Subject: SMML VOL 2846 Date: Tue, 31 May 2005 14:56:20 +1000 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 Norfolk 2 Norfolk Pronunciation 3 Re SBC-27/125 Bunker Hill And Franklin 4 Re Early Destroyer Colors 5 Re Shipping a built model 6 Re Shiping a model 7 Hobby Shops in DFW 8 Videotapes of history from Sharkhunters 9 Re Devils' Origins 10 Re Proper Pronunciation/Shipping Built Model 11 early destroyer colours -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1 New books ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From "Stephen Cowardin" Subject Norfolk I spent 17 of the happiest years of my live living in Norfolk where I met my wife. Both kids were born there. The way locals pronounce the name is like the High School Cheer, "We don't smoke, we don't drink, Norfolk! NorfolK!" And Yes a lot of Navy people pronounce it 'Nor fork". Only a tourist will say "Nor FoLk" However,Just across the Elizabeth River is "P-o-r-c-h-m-u-t-h" to the natives, "Portsmuth' to the rest of us and "Portsmouth" if you want to pass Geometry. By the way, greetings from Midlothian, a suburb of Richmond, Virginia, the state where names like Piankatank make one glad to have a "Norfolk" So, does anyone have an idea of when Saratoga is coming out? Steve Cowardin ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From John Mianowski Subject Norfolk Pronunciation FWIW I had a girlfriend once, who grew up in Norfolk. She & her family all pronounced it 'NOR-fork'. I thought it was odd at the time, but after hearing it the same from several different people, assumed that it was normal for the area. John Mianowski ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From "Hank Lapa" Subject Re SBC-27/125 Bunker Hill And Franklin Actually, it does make sense to modernize and update the "worst" ships you expect to operate in the future. If the Congress authorizes (and funds) such extensive ship work, there is a much bigger gain to fleet capability by fixing up bad ships, and keeping good ships as is, not fixing up good ships and leaving the rest to rot. If you don't, reidentify where to put the money for the most gain from a smaller budget and make sure it gets spent (or "obligated") to show Congress next year that the coffers are empty for updates and mods again, with more work to do. Either they will give you more "repair" money, or buy new ships. Playing the system is sometimes the only way to maintain capabilities, either afloat or ashore. I've seen both. Hank ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From Ron Subject Re Early Destroyer Colors >> aware of the silhouette effect of black. Trials showed that a gloss black aircraft could fly through searchlights without being seen. Yes, honestly, that is what their trials showed. Personally, I'd have re-run the trials. << The gloss black does work best where searchlights are in use, it reflects random points of light and appears to be stars if the plane is high enough. Gloss black undersides were used as late as Vietnam on B-52's flying night missions. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From Gary Kingzett Subject Re Shipping a built model > Can anyone advise me what is the best way, if any, to ship my scratch built, five foot long, model of an AKA to my next ship reunion which is on the East coast and I live on the West coast. << Ken, it depends on the value and the fragility of the model. In any event, it will have to be enclosed it in a packing case. Check with whomever you choose to do the shipping to get the specifications for the crate. Get the model professionally appraised, and insure it accordingly. Insurance is surprisingly inexpensive, and you might be able to get it as a rider on your home owner's policy. If the model can stand some moderate bumping around,(by that, I mean can it survive a drop of 6" or so) you could ship UPS, Fedex, or any airline airfreight company, but do fly it. If it is really valuable or delicate, I suggest you get in touch with a fine arts auction house such as Christies, or with a good museum. They have experience with shipping valuable items, and can set you straight. Or, if you have the time, get a van or SUV and drive it yourself. Lots of nice country between there and here, and it probably won't take more than about a week each way. Good Luck Gary Kingzett ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From Donsrcships@wmconnect.com Subject Re Shiping a model Hello this is your old Rustbucket. Maybe to help ya out on trying to ship a 5 ft model ship, Yes I have done a few in the pass, My ships were also RC, I have ship them through UPS Grown I. Found it out it is a lot cheaper to do then air. Here is what I have done, I will usely go to a body shop where they get very large box's, Then I will fill the box with the ship with a lot of news paper, Styrofoam that is usely use in doing fragile packages. I make sure there is about 2 inches of space all around the ship