Subject: SMML VOL 2411 Date: Tue, 13 Jan 2004 01:50:45 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http//sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1 Re HICKMAN SEA SLEDS 2 Re off-subject quiz about A/C carriers 3 Battleships 4 Hasegawa planned 1/700 Submarine Depot Ship Heianmar 5 Blue Water Navy 6 S. S. Patrick Henry 7 Re Quiz about A/C carriers 8 LW7003 'KURSK' Project 949A Russian Nuclear submarine 9 Russian Project 1/350 RP0503 'KURSK' Project 949A Russian Nuclear submarine ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From aandmblevins@att.net Subject Re HICKMAN SEA SLEDS Hello All, I must have been dozing when the original post on the Sea Sleds came out so I don't know if there was a question posed. I scratchbuilt a 3/8 inch = 1 foot model of the ORLO III for a client about three years ago. I used information from Woodenboat articles and Mystic Seaport to draw the plans. Al Blevins ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From AAA Hobby Supply Subject Re off-subject quiz about A/C carriers The correct answer engine torque, plain and simple. The reason this had an impact is that aircraft of the time had propellors that rotated CCW when seen from the cockpit. This in turn meant the aircraft had a natural tendency to turn to the left. It was observed aboard the Langley that when a wave-off was given, the pilots instinctively made a left bank to abort. The decision to put the island on the Lexington class was made this way. The USN has maintained the tradition by accident. The Essex/Midway conversions put the angle to the opposite side of the island. The Forrestal design was changed on the building ways to incorporate the island, instead of a flush deck design with launch operations to either side of the ship possible and a centerline landing srtip, the decision was made to put the island on the stbd side of the ship to maintain operational commonality with the rest of the fleet so pilots would be more comfortable with the left-hand pattern. The IJN tried to pair carriers with alernating islands into divisions so the ships could operate closer togehter in the formation. the carriers would steam so the islands were to the inside of the formation, thus making the aircraft pattern to the outside to avoid or reduce the incidence of collisions between the different airgroups. the IJN soon realized the inherit disadvantage of this with regards to the engine torque problems and abandoned the practice after two ships. The RN had earlier learned the lesson concerning center islands. The airflow turbulence was completely unacceptable to aircraft operations and limited deck space. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From "Einar Kr Holtet" Subject Battleships Where to obtain a good overview of WWII battleships? Can anyone suggest a consistant series of scale kits in same area? Einar, Norway ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From "Harold Stockton" Subject Hasegawa planned 1/700 Submarine Depot Ship Heianmar Hasegawa us planning to release a IJN 1/700 Submarine Depot Ship Heianmar. No release date or price is known. http//www.hannants.co.uk/cgi-bin/search.pl?Mode=view&Database=advn&R=HAWL520 Harold Stockton ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From "Roy Knight" Subject Blue Water Navy Hello; Can anyone tell me if BWN has gone out of buisness? I have tried to find their website and I'm not having any luck. Thanks for any help that you can give. Roy Knight ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From cfrieden@calpoly.edu Subject S. S. Patrick Henry >> I'm working on a 1/16" model of the first Liberty Ship and hope to show it as of its time trials. I need information as to paint at that time, deck and deck house items such as gun tubs or not; were there life rafts installed; etc. Keep in mind that it was launched in Sept. of 1941 and probably fitted out and had time trials before Pearl Harbor. << Unfortunately I don’t have any specific color information, but I can answer your detail questions. There is a photo published in The Liberty Ships by Sawyer and Mitchell that shows the Patrick Henry during her trials a couple weeks after Pearl Harbor. The original Liberty ship design had 5 guns- four machine guns and one larger gun mounted aft. Tubs for mounting 50 caliber machine guns were split between the forward end of the flying bridge and the after gun deck. There were no provisions for mounting guns forward of the deckhouse. The photo indicates that the Patrick Henry was not armed at the time of her trials, although all of the gun tubs were installed. Also, she had racks for the four large life rafts but the rafts themselves were not in place. Another interesting detail is that she had awnings mounted on the boat deck and the after end of the bridge deck. Regards, Chris Friedenbach Crewmember, SS Jeremiah O’Brien ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From "Harold Stockton" Subject Re Quiz about A/C carriers Most of the answers here are corrent in the reasons being due to torque steering, nut not from the props. Almost all early aircraft had rotatry engines that had that mass of the engine rotating with the propeller going toward the right. When a rotary powered aircraft turns to the right, the right wing and the nose of the aircraft drops significantly. When turning to the left, there a tendency for the left wing to stay relatively stable and straight and the nose to slightly rise for the wave-off or go-around. It was felt more stable and safe to have all of the aircraft to always fly in a counter-clockwise circuit around the carrier. And with the island off to the right side of the deck, the flightdeck was more fully seen from the air. Prop steer became less of a problem with jets, but even the first US super-carrier was originally planned without an island. Interesting how little technical quirks have affects on design. This same thing is seen in some aircraft designs as the Messerschmitt 109 had an aerofoil shape to its vertical fin and rudder in order to overcome torque-steer from its engine. I like to see how things work and interact with each other on machines. Thanks for all who took the time to contribute their thoughts on the matter. Harold Stockton ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From "Harold Stockton" Subject LW7003 'KURSK' Project 949A Russian Nuclear submarine Here is a new to me Russian company named "LW" with some very unusual subjects, with onlt one being their new LW7003 'KURSK' Project 949A Russian Nuclear submarine. The kit is 1/400 scale with three sprues and is listed at $9.95. No detailed views of the built up kit or its components are shown at http//www.hobbyterra.com/product.asp?idProduct=252. The interesting comments about the class are "One from 'OSCAR-2' class of project 949A (ANTEI), Russian nuclear submarine cruiser 'KURSK' was laid down in 1992 and used in Russian Navy from 1995. 24 rocket containers on each side of the hull contain 'Granite' rockets, are capable to destroy any ship of the opponent. In the Russian Navy these submarines have nickname 'Killer of aircraft carriers'. 2 boats type 'OSCAR' and 13 'OSCAR-2' were constructed in Russia. (sic)." Harold Stockton ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From "Harold Stockton" Subject Russian Project 1/350 RP0503 'KURSK' Project 949A Russian Nuclear submarine The company "Russian Project" has a 1/350 'KURSK' Project 949A Russian Nuclear submarine, niy number RP0503. No details are known about the kit except that its cost is $18.95 and that it can be seen at http//www.hobbyterra.com/product.asp?idProduct=167. Harold Stockton ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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