, New Zealand. My interests include World War 1 aircraft in 1/72 scale, and World War 2 ships in 1/1200 scale. The latter include some kitsets or metal models, but mostly scratch-built out of plastic or resin. My current project is an Eaglewall HMS Warspite, nearly finished, and then I hope to start on some RN Emergency class destroyers. Thanks for a great list. Cheers Cliff ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 35) From: joe.sus Subject: Re: Roll Call Joe Suszynski, 49, Chicago, IL, home of the Chicago Cubs Former civil engineer, now in the junk mail industry. I build military and civil air and space craft and warships, mostly submarines and escorts (the enemy above). Favorite scales: 1/400 and 1/600 for ships, 1/144 for flying things. Previous project: a 1/96 Douglas design for a SSTO spacecraft. Current projects: 1/72 Airfix Lancaster and a 1/400 Amethyste, a French SSN. Next: a 1/285 Type 26 U-boat. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 36) From: Diodor Subject: Roll Call and a dilemna From Ted Treadwell - Very nice to read all those little bios and capsules about members. I'm of Franklyn Brown's vintage and since Danbury Connecticut is only a 3 hour drive from Holbrook, MA have had the good fortune to spend time with him, savor his wit, humor and joie de vivre, look over his ship models and take a spin in his mint-condition 1930 Model A roadster. He is the person who introduced me to SMML and I thoroughly enjoy reading the letters. Though I did a little modelling years ago I can no longer work in such fine detail with these arthritic thumbs. However, am still able to make larger things like grandfather clocks, desks, tables, etc.--all from scratch and all in solid cherry which has gotten so obscenely expensive I've had to limit myself to only one project per year. The talent and versatility of SMML's membership leads to a dilemna which I hope someone can solve. A few days ago a widow friend, whose husband had been a merchant ship captain, gave me a book titled "Ships of the Esso Fleet in World War II." It was published by the Standard Oil Company of New Jersey in 1946. It's a hard-bound, oversize, heavy book with cloth cover and semi-glossy pages for better rendition of the many photographs. The book contains the records of 135 ocean tankers of Esso and the Panama Transport Company during WWII. The text and stories are interesting and well written and the photos are abundant and high quality. I consider the book rather a prize. The only catch is that the book was apparently stored for many years in the widow's damp, musty basement and it badly reeks of mold. I leafed slowly through every one of its 536 pages under a strong light hoping this would disperse some of the mold and that night placed the book on end on the floor in our den in front of a hot air register, with its pages fanned out, in an attempt to dry it thoroughly. The next morning our whole house stank with mold. My better half rebelled. She demanded it to be removed immediately. I had to wrap it in plastic and foil to keep her from committing mayhem or something worse. It is now 48 hours later and I've covertly unwrapped it to "air it out" and it reeks as badly as before. I'll have to wrap it up again before she smells it. My dilemna is that I want to (1) Save the book (2) Get rid of the stink (3) Save the marriage. I have listed these in order of priority. Can anyone give me any suggestions? Ted Treadwell ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 37) From: "John Fail" Subject: Call the roll John Fail, QMC U.S. Coast Guard (Retired 1977) Served aboard numerous Coast Guard Cutters, Taney, Chautauqua, Winnebago, Blackhaw, Bittersweet, Ewing, 83452, Cape Higgon, Cape Henlopen, Ojibwa and others on a temporary basis. Served in several RCC's (Rescue Coordination Center) as well as some shore stations which I hated. The ships were the only place to be. Retired from my own business in 1997 as a computer programmer. Currently a lazy bum living at 8000 feet in Southwest Colorado. On the bench: USCGC Taney (as it appeared in 1959) USCGC Ojibwa (Great Lakes Icebreaker) - ALMOST completed Two 95 foot patrol boats In the closet and waiting to be built Too many to mention I also spend a lot of time building and flying Radio Controlled Aircraft and Helicopters. All the best to my friends on SMML John Fail ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 38) From: "David L. Miller" Subject: Roll Call DLM David L. Miller, recently retired professor of sociology, Western Illinois University. I built my first model when I was three years old, when I borrowed Mom’s paring knife and tried to whittle a boat out of a piece of 2X4. At least that is the story she liked to tell everyone. The first model I remember building was the plastic Lindbergh Nautilus nuclear sub first issued in the early 1950’s, and I’ve been building models ever since. My latest ship models are scratch built: the Coral Sea, and Liscomb Bay, at 1/350 scale. Last Christmas I built two identical models of the USS Cairo, civil war river ironclad for two other professors. Right now I am bashing the Revell Lionfish into a late war sub, but have not decided what boat to portray. I also have the 1/72 Revell U-boat on advance order and can hardly wait to see it! I have been able to enjoy this hobby even more because of the support I get from my family and help from my cat. I am really enjoying the roll call! Dave Miller Macomb, IL ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 39) From: andrew jones Subject: items from an aussie magazine - International Naval News In the latest edition of this magazine, some one is looking for information on what happened to SS Sea Witch after it unloaded its cargo of P-40 in Java in WW2. According to his reserach it has association with the RAAF, being loaded @ Thursday Is around Oct 42, also it was reported to have transported the 49th Fighter Group from darwin to Port Morseby in Nov 42 & it was mentioned being in New Guinea in 1944, so if anyone knows what happened to the ship, post it up & i'll email the guy. It also has a "mystery ship" photo section..so here goes... 3 Fremantle Patrol boats (?) tied up at a wharf looks like HMAS Waterhen, all with the same hull number "207" regards Andrew Jones ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 40) From: "Ken Hoolihan" Subject: Roll Call Hi All, I am Ken Hoolihan, a 51 year old geologist working as Exploration Manager for an oil company down here in New Zealand. I am married (second time) and have two adult children. Building models has been my main hobby for 40+ years and I have three subject categories of interest; Ships in 1/700, 1/350, (1880 - 1945 plus post war Russian) Cars in 1/24, 1/25 (esp sports racing cars and classic US cars) Armour in 1/35. I got into this hobby at age 10 when my father brought home a ship kitset for us to build as a joint project. He served in the Royal Navy in WW2 and thus his selection of a ship model made sense. My current project is a 1/700 model of his ship, HMS Amethyst, a modified Black Swan Class sloop. The recent Imperial Hobby kit of HMS Wild Goose is the starting point for the model. Hope to have it ready for the old mans 80th birthday as a gift. Ken ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 41) From: Adrian Webster Subject: Re: Tamiya Bismarck Arado Floatplanes (or lack thereof) >> it is times like these I wish I kept previous issues, but I recall awhile ago a gent was enquring about Tamiya Bismarck Arado Floatplanes. If you're reading htis email me please. << Hello Ken! I believe I'm the person you're referring to. My Bismarck was factory sealed, and upon examining the sprues in detail, I've found that BOTH Arados are missing (although the floats are there :-0). Must have been packed on a Friday! My email address is: milstudy AT optusnet DOT com DOT au Regards, Adrian Webster Australia ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 42) From: "Bruce Simard" Subject: Re: Roll Call Listees: Bruce Simard here, from the "Mountaineer State" of West Virginia,USA. I'm 53, and a Maintenance Controller for a major US Airline. As for my model interests, it runs into mostly the smaller scales of everything. My Naval interests are usually WWII and prior subs and small combatants, nothing larger than the Corvettes. I really enjoy the list and want to say Thank you to Shane and Lorna for all the work that goes into this. Your work provides more enjoyment than you know, Thanks ! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 43) From: Adrian Webster Subject: Re: Roll Call Hi all Brilliant idea! I'm Adrian Webster from sunny Bendigo (about 100 miles north of Melbourne) in Victoria, Australia. I'm 43 and live with my darling partner and two twelve year old cats (and varying quantity of sundry strays that pass through). I've been modelling since about six, and will build almost anything with the exception of civil vehicles (I find them mind-numbingly boring). Currently work in graphic design for a local print company, did nine years service in the Australian Army 80-89 in Royal Australian Corps of Transport and in my various positions, got to examine/sometimes operate an awful lot of gear. (small arms, armoured vehs, aircraft, helos and even ships!). Currently on the bench; Tamiya 1/700 Nelson, Airfix 1/600 Warspite (with WEM photo-etch - now there's an exercise in patience!), Airfix 1/76 Centurion conversion (Aussie Cent in Vietnam) and the Polar Lights "Lost in Space" Robot! Future works: Tamiya's Bismarck (of the missing Arados fame) and