when she is pack, Then I mark Very fragile on the box in very big letters usely red that will stand out, Then I ensure it to make sure nothing will happen, BUT sometimes that dose not help BUT you might have a problem but so far I have been lucky. NOW Around the mast and areas that are fragile i will wrap news paper or something for extra protection, So far when I have ship I have been lucky. I have ship up to 6 ft in model ships in the pass, Be sure to when you ship it! Be sure they know what is inside the box. One thing I have found since 9-11 Here in US They may open it dont let that bother you for they only open it to see and make what it is, Then they just retape it and ship it, ONE Thing also make sure they have the right address on the box and who it is going to. last year I ship an LST a small one to the Reunion for a person that ask me to build it for them, USP screw up and redress it and it ended up in another area but we track it and they were able to get it to go where it was supposed to go, Other then that I have had good luck and would use them if I had to ship another one somewhere, So I hope this has help, IF I can answer any more questions please get in touch and I will see I if can help any more. DON That Portland Rustbucket West cost, By the way what reunion and where? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From "Ed Grune" Subject Hobby Shops in DFW Michael McMurtrey wrote >> Can someone tell me where the good hobby shops are in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area? << Well, Mike there are no more best ones since Phils of Farmers Branch closed about 2 years ago. There are only some acceptible ones. Working north to south - there is the Hobby Town in Plano at Independence & Park. Typical Hobby Town stock with a good wall of aircraft models. They do have some resin & brass aftermarket stuff. One of the assistant managers is an IPMS North Central Texas member & he tries to keep the stock current. There is only about 6 to 8 shelf-feet of ship kits. Next is a Hobby Town in Lewisville. Never been in there and can't speak one way or the other Next is Hobby Town North Dallas at US75 & Walnut Hill. Typical Hobby Town fare, without the extras that Plano has. Next, in Irving are two. MAL Hobbys has been in business for about 50 years. Its an old time hobby shop - mostly for RC & free-flight balsa and railroad. They have a good selection of AC references but slight on the kits. Maybe one or two ship kits. Not too far away from MAL in Irving is Wild Bills. It is mostly a RC plane & car shop - but it has one aisle of plastic kits. There are some old gems hidden in the stacks of kits. Next up is Hobby Town in Arlington, at I20 and Cooper. Typical Hobby Town fare with the addition of a couple of Lone Star resin ACW ironclads on the shelves. You missed the best shop. Last weekend Squadron Mail Order held their annual open house as part of the IPMS-NCT annual show. Squadron only opens their warehouse to the retail public one weekend a year. Their scratch & dent table is evry good shopping. Most of everything else is at their typical catalog prices - so you don're really save any money. There are no shops in Ft. Worth any more. There are some Hobby Lobbys scattered in strip malls throughout the area. Their stock varies. This week they are having a 50% off sale on plastic kits. Ed Grune Mansfield, TX ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From JRKutina@webtv.net (John Kutina) Subject Videotapes of history from Sharkhunters Stumbled over this web surfing. It includes interviews with Kretschmer, Topp, Hardegen, Hess, Oesten, Thäter and many other U-Bootwahrer. http//www.sharkhunters.com/tapes.htm Regards, John Kutina ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From Fritz Koopman Subject Re Devils' Origins George Oh and Tom K are REAL close! The outermost plank on the decks, usually incorperated into the waterways and scuppers, were in fact called devils. Devils are slightly thicker planks that run along where two other types, or directions, of planks meet on any inner or outer surface of the hull. (Just like where the decking meets the ceiling or bulwark planking, as George has mentioned). However, there's also another devil on the ouside of the ship, the Devil Wale. This was the lower-most wale plank, always thicker than the planking below it, sometimes but not always as thick as the wale planking above it. This "lip" was close to the waterline, especialy near midships, and had a nasty habit of snagging any line that had a knot in it that was being weighed along side (such as log lines, sounding lines, and worse, the lines tied around the torso of an overboard seaman). In the case of the tired, half-drowned seaman, getting caught meant being repeatedly thrust below water if there was any rolling seaway to the ship. Occasionaly it was also the case for any pinnace or whaleboat, that came alongside in a bad seaway, that the sheer clamp would get caught underneath causing damage to themselves, and in severe cases, sinkings... Ejoyed everyones responses -) Best Regards Fritz K ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From "John Snyder" Subject Re Proper Pronunciation/Shipping Built Model Lots of old-timers working for the Norfolk & Western Railroad pronounced "Norfolk" as "Norfork"--sort of the same way that loggers refer to boots with caulks (extended hobnails) as "corked" boots. As for the best, surest way to ship that model cross-country to the reunion in the back of a pickup/SUV/station wagon, driven by yourself! Best regards, John Snyder White Ensign Models http//WhiteEnsignModels.