Subject: SMML VOL 3027 Date: Fri, 23 Dec 2005 02:37:41 +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 Re IOWA and other museum ships 2 Re Polaris sub propeller 3 Re Zvezda Hotel-Class Submarine 4 Accentor Class Minesweepers 5 Ancient kit review 6 Computers in the RN ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From LymanJohnF@aol.com Subject Re IOWA and other museum ships This may seem like a radical thought, but do we really need to preserve all the IOWA class hulls as museums? We seem to go through preservation cycles - not saving anything, and then saving too much. There are four ESSEX class museum ships, but we failed to save Halsey's and Spruance's flagship ENTERPRISE (CV-6) or the light carrier CABOT. There are already six museum battleships, but of those, only one (MASSACHUSETTS versus JEAN BART) ever actually fought another battleship. There are plenty of FLETCHER, SUMNER and GEARING museums, but where is a four-piper, or a SIMS, or a BENSON-LIVERMORE? IOWA and WISCONSIN should be drydocked, dismantled, and their 16-inch turrets and barbettes reinstalled in new construction fire support monitors (for want of a better term). The Marines would get back the naval gunfire support capability they need, there is still a huge inventory of 16" projectiles and powder, and modern sabot and precision guidance technology is available to improve range and accuracy by several orders of magnitude. And, an incoming 16" bullet can't be shot down by some weasel with a shoulder-fired SAM, and it has no pilot to be captured and paraded on Third World News. Just a thought. John F. Lyman (retired Master Chief Gunner's Mate and surface ordnance LDO Lieutenant) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From ives100@aol.com Subject Re Polaris sub propeller >> Tom, when you say "original SSBN" which boats or boat class are you referring to? The 598's? The Houston SSBN609 hit the water with the 7-blade variable pitch prop. The original thread was discussing Ethan Allen 608 class boats. The Renwall Ethan Allen model kit included a 5-blade prop only, which I do not believe was ever installed on a 608 class boat. << Actually, I have photos of the 611 boat (an Ethan Allen class) and she definitely has a 5 bladed "speed" propeller while under construction. I'm not sure at what point the change was made to the 7 bladed J prop being installed as original equipment. Since the boats were built out to '67, I would expect the Lafayettes and Franklins had the 7 bladed version from the start. Tom ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From ives100@aol.com Subject Re Zvezda Hotel-Class Submarine >> I was just wondering when the Zvezda Hotel-Class Submarine kits were to be released. This looks like an interesting subject for a 350 scale model. << A few months ago. They are available from hobby stores that specialize in ship models, such as Fleetline (Down under) and Pac Front. Kit itself is not bad upon comparing it to drawings of the class, although it needs some relatively minor tweaks to improve accuracy. Tom ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From "d_butch16" Subject Accentor Class Minesweepers I'm having no luck with plans, photos or info on the Accentor class minesweeper. Specifically the AMC 97 USS Prestige1. I would be happy to have anyone tell me where to go, or what to do. Thanks Butch ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From Reynold.Oh@defence.gov.au Subject Ancient kit review G'day, all. If you wish to read a review of an ANCIENT model kit of a ship (in this case, the USS Chicargo), go to www.modelingmadness.com, look at Kit Reviews\Ships\USS Chicargo. Even the discovery of the model (and the speculation) is interresting - and plausable. Silly season Salutations to all. George, out................. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From Subject Computers in the RN >> John mentions, "a large deck of punch cards" which reminded me of my days coding on IBM 360s. I guess there aren't too many folks who still know why a heavy dark line was drawn diagonally across a card deck with a marker. << Whoops, butter fingers! LOL If anyone can fill in some gaps on my knowledge of RN computers 1970-1990 I would appreciate it, researching an article, some basics to hopefully jog memory I am not aware that punch cards ever went to sea in the RN (Would appreciate knowing if so) the mainstay was the Ferranti FM1600 which came in three derivatives, the FM1600 usually fitted to ADAWS ships (guided missile - Action Data Automated Weapon System) and the FM1600B usually fitted to CAAIS ships (non guided missile ships - Computer Assisted Action Information System). According to my surviving course notes the FM1600B was a cut down version of the FM1600, which does not gel with what little information is on the subject on Ferranti's site which says the FM1600B was an improved "micro-processor" version of the FM1600. I believe the FM1600B was also used on each Seawolf Tracker. The FM1600E was CACS (Computer Assisted Command System) fitted to the Type 22 Frigate. CACS5 was a major leap in that it used digitised radar fed to circular computer screens designed to simulate a radar screen (until the computer crashed, at which point the entire command team would be left staring at blank screens while the enemy air force screamed in for the kill) All variants used a teleprinter with a punch tape reader for input/output and a bank of toggle keys for inputting individual commands in 24 bit binary code (FIDS ABC). There were no hard disks, core memory was a bank of ferrite rings which weighed a ton, backed by microprocessor RAM, of which the FM1600E had a whopping 1MB. Bootstrapping was done with switch cranked round hard wired circuits which fed in enough binary to let the computer read a nine track mag tape (sometimes), but this was replaced with a PROM on the FM1600E, supposed to improve boot times, but due to the serial loading of the "radar" screens boot time was actually a staggering forty minutes, not bad for the main battle computer which did not even have an operational battery backup so the slightest power glitch crashed the computer, in fact even doors slammed hard were known to crash them! ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Check out the SMML site for the List Rules, Reviews, Articles, Backissues, Member's models & Reference Pictures at http//smmlonline.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of Volume