Prince of Wales, a horde of 1/35 scale figures of the 1st and 2nd AIF (now that I've sourced some 1/35 Slouch Hats!), conversion of the Airfix 1/600 Suffolk to HMAS Canberra and Australia, and various Aussie vehs from past conflicts. Phew ! That's enough. What a great idea this was! Thanks, Adrian ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 44) From: Bradford Chaucer Subject: Re: Roll call After scanning the list of those who checked in so far; we have quite an impressive roster!! IPOF I think we have enough to start our own planet - or at least country :-) Regards, Bradford Chaucer ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 45) From: "Y.Sakurai" Subject: Roll Call My name is Yoshihiro Sakurai, age 46. I live in Gunma prefecture Japan, near the Mt.Akagi and Haruna. I am building 1/700 models. On the bench: Regina Marina's Caio Duilio Waveline's Conte di Cavour All the Best. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 46) From: "Arthur Herrick" Subject: Re: Roll Call [Art Herrick] Art Herrick's capsule Bio, and what he is up too, as far as the subject of ship modeling goes: As a young boy in the late 1930s, I began modeling with the balsa wood and tissue, rubber powered aircraft models, and solid balsa aircraft display models. By age thirteen, in 1941, I was into scratch building ship models. I say scratch building, because I could not afford to buy, say Boucher Ship Models or Marine Model Co. ship model kits, I could only afford to buy the kit drawings, for say $1.50, and then, that was a lot of money in those days, considering that it would be $18.50 in today's CPI $s. In those days I shoveled a lot of snow, raked a lot of leaves, and washed many windows to earn a few dollars. In 1949, when my final enlistment was up in the US Army's 11th Airborne Division, I had the opportunity to apprentice as a model maker, under the GI Bill, and was employed from 1950 to 1965 as a modelmaker and later in management at Atkins & Merrill Inc., Industrial Modelmakers and Exhibit Builders, Sudbury, Massachusetts. (Yes ... there were ship model projects in the shop ... here and there, but not that often.) From 1949 to say 1983 my ship modeling was basicly on hold ... but I did keep up with what was going on in the ship model world, joining the Nautical Research Guild and later the USS Constitution Model Shipwright Guild, by buying the latest books on the subject and subscribing to the available related publications. A business life, at first a bacheler's life, then married and a family, a family bluefin tuna boat fishing every week end during the summer, skiing most weekends in the winter with the family, rejuvenating a 1840 house, etc., left almost no time for actual shipmodeling. Since retiring in 1989 from positions in engineering and manufacturing; maritime research in ship construction and ship modeling have almost fully occupied my time. My present projects include: 1 - Researching the construction details of USS PANAY PR-5, one of six new Yangtze gunboats, built for the US Navy, at Shanghai, China, and completed by 1928. On Sunday,12 December 1937, PANAY was attacked, bombed, strafed, and sunk by Japanese Naval aircraft, 28 miles above Nanking, on the Yangtze River, a prelude to another Sunday in 1941. A lot of preliminary drafting work has been done as a result of my research on PANAY's configuration on 12 December 1937, and a 1:192 study model of PANAY is underway, and the bread and butter hull blank lifts for a 1:48 model of PANAY have been glued up. This project has been on-going since 1985, when I joined the Yangtze River Patrol Assoc. I have attended four of their annual gatherings, which resulted in my meeting many of the gunboat crew members, including those who were aboard PANAY the day she was sunk ... a great source of 1928 gunboat detail, and a wonderful experence in my life to have met these men. As of now, there is only one crewman from the PANAY sinking that is still living. 2 - Researching the construction details of USS GREBE AM-43, circa 1931/1934; a WW I, LAPWING Class, Seagoing Mine Sweeper. She is famous for being the tow-boat, and support ship, for USS CONSTITUTION's east and west coast cruise of our nations shores, 1931 to 1934. This is a class of ships, that there seems to be little known about. To date have gone no further than gathering a complete package of construction information, and having the lift stock for the 1:96 model's hull aging. 3 - Along with Franklyn Brown and Jack Hudock, I have been involved in researching the construction, oufitting and operational history of the 110 ft, WW I, Sub Chasers. I am sure you are all familiar with Franklyn's SML postings on this subject, over the past few years. How things turn in a circle ... in the 11 February 1942 issue of the Boston Globe newspaper, was a picture of me with my model of a WW I, US Navy Sub Chaser ! 