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From "Stephen Allen" Subject early destroyer colours I can add further to Graham's advice concerning the adoption of either light grey or black as 'night' camouflage. The RN was in fact one of the early adopters of light grey paintwork for destroyers, precisely because pre-war experience had shown that black silhouetted ships against the background of sea and sky. As Graham suggests the situation for night fighters in world war two was quite different. After its early experience with overall black - and a special version of black (RDM2) that was very matt, slowed aircraft appreciably and was very difficult to maintain (but great for weathering effects on models!) - the RAF did a number of experiments with models to determine the best overall colouring for night fighter operations, settling on an overall light/medium grey, with an upper surface pattern of dark green that was intended to break up the aircraft planform for purposes of ground camouflage when parked on airfields. This was adopted for aircraft that were not predominantly concerned with observation from the ground via searchlight (my source for this is an aircraft profile on development of the Beaufighter). Some RAF night intruder fighters operating over the defended areas of Germany ,maintained night black undersurfaces because of the searchlight threat. Bomber Command retained its use of night (black) and later smooth night because it was principally concerned with the visibility of aircraft caught in searchlights. The USAAF later adapted 'jet' black for much the same reasons - this was a gloss paint designed to have the necessary amount of reflectance to direct light away from any observer not at the 'specular' angle. It was used extensively on B-29s during the night raids undertaken against Japan late in the war. One problem with 'jet' black observed in early trials was that field painting over existing paint cancelled out the advantages of the paint - it was glossy but rough and did not contribute to low visibility (my source for this is Dana Bell's excellent Air Force Colors Vol2). Most of the examples mentioned fall into one of the two categories - either silhouette against background or being captured in a searchlight - and so the seemingly contradictory use of both black and light grey for camouflage makes perfect sense in each case, depending on the assessment of the greatest threat of observation, complicated by the very specialised development of particular paint finishes - not just black but types of black for particular purposes. I've never been much of a believer in the 'scale black'/dark grey school - some black finishes are meant to be very, very black indeed. Steve ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From Keith Butterley Subject New books Now available from Maritime The Royal Navy at Devonport Since 1900 and The Royal Navy at Portsmouth Since 1900 These two books are about the last in this series. Canada $40CAN + shipping US & INTL $32US + shipping Pre-order now, new from Classic Warships Warship Pictorial #26 Tirpitz This volume of the Warship Pictorial Series books covers the German Navy battleship Tirpitz, sistership to the famous Bismarck. Packed within the 72 pages of this book are 111 black & white and 6 color photographs with extensive captions, and a brief history of that powerful warship. Many of the black & white photos and color images have never been in print before. This book also contains color computer rendered graphics of all the camouflage patterns, illustrating both port and starboard views at an amazing level of detail. Combined with the color photographs, there are a total of 8 pages of color in this volume. This is the best book to cover the Tirpitz in photos and graphics that has ever been printed. Canada $25CAN + shipping US & INTL $18US + shipping RCN Corvette Camouflage 1941-1945 (CD) Canada $25 + shipping US & INTL $20US + shipping Regards Keith Butterley warshipbooks.com/West Coast Models Vancouver Site of the 2010 Winter Olympics ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Reviews, Articles, Backissues, Member's models & Reference Pictures at http//smmlonline.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume