Subject: SMML VOL 2766 Date: Tue, 01 Mar 2005 02:58:25 +1100 The Ship Modelling Mailing List (SMML) is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http//sandlehobbies.com For infomation on how to Post to SMML and Unsubscribe from SMML http//smmlonline.com/aboutsmml/rules.html ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1 OLD IRONSIDES 2 Italeri USS Ronald Reagan 3 Re USRC Harriet Lane 4 Austin TX hobby shops? 5 Boot topping 6 Side wheeler 7 Imai Susquehanna 8 Drawings and Photos ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From JRKutina@webtv.net (John Kutina) Subject OLD IRONSIDES >> The U.S.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) as a combat vessel carried 48,600 gallons of fresh water for her crew of 475 officers and men. This was sufficient to last six months of sustained operations at sea. She carried no evaporators (i.e. fresh water distillers!). However, let it be noted that according to her log, "On July 27, 1798, the U.S.S. Constitution sailed from Boston with a full complement of 475 officers and men, 48,600 gallons of fresh water, 7,400 cannon shot, 11,600 pounds of black powder and 79,400 gallons of rum." Her mission "To destroy and harass English shipping." Making Jamaica on 6 October, she took on 826 pounds of flour and 68,300 gallons of rum. Then she headed for the Azores, arriving there 12 November. She provisioned with 550 pounds of beef and 64,300 gallons of Portuguese wine. On 18 November, she set sail for England. In the ensuing days she defeated five British men-of-war and captured and scuttled 12 English merchantmen, salvaging only the rum aboard each. By 26 January, her powder and shot were exhausted. Nevertheless, although unarmed she made a night raid up the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. Her landing party captured a whisky distillery and transferred 40,000 gallons of single malt Scotch aboard by dawn. Then she headed home. The U.S.S. Constitution arrived in Boston on 20 February, 1799, with no cannon shot, no food, no powder, no rum, no wine, no whisky and 38,600 gallons of stagnant water. << Regards, John Kutina ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From "Pwesty" Subject Italeri USS Ronald Reagan Hi Guys I was just wondering if anybody can tell me much about the new Italeri USS Ronald Reagan kit. Is this really a new kit based upon the Reagan or is just old kit repackaged using old models? Just wondering and thanks ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From Bill Michaels Subject Re USRC Harriet Lane >> I just finished modeling this kit from an old box that was in someone's attic. It was marked CIVIL WAR Blockade Runner Number 375-2.98. A yellowed flyer inside the kit box announced that it was a 19 inch model. and the price (1947?) was $2.98! The molding quality is superb. It is in 1/144 scale and matches the appearance of USS Harriet Lane perfectly. On the box it says "The ship Model you can build with this kit is so authentic that it has been placed on permanent display in the Ship Model Collection at the United States Coast Guard Academy, New London, Connecticut." Maybe I shouldn't have built the model. It might have been more valuable left in the box! << The Pyro kit is actually 1/96 scale, not 1/144. The Pyro kit was releases int he early 1960s, as the US Revenue Cutter Harriet Lane. Later on, Pyo sold the same kit a the "Civil War Blockde Runner." After Pyro went out of business, eventually a number of their molds ended up with LindBerg. Lindberg continued to release the kit as the Blockade Runner-- the last issuance of the kit was as part of the "Classic Replica Series" in the early 1990s. By this time, the linkage to the Harriet Lane was lost. Manufacturers will often rebox a kit with a different name, often wioth no regard to historical accuracy. In this case, however, the re-boxing of the Harriet Lane is justified. Harriet Lane was President James Buchanan's niece. As Buchanan was a batchelor, his niece served as White House hostess, a sort of de facto First Lady. Harriet Lane was a pretty, vivacious young woman, and a very popular celebrity, known throughout the country. USRC Harriet Lane entered service with the Revenue Marine (forerunner of the US Coast Guard) in 1858. The ship was very sucesssfull, and became the USS Harriet Lane during the Civil War. In 1863, she was captured by the Confederates at Galveston Texas, and used as a Blockade Runner. So, the kit can be legitimately sold as a Revenue Service Cutter, a US Navy Blockader, and as a Confederate Blockade runner. As to the value- the Pyro kit is certainly worth more to collectors. Anyone looking to build the Harriet Lane is probably better served to buy a later Lindberg issue. The contents are essentuially the same. (Though the painting instructions will be suspect.) Bill Plank Owner, US Coast Guard Cutter Harriet Lane (WMEC-903) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From Randy Ward Subject Austin TX hobby shops? I'll be in Austin, TX in a few weeks, and anticipate having a car for a day. Are there any good shops in the Austin area, especially dealing with ships? Cap'n Randy ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From Keith Butterley Subject Boot topping I have been in discussion with two retired Admirals of the Canadian Navy. They both commanded destroyers during WWII. I asked about the width of the boot topping and one told me this My aim was to extend the boot topping down as much as I could so that the red was never visible in harbor. A question here might be- why is the top of the boot topping where it seems to be in most of the photos in Macpherson? And let me be the first to say I have absolutely no idea. I never created a boot topping from scratch! Good question, how is it decided how high the boot topping extends? Here are another couple of things he told me On painting a ship It varied tremendously. When we were all grey, you could paint the ship sides in a day, if you made it into an evolution, i.e. all hands turn to. The upper works took much longer. If camouflage was involved, then it had to be done, in stages, by fewer personnel, and took longer. We also need to remember that the only application tool we had was the paint brush. In 1953, when I was X.O. of Quebec at the Coronation Review, we also had paint sprayers and long-handled rollers. And, we never stopped painting from our arrival in Portsmouth until the day before the Review. On my original boot top question Here you need to define waterline. Below the grey, we painted the hull black. Under the waterline it was red. I always liked to paint the black, in calm waters, when we were high in the water. This brings up an interesting point. Given the number of times the boot top would be painted with the ship in the water verses out of the water in dry dock, I think I am going to dispense masking between the red and black. That will make the model more realistic and the judges at the IPMS shows like realism don't they? Keith Butterley warshipbooks.com/West Coast Models Vancouver Site of the 2010 Winter Olympics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From "William B Luther" Subject Side wheeler Tom, The side wheeler you remember may have been Aurora's USS Hartford of David Farragut and Civil War fame. I found the following description on "Rajendra's Ship Kit List" http//www.quuxuum.org/rajens_list/rajen.html#AuroraHartford. Hartford (USN 3-masted steam warship) [1/115] (iron) FH Editor's Note This kit is said to be over two feet long when completed. It is said to be molded in four colors black, white, grey and brown. It was originally issued around 1966. (DRW) Good hunting, it's a rare kit. Bill Luther ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From "Axel" Subject Imai Susquehanna Hello there, concerning the question to IMAIs Susquehanna availability, I can tell you that IMAI finally went out of business approx. two years ago. Chinese manufacturer LEE produced some IMAI kits like the 1350 scale sailing ships and the BIG-SCALE ships Spanish Galleon and Kaiwo Maru/Nippon Maru. (Dont know whether these were copies from the molds ot whether they used IMAIs original molds). But there is a good chance to see Susquehanna and others again, as japanese manufacturer AOSHIMA has purchased some (maybe all ?) IMAI molds and at present produces some 1.350 scale models again as well as the big-scale Santa Maria, Mayflower, Cutty Sark and so on. You can find these at Hobby Link - Japan www.hlj.com Go to manufacturer AOSHIMA and then to ships. Hope this helps. Greetings from Germany to all Axel ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From Mike Settle Subject Drawings and Photos Here is an interesting link my son found and sent to me. The site contains wartime cutaway drawings of aircraft, armament, and ships. There are also several photos of submarines, primarily British S type. http//www.cyber-heritage.co.uk/cutaway/ Mike Settle ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Reviews, Articles, Backissues, Member's models & Reference Pictures at http//smmlonline.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume