Subject: SMML VOL 2163 Date: Wed, 09 Apr 2003 17:23:09 +1000 SMML is proudly sponsored by SANDLE http://sandlehobbies.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS INDEX 1: Yamato sinking 2: Ship Call Signs 3: Arromanches colors 4: Re: Pronouncing Bellerophon 5: Re: HMS BELLEROPHON 6: 1:400 scale photoetch for small ships? 7: Re: Bellerophon 8: New Marines Editions book 9: Re: Painting HMS Furious 10: Re: HMS Lance 11: Re: USN Commissioning Pennants 12: Re: Call signs of WWII USN vessels -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD INDEX 1: 1/350 scale odds and ends ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- MODELLERS ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Eduardo Luis Marcovecchio" Subject: Yamato sinking Hello guys, Exactly 58 years ago, the biggest battleship ever built, the Yamato, was sank by allied forces. This episode of the WWII took place in 7th April 1945, as most of you already know. Oh well, I just would like to remind you all of this fact. :) Thank you. Eduardo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2) From: "Katz, Gene S" Subject: Ship Call Signs The Training Ship Empire State IV had a call sign of WHMW (Whiskey Hotel Mike Whiskey). We didn't belong to the USCG. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3) From: "L'Arsenal" Subject: Arromanches colors Hello, During the period of her service in Indochina, Arromanches was painted in the following scheme: - All vertical surfaces, light gray ( WEM colorcoats M 07 or Heller 7020 ) - Flight deck: medium gray - Mast above the funnel top level: black, except the extreme top that is light gray. - Funnel cap: Black - Deck identification letter is A from september of 1947 until 1950, H after this date. - Deck markings are yellow until 1954 Best regards from Normandie, Jacques Druel L'Arsenal ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4) From: "Michael D'Silva" Subject: Re: Pronouncing Bellerophon Hi Sam, The plain text nature of this message doesn't allow for inclusion of symbols, etc, so it makes it difficult to transcribe the word adequately. Try: ber'lairerfin It's much easier if you can read the International Phonetic Alphabet. The Oxford and Collins English dictionaries use it as a standard guide to pronunciation. If you are familiar with the IPA, try a current Oxford or Collins to get an exact pronunciation guide. Or, send me your e-mail address so I can send you a html or Word formatted doc that will allow me to include symbols. Michael D'Silva ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5) From: "bert" Subject: Re: HMS BELLEROPHON Sam the way we R.Ners. pronounced it was as "billy ruffian" correct way is "bella row fon" "(unlessssssssssss!and, until) some of our language experts, get at it!. Yours Aye, bert PS: have just realised that "row" has two meanings with different pronunciations, in english. The "row" I intended is as in "row your boat" ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6) From: "Stephen Allen" Subject: 1:400 scale photoetch for small ships? I've recently picked up the Mirage 1/400 scale kit of ORP Blyskawica. It's a very nice kit, and now one of several smaller warships either available or forthcoming in this scale, including the four-piper series recently announced by Mirage. Is anybody out there in aftermarket land thinking of releasing an etched fret to cater for these small subjects? I know GMM has a set in this scale, but it is aimed towards larger subjects. A fret with depth charge rails, 'K' gun racks, etc, along the lines of the WEM set for 1:600 Airfix destroyers, would probably suit most of the available or foreshadowed subjects and complement exisiting sources for railings and WT doors - mind you a fret with APD/DMS alternatives for the coming Mirage four stackers would be very welcome. What do think? Is there a market? regards Steve ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7) From: keith.vokes Subject: Re: Bellerophon Bellerophon is pronounced BELL - AIR - O - FON Regards, Keith Vokes ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 8) From: "Chris and Kayo Amano-Langtree" Subject: New Marines Editions book Hi All I have just received the latest destroyer book from Marines Editions - Les Torpilleurs de 1500 tonnes du Type L'Adroit by Marc Saibene. This is the follow up volume to his earlier work on the Bourrasque class and completes the coverage of the inter-war French destroyers (ordinary that is not contre-torpilleurs). It is meant to be read as the second volume of two and the technical section is shorter as there was a fair degree of commonality between these classes. In fact the L'Adroit book includes corrections to the Bourrasque volume. Also included on the back flap of the dustcover is a nice chart of all 26 ships showing their hull numbers and divisional allocations and how long these lasted. Very useful. Inside the book follows the standard format with technical history first and operational history following. The photos are interesting and the author has gone to some trouble to locate interesting operational photos. He also includes plates showing the variations between the vessels in the class. These are most useful. Colour scheme information is also given but this is spread throughout the book and is difficult to locate. It would have been better concentrated in one section. To my mind the book is also better than the previous works on contre-torpilleurs the author writes well and does not let the detail crowd the narrative. You need to be able to read French but it is not likely that a book of this detail on an obscure class of French destroyers will appear in English. The author also gives an excellent account of the fight off Casablanca with the USN and the destruction of the Deuxieme Escadre Legere by that navy. I like this book - it is well researched and interesting to read and if you are keen on French destroyers is well worth getting. Chris Amano-Langtree ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 9) From: "David Griffith" Subject: Re: Painting HMS Furious Dear Lorna, If you want to try something really challenging for your first attempt, then by all means "go for it". There will be as many techniques for tackling a paint job like this as there are modellers to do it, and there is not one single answer that is the right way. Whatever works for you is right for you. How I might go about it is as follows. I'd use a mixture of airbrushing and hand painting, and I'd paint most individual parts of the main ship structure before assembly. First I'd prime the parts with a spray can of automotive primer, light grey. Next I'd spray the main areas of deck. Try to spray perpendicularly to the deck so as not to get too much overspray onto the vertical surfaces. It is now possible to spray most of the vertical surfaces with minimal masking; by spraying just a fraction upwards from the horizontal the hull and deck edges mask the deck surfaces from overspray. There will very likely be some places where masking will be neccessary due to a wide expanse of deck in front of a vertical surface, but it will be a whole lot less trouble than masking around all the verticals in order to paint the deck. You will probably need to touch up along the bottoms of the vertical surfaces with a brush in order to get a nice sharp demarcation. Spray the lightest colour of the dazzle pattern first, then apply bits of masking tape so that the darker colours can be applied one by one. As one of the other correspondents has mentioned, make sure that the lines run correctly from one deck level to the next. When you take the masking tape off, it will be time to get the brushes out to touch up and do the fiddly bits. In particular, paint the bits of deck around and on the bridge levels. This will take 2 coats of slightly thinned WEM Colourcoats, well dried between coats. You'll smudge the verticals you've spray painted, but again touch them up afterwards. At the same time paint all the little deck fittings. I know some people suggest masking them and spraying, but I think life is too short, and there are too many models waiting to be made, to faff around putting masking tape around something 2mm square!! If this is your first kit, then I wouldn't be too bothered about trying to do much weathering. Just concentrate on getting a neat and clean finish and folks will be mightily impressed. Weathering is so easy to overdo or make a mess of, then it is perhaps best not to use a model of your favourite ship for your first attempt!! That is the approach I would take. Other people, more expert than me will do it differently. Mix and match the advice to some extent. If you find your own best way of doing it, then great, if it works for you, then it's right for you. Happy modelling, Regards, David Griffith ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 10) From: Sanartjam Subject: Re: HMS Lance Hi Gary, Someone may have answered your question off-list, but there is a 1/192 plan of HMS Lance in Raven & Roberts' book "British Warships of the Second World War" (I think), published by Conway in the early 1970's. I think that this is the same plan put out by A&A, but I don't know how you now obtain A&A plans, unless it's from White Ensign. Art Nicholson ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11) From: Fkbrown90 Subject: Re: USN Commissioning Pennants Some time ago SMML had a thread about U.S. Navy Commissioning Pennants. I just came across a dimensional guide for these pennants (which should be flown from a masthead at all times, as long as a vessel is in commission). They are not especially noticeable, especially in photographs, and some models do not have them (gasp!). Here is a set of dimensions, you can scale them to fit your model. The vertical dimension is 2 1/2 inches, the horizontal is 6 feet (making it indeed long and narrow, but not to be confused with the homeward bound pennant). The canton (star field) is the end nearest the mast, and is a moderately dark blue (same as on the National flag) and it is 18 inches long and contains 7 white stars. The rest of the flag consists of two horizontal stripes of even height, one red and one white, the red stripe is uppermost. The end has a "swallow tail" 10 inches long. If you have difficulty making a pennant, here is a tip for a short cut, almost correct, substitute (if your scale is compatible). Go to the website www.history.navy.mil This is the Naval Historic Center, and they have a sort of letterhead containing a full color embellishment which is similar to a Commissioning Pennant. The star field is in the center and has 13 stars, and there are 3 stripes instead of 2. If you make a printout (on thin paper) of this home page and carefully cut out the embellishment you will have the makings of a pennant. Fold it in half and you will have a double sided pennant, with 6 and a half stars in the canton (pretty close, who will count them?). True, you will have 3 stripes instead of 2, but if you use a glue-stick to adhere the backs of the folded halves, and drape-fold the pennant before the glue sets, and carefully cut the swallow tail, the extra stripe will not be noticeable. O.K., O.K., if this still bothers you, you can carefully paint out the extra red stripe, on the draped pennant. The secret is in the drape-fold, it will cover up a multitude of sins. When folding the pennant in half, be sure to include an adequate length of halyard at the fold, before gluing, for installing the finished pennant on the mast. Does anyone have a detailed description of the homeward bound pennant, to be shared with SMML? All I know is that it is a VERY long and narrow flag, and in some cases reaches the main deck. Franklyn PS: RIP, Sally Kieth. Your tassels will live on in my memory, at least, even the SMML guys have forsaken thee. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12) From: Lawman555 Subject: Re: Call signs of WWII USN vessels Thanks everyone for your info. I understand more now than I ever did.... One question remains...well, okay maybe more than one... How were the flags displayed? Top to bottom? Off of the main mast? Any particular signal flag policy? I was working on a WWII Submarine chaser, 110' class 497. Actually, I would like info about all flags, pennants, whatever. Thank you all Jim Myers ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- TRADERS, ANNOUNCEMENTS & NOTICEBOARD ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1) From: "Steven P. Allen" Subject: 1/350 scale odds and ends I'm looking for some 1/350 odds and ends for a future project. Specifically, I need a pair of 1/350 IPDMS (Sea Sparrow) mounts, such as from the DML/Dragon Spruance kits. I also need a number of 1/350 F/A-18s, S-3s, and SH-60s. Please let me know off-list (spallen@fidnet.com) if you have any you're willing to sell. Thanks, Steve Allen ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 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