4 - Researching the "History of the Ship Model Kit", circa 1910s and 1920s. They were known as Construction Sets in this time period. 5 - Researching the life of Charles G. Davis (1870/1959) - Naval Architect, ship and yacht builder, ship modeler and in the 1920s author of books on the subject of shipmodeling. This has been an on-going project for the past 13 years, with great sucess to date, beyond my wildest dreams when I stated this project. The shipmodeling part of Davis' life, being a subject, that it seems, no one has realy looked at before. A facinating and talented man, who us ship modelers owe a debt of gratitued, for his pioneering publication work on shipmodeling. 6 - A few months ago I had the privilege, of being given a set of researched 1:16 model drawings, documenting an early 1940s, 26 ft "Cliffy Boat", as used in the Lobster Fishery on the southern end of Matinic Island, Maine, in the late 1930s through the 1950s. These boats were built by Clifford Winchenbach, at Waldorboro, Maine. Their reconstruction being from contemporary photographs and recollections of some of the old guys who used them. They differ from the lobster boats we see today with their shelter cabin's, in that they were open boats with a canvas dogger shelter forward, and the early boats were commonly powered by a Ford, Model A engine. The model drawings are for a bread and butter lift hull, but I am in the process of researching the "Cliffy's" hull construction and plan to build a plank over molds model, with the frames installed afterwards, just the way they were origonaly constructed. Also have just found a 1:16 plastic Model A car kit, who's engine and transmission I plan to detail and installed in the model. I still may scratch build the engine and transmission ... based on the plastic kit? I am looking forward to a fun "Cliffy Boat" project, which I am intend to do right off, taking a break from the above projects. Let's see what happens tomorrow morning ? Art Herrick Westmoreland, New Hampshire USA ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 47) From: HelmiL3 Subject: Re: Roll Call hi my name is lee helmick,just came back oklahoma city. my wife & I VISITED MY DAUGHTER THERE. SHE IS IN THE RESERVE BASE AT WILL ROGERS AIRPORT.HER NAME IS SUZANNE. SAW THE FINE AIRSHOW ON FRIDAY AND HAD SUPPER AT THE CATTELMENS RESTARENT. RETIRED FOR SEVEN YEARS, ALL MY MODELS ARE R/C SCRATCH BUILT FROM PLASTIC MODELS.I KEEP THEM AT 36INCH IN LENGTH. RIGHT NOW I AM BUILDING THE TRINITY HOUSE LIGHTSHIP SOUTH GOODWIN FROM A PLASTIC KIT FROM RUSSIA.I AM LOOKING FOR MORE INFORMATION SUCH AS WHAT TYPE DECK ,COLOR AND PLANS & PHOTOS OF THE ACTUAL SHIP. TAKE CARE ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 48) From: "Turnbull, Mike" Subject: Roll Call Hi - I am Mike Turnbull, aged 42, living in a small town south of Johannesburg, South Africa. I work in the city for a large mining house. I model warships in 1/72 scale, and presently have a Flower Class corvette, an American PT boat and a RAF rescue launch in varying states of completion, on my bench. I have just posted my first completed model in many years on Modelwarships.com. Mike ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 49) From: "Dirk Emmermacher" Subject: Re: Roll Call Hello. My name is Dirk Emmermacher, Age 36, IT administrator. I'm living bewteen Hannover and Hameln, germany. I was in the german airforce on low level radar system. I build models in different scales. All my models are radio controled. The model are smaller warships from WWII, like corvettes, destroyers and minsweepers. Also civil ships like tugs and fishing boats. For more information please use the link down this message Best regards from the 23rd trampoline worldchampion ships, Hannover. Dirk Emmermacher IG Mikromodell http://www.mikromodell.de ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 50) From: F. Pletscher Subject: Roll Call ... and that's me, Falk Pletscher from Germany: I have been building ship models since I was a school boy back in the early 1960s. I also built me up a naval library of some 1000 + books and did a bit research on warship camouflage and painting throughout the years. I am earning my living as a lawyer, and, alas, this job doesn't leave much time at the moment. Nevertheless, my current projects are - some Fletcher Class DDE conversions (to be built from the 1/700 Tamiya and/or Matchbox kits), - some ships of the early German Bundesmarine (to be scratch-built), - the master patterns for a new WSW model and another new kit. (admittedly a bit too much for my sparce time) Falk Pletscher ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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