Subject: SMML VOL 2465 Date: Sat, 27 Mar 2004 00:45:18 +1100 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http//sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1 King George V Stack Needed 2 Re Oahu Railway Question....Answer 3 Re Essex-class elevator question 4 Blue Aircraft Lights 5 photoetched parts 6 Hoga going to Arkansas 7 Re Blue navogation lights on Japanese aircraft models 8 Re110 Ft. WW1 subchasers 9 Re Type 21 Bridge Colours 10 Re Blue navogation lights on Japanese aircraft models 11 Re Blue navigation lights on Japanese aircraft models -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1 USS Charles Carroll - APA 28 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From AFisherJr@aol.com Subject King George V Stack Needed I recently acquired a 1/1200 diecast WWII KGV sans the after stack. Was wondering if anyone has an extra Airfix or similar stack they would be willing to donate as a replacement? Thanks ... Al ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From "Les Pickstock" Subject Re Oahu Railway Question....Answer >> To the Smmlie who was asking about the Oahu Railway... A new book "Hawaiian Railway Album - Volume 1 - The Oahu Railway and Land Company, Limited, In Honolulu. WWII Photographs by Victor Norton, Jr." << Richard, thanks for that. I ordered a copy from TRP a couple of weeks ago. It arrived less than 4 days later. Pennsylvania to the UK in 31/2 days, must be a record. The book is excellent. I can't wait for Vols 2 and 3 which may contain pics of the navy yard. Thanks again. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From AAA Hobby Supply Subject Re Essex-class elevator question >> I served on the TICO and found the information interesting. Regarding the placement of the elevator. I also was aware of the placement of the crane being forward of the #3 elevator, while on other ESSEX class carriers, they were aft of the elevator. After reading the information from Jodie, I would have to assume it was because of the placement of the elevators. << According to the plans that have been published, the crane sponson appears to be in the same place on both versions, just the elevator was moved. The frame number isn't listed on any, however, and they were redrawn by the likes of Raven, Baker, et.al. - so looks can be decieving. I will await finding primary research material on my next NARA sojourn before I make my mind up. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From "Jim Johnson" Subject Blue Aircraft Lights There are two ways to color a light, such as aircraft navigation lights (or ship lights, for that matter). One is to put a colored bulb in the fixture with a clear lens. The more common way is to put a clear bulb in a fixture with a colored lens. This is the more common way because you only have to stock one type of bulb. There are many green (starboard) lights on aircraft that have what look like blue lens on it. When the bulb is lit, the light appears green. This is why many aircraft have what appears to be blue lights on them. Jim Johnson ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From "Dennis Vella" Subject photoetched parts Can any member me trace a company that did photoetched parts for individual modellers called FOTOCUT of box120 Erieville NY 13061 whose properitor was a Mr Fred Hultberg and I last dealt with him nearly 15 years ago. I would appreciate if anyone can inform me if this company is still in business, its present address, e-mail address and web site. I would also be grateful if members can give me the address of any other company that does similar work for modellers at reasonable prices. I have a two year project which i cannot finish before i obtain a few photoetched parts which i need to etch out in .08 Brass. Also where can I obtain commercial scale plans (full hull) perferably in 1/192 scale, but any other scale would also do, of HMS tiger-battlecruiser and of a DARING class destroyer of the 1950's Webb plans of Australia used to have a scale plan of a DARING class but the company is also untraceable Dennis Vella Malta ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From Burl Burlingame Subject Hoga going to Arkansas It's official - the Navy has awarded Pearl Harbor veteran USS Hoga to the attraction complex in Arkansas that includes the Clinton Library, rather than to the Pearl Harbor group. The Navy never has done very well regarding Pearl Harbor history.... Burl Burlingame ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From PAUL TOSCANO Subject Re Blue navogation lights on Japanese aircraft models >> Art, I would not give too much credence to instructions etc. in Japanese aircraft kits of the 1930s. My guess is that, given the era, something "got lost in the translation". << Hi, You are right about the translation problem. The word used in Japanese is "aoi" which can be used for a light green or a bluish green. "GO" traffic lights in Japan are referred to as "aoi" but sure look green to me. Navigation lights on Japanee planes are "aoi" and green. Paul ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From Fkbrown90@aol.com Subject Re110 Ft. WW1 subchasers To Alan Millen Thank you for your kind comments about my article in the recent Nautical Research Journal. I am personally delighted to have had my essay accepted by NRJ. Having people respond to one's writings is always a compliment, even though the tenor may be negative. But even negative comments demonstrate that you have indeed communicated with someone, and that they are interested enough in your subject to want to discuss it. Of course, positive remarks are better (much better). As to taking about 68 years to make the model, there does seem to be some kind of a record here. Also, don't forget, some paints take longer than others to dry. About the color of the hull number identifications. Congratulations for being so observant. Yes, there were some done with black paint. Of the 440 chasers completed, 100 were sold to France and used in the French Navy. Whereas they would be operating primarily in French Waters, and some American Navy chaser of identical design would be doing the same, it was decided that the French chasers' letters and numbers would be black and the American boats would have white characters. The chaser in the photo on pages 198 and 199 of the Volume 48, No. 4 issue of NRJ shows SC 380 wearing the bow identification done in black paint. These "French"boats were made in at least nine different boat yards, under the original contract numbers (No. 380 in this case), and were later re-numbered (C 75 in this case). I don't know just where or when they were actually painted with the French designations. This picture seems to be taken in an American port (it looks like the old Army Base in Boston), perhaps during a sea trial run from City Island, New York, to Boston, prior to officially transferring the boat to the French Navy. As to font, realize that the 440 chasers were built in 38 small-boat yards on all three coasts and also in the Great Lakes region, by yacht builders who were somewhat individualistic artisans and craftsmen. My opinion is that as you noted, no two chasers seem to be identical. The style of the bow characters reflects this. As a result one sees all kinds of minor perturbations. This became more so when the characters had to be repainted after the vessels were in service for a while. This work was done by the crews themselves, few of whom were artistically inclined. The Chief Boatswain would rig a bosun's chair over the side and have some young apprentice seaman climb into it and attack the characters with a paintbrush. Later, just the digits were painted on four sided of the canvas of the crow's nest. From what I gather from the pictures, some "painters" stood in the crow's nest and leaned out and did the job "upside down". In addition to the bow characters, local area commanders had their own two-character identification, usually appearing on the bridge wing canvas spray shields or on the stern transom. Just what shade of gray was used is, at this time, anyone's guess. It was wartime and the different boat yards probably used what ever they could get. Re-paints in service were probably pretty done in the same free-spirited manner (Just do it, dammit !). I went down and looked at USS Salem in the Fore River Shipyard in Quincy, Massachusetts and used that shade. It's as good as any other. The burden of proof falls heavily on he who disagrees. After the Armistice the Navy saw fit to rattle its saber in northern Russia and sent three heavily armed chasers, and other craft, to Archangel. I don't know why, but their original bow identifications were changed from SC 354 (the Unit Flagship) to simply BT in very large letters, for example. The original SC 354 appeared on the bridge wing canvas in smaller characters. Go figure. Twenty-four chasers and 81 other larger craft were detained after the Armistice to sweep the upper regions of the North Sea free of mines sown in 1918. For this operation the chaser kept their very large original digits, but no letters, on the bow, but they were outlined by a thin black edging (not "shadow" style). "Ya pays ya money and ya takes ya cherse. If ya think one is bad, the other is woice." Some chaser were photographed on trial runs before the weaponry was added. Other were photographed just before they came home from Europe, and the guns etc. had indeed been removed to lighten ship and to lower the center of gravity and thus improve the tendency to roll so easily. Captain Ted Treadwell tells me that his chaser would roll 20 degrees if set in wet grass on dry land. The early deck guns were the meshugana Davis guns, in which the recoil was absorbed (are you ready for this ?) by a big load of buckshot being jettisoned out the back of the gun while the projectile was flung out the front !!!!!!! These were discontinued and replaced with 3"/23 caliber Poole guns, which rarely got used. Some chaser originally had two deck guns, one forward and one amidships. The midship guns were replaced with Y guns for launching depth charges sideways away from the boat. Various styles of roll-off racks were used to roll more depth charges off the stern. Much of the foregoing (and more) was included in the original manuscript, but the NRJ found it necessary to emasculate it to fit the available allotted paper and to accommodate the photos. It was good of you to ask. Franklyn ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From John Snyder Subject Re Type 21 Bridge Colours >> I was also AMBUSCADE and I am fairly sure that the consoles were a light bluish grey while the bridge deck was a medium green textured lino (I wore out plenty of shoe soles on it while on watch !) and the walls were white << Walls? WALLS??!! What IS the RN coming to, anyway??? Best regards, John Snyder White Ensign Models, Ltd. http//whiteensignmodels ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From Gernot Hassenpflug Subject Re Blue navogation lights on Japanese aircraft models In the Japanese language, blue and green can be described Very Accurately(tm) through numerous Chinese characters. By using these in speech, either as free-standing 'words' or in juku-go compounds, accuracy is more than adequately served. However, in Yamato-kotoba, known for its earthy and feeling-laden words rather than objectivity, blue and green are synonymous ao. This definitely makes translation difficult! Gernot ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From "Bruce Buchner" Subject Re Blue navigation lights on Japanese aircraft models The reason for the blue lenses on many older aircraft is the yellow light that was produced by 12 or 24 volt incandescent light bulbs of the era. Blue plus yellow equals bright green. For those who are old enough remember how yellow the bulbs in your flashlight used to be. This may be why the fresnel lens is blue also. Bruce Buchner ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From "Ken Goldman" Subject USS Charles Carroll - APA 28 After three years of work going through original documents, crew diaries, interviews, etc. my book about the attack transport USS Charles Carroll is finally available from Trafford Publishing. The ship made the invasions of North Africa, Sicily, Salerno, Normandy, Southern France and Okinawa. The book includes photographs, invasion maps, even hull lines. For more information and to place an order go to www.trafford.com/robots/03-2662.html Ken Goldman ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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