Subject: SMML VOL 2414 Date: Fri, 16 Jan 2004 02:07:40 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http//sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1 Re Revell 1/72 U-Boat 2 Re Colours for Blyskawica in 1944? 3 Re Pre Dreadnought battleships 4 "Major Errors on Revell 1/72 U-Boat"! 5 Carrier Island to Starboard 6 Book "Three Corvettes" 7 Chesneau books on Graf Spee & KGV 8 Re All I want..... 9 Re off-subject quiz about A/C carriers 10 HMS Burwell 11 Re IJN Hosho 12 IJN Carrier HOSHO -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1 Re Pre-Dreadnought Battleships ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From Brooks Rowlett Subject Re Revell 1/72 U-Boat >> Got my U-boat kit the other day. Those hull mouldings are really something at first glance but I've found some major errors in the bow area. I thought that something looked wrong and a glance through some photos proved that there was. Out came the builders drawings and the calculator and half an hour later I had the answer. The anchor recess is 4mm too far aft and the sloping row of drain holes above it are 7mm too far forward as well as too big in diameter. Correcting these points puts the aftermost drain hole just forward of the top corner of the anchor recess as it appears in photos. The main row of drain slots are one frame space too far forward so filling in the sloping row and cutting new ones one space aft put them at the correct distance aft of the anchor recess. << May I ask a silly question here? What builder? What U-boat are you modeling? Each yard used a different limber hole pattern. It is not unreasonable that the anchor recess location was also variable. Are you modeling a specific U-boat hull number? In that case you had better find the actual limber hole pattern used by the yard that built that boat. There is a diagram in the last English edition of Gröner which shows the patterns. Presumably the diagram is in the later German editions too. In fact I used them and the boat histories to determine that a photo of a German submarine in drydock in Italy was a particular boat, for one of the mystery photos on hazegray.org. Brooks A Rowlett ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From John Snyder Subject Re Colours for Blyskawica in 1944? Hi Stephen, >> Could anyone advise me of the colours worn by the ORP Blyskawica in 1944? I am building the Mirage 1/400 kit, and it only provides Humbrol equivalents for what looks like an Admiralty disruptive scheme. RN color call outs or WEM Colourcoat equivalents would be just peachy - and can anyone advise me what colour the decks would be as well? It's a very nice little kit by the way. << Are you sure you want to do her in 1944 camo? I've checked all my references and can't come up with anything certain for her in that period. On the other hand, there are LOTS of good photos of her in 1941, in overall AP 507B with AP 507A decks, and false bow and stern waves (with the lower portion of the bow wave in blue or green). Best, John Snyder The Token Yank White Ensign Models http//WhiteEnsignModels.com for secure online ordering. For the latest news from WEM, Click Here http//www.whiteensignmodels.com/brochure/whats_new1.htm ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From Brooks Rowlett Subject Re Pre Dreadnought battleships >> Best book I know on this covering multiple countries is "Battleships of World War I" - Antony Preston, Arms and Armour Press, published 1972. Most of the capital ships built from 1880 on were still extant in 1914 even if in minor roles. 1/1200 plan and elevation drawings are numerous; however, many have deliberate errors, I presume to help detect illegal reproduction. << I asked about this and got this most interesting reply! >> No. The drawings are mine and any errors are definitely not deliberate. Produced a long time ago before I really got into my stride so I would not be surprised if there were various mistakes. As far as I can remember the material available to me to produce the drawings (mostly supplied by the author) was somewhat patchy. Good original references for RN (no surprise), France, Austro Hungary and some German but most of the rest had to be generated from secondary sources and photographs. As I have mentioned before, anything published with your name on it can haunt you forever as there is no way of undoing any mistakes you have made! John Roberts << Yes, THAT John Roberts. So they weren't deliberate errors - they were best they could do at the time. Brooks A Rowlett ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From "Katz, Gene S" Subject "Major Errors on Revell 1/72 U-Boat"! Gee, after reading about these alledged major errors, e.g., a whole 4 mm (not quite 3/16 inch) on the hull length of this eagarly awaited plastic model, it almost makes me afraid to obtain the 1/72 U-Boat crewmembers. I mean, after all, how can we be sure that the scale 1/72 Kriegsmarine eagle on the uniform has its eye open or closed, or if the heels on the officer's seaboots are the genuinely correct KM issue and not some attempt at his making a fashion statement by wearing boots repaired by a French shoemaker when on leave in Paris?? ;)) Well, I still intend to procure one of these gems, in spite of major errors, omissions, inaccuracies, etc. And I hope that this U-Boat is just the beginning of a new series of 1/72 Naval subjects in plastic. Nice going Revell of Germany. Gene ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From Bill Rowe Subject Carrier Island to Starboard There should be plenty of replies to this question. The reason I heard was the WW1 rotory engines, as used in the Camels etc. pulled to the left. So, the island was put on the starboard so the planes wouldn't go into the it. When the Japinese built their first carrier with the island to port the rotories were gone, so that wasn't an issue. That doesn't explan whey they left the stacks on the starboard with the island to port. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From "Katz, Gene S" Subject Book "Three Corvettes" For those of us who love the "K" flag little ships, Hamilton Books has Monsaratt's "Three Corvettes" for $5.95 US. Gene ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From FBustelo@aol.com Subject Chesneau books on Graf Spee & KGV Hi Folks, I recall that some time ago, Roger Chesneau announced that he was working on a new series of books that focused on modeling particular classes of ships and that they were to be published by Chatham. Since Chatham filed for bankruptcy, the publication of the first 2 volumes on the Graf Spee and the KGV classes of ships, was in jeopardy. Interestingly, I came across this site which has both titles as new and in stock http//shop.nauticalmind.com/dir/Marine_Modelling/ Can anyone (perhaps Mr. Chesneau himself) shed light on whether these books actually have been published? Thanks, Felix Bustelo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From Brooks Rowlett Subject Re All I want..... >> No I believe it is time that the manufacturers started considering other subjects and stop letting the bean counters dictate their subjects. << That is why the resin companies exist. It is very expensive to create a new mold for injection molding, but comparatively cheap for resin. If a company does not listen to its bean counters it will eventually cease to exist and then there won't be any of the other kinds of models out there either. Brooks A. Rowlett ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From Bill Weckel Subject Re off-subject quiz about A/C carriers Human nature to pull the stick back and left if something goes wrong in the last seconds of a carrier landing... if the island is on the starboard side, there is nothing to crash into -) Bill ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From "John Clements" Subject HMS Burwell Having just acquired the B-Resina kit of HMS Burwell (ex-US flushdeck destroyer), I am looking for any useful plans or references, as the instructions are almost non-existent and there are some pieces that I cannot identify. I also would like to add some further detail. I have found a few photographs on the web, the best of which shows the Western Approaches camouflage scheme recommended for the kit, but with some differences such as a raised forefunnel. Does this mean that the WA scheme should not be applied to the kit as supplied, in which case I would need to find out what other alterations had been made. There also seems to be some object in front of the bow gun that is partly obscured in the photo; I wondered if this was a bowchaser of some kind, though I haven't found one on other Town class boats that I have photos of. If anyone could point me in the right direction, especially for clear plans, I would be very grateful. John Clements ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From Gernot Hassenpflug Subject Re IJN Hosho From Maurice Northcott >> I too have the Seaway/Fujimi 1/700 Hosho. I would like to convert the model to late WW2 config if drawings and/or colour information are available of the vessel at about that time. Does anybody know the whereabouts of such drawings and/or info? << Easy answer, http//smmlonline.com/articles/hosho/hosho.html More difficult answer http//www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-fornv/japan/japsh-h/hosho2.htm (a few photos) http//www.hkr.ne.jp/~igyou/fire/air_c/kaku/housyou.htm (translation needed here) There don't seem to be any useful Japanese sites on the Hosho. A few with one or two photos of completed models (interesting one featured a model of Hosho at the time of the Battle of Midway) but nothing I could find seemed of use to you (besides which Explorer kept crashing). Maybe one of the Japanese modelers can help out here? Regards, Gernot ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From "Axel Wolters [Rsb.Terlinden]" Subject IJN Carrier HOSHO Hello Maurice Northcott and other IJN buffs, there is some good stuff about Japans first aircraft carrier available First, a brandnew edition of japanese company GAKKEN books " Perfect guide, the aircraft carriers of the imperial japanese navy and army". A very good book including many photos and colour drawings of paint and camouflage schemes. Off course HOSHO too. Second, a japanese book from cpmpany MODEL ART "Drawings of imperial japanese naval vessels, part 3". This book contains 1700 scale drawings from side and top of all carriers, even the small ones and those rebuilt from passenger ships, freighters and so on. Third, a book from famous japanese MARU SPECIAL series (often to find in Ebay) Number 126, this contains many photos from HOSHO before and after reconstruction, including detail photos. Mostly japanese text, but mostly pictures which speak for themselves. Last, a fantastic website from english modeller Allan Parry www.geocities.com/ijncv Here you find photos and paint schemes from IJN carriers, amongst them on foto of HOSHO at the end of war. Hope this helps. Greetings to all. Axel Wolters Germany ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From SeaWoodies@aol.com Subject Re Pre-Dreadnought Battleships >> Since you say you already have a reference for British pre-dreadnoughts, I trust you have British Battleships 1889-1904 by R.A. Burt. If not, there are plenty of copies available through abebooks.com. Prices start around $130 US. This is definitely The BEST Reference on British pre-dreadnought battleships. << I have a copy of this publication in as new condition and having been unemployed for some months will gladly part with it for $100 USD plus postage. Since I have no interest in modeling any warships other than my very large Fletcher, parting will be such sweet sorrow! Besides which income tax time is just around the corner. I also have a number of out of print Conway books also in as new condition should anyone be looking for other publications. SeaWoodies@aol.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