The Ship Model Forum

Outstanding information, as usual - Thank you.

The logic of the canvas escapes me.

I note that both types of tubs have similar radii at the large and small ends, but the Strong installation is longer. Assuming that the plans you posted are not distorted, I'll print & measure them and compare with the extra part supplied with the Tamiya 1:350 kit - stay tuned.

Could it be that the canvas covers were to protect the ready ammo from the weather? Just a thought.

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Any ship larger than a Destroyer is a waste of metal.

I think the inner dark covers do that. The outer, tightly-laced, light covered canvas - very similar to what is mounted on the searchlight platforms - is what we are discussing. Why this would be mounted on a solid surface - versus a rail - is the mystery.

Hi, Bruce

Thank you for sharing your Stevens project - she's outstanding!

Did you use a CL pe catapult? If so, whose?

How will you construct the portside crane? Navsource photos appear to show three supports for the boom and a detached crane (in the stowed position on deck). I wish the Halford photos at Puget Sound NY showed her from port.

Regards, David

Falcon4 & Les,

The insides of the gun tubs have racks to hold ready ammo in clips. When the racks are filled with clipped ammo, which is when you're in a combat zone, the shiny brass primer ends of the clipped ammo are at least partially visible from above and glint very nicely in sun light, much like the flash from a suvival mirror. So, the various camouflage measures used by the Navy each called for painted or covered shiny surfaces. Since Deck Blue on the propellant shells of the ammo would gum up the breach of a gun, they used a canvass cover that could be flipped out of the way quickly.

On small ships, such as DDs and DEs, the weapons are closer to the water than on larger ships. When a DD or DE is underway, standing on deck, especially on the fantail, will will leave you with a fine coating of salt, no how calm the sea might be. And, you don't even feel a wet spray. Salt is something that you don't want on your guns, nor on your ammo, for that matter, hence the covers on the gun mounts. They even had covers for the individual spigots on the hedgehog mounts

Russ
DE-219/DD-722

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Russ

Hi David,

Thanks for the kind words regarding the Stevens project. It is a project that has been on the ways for a while.

I actually started the project a few years before the Revell offering, so pretty much everything you see is scratchbuilt; this includes the catapult. Everywhere I looked at the time there was only the later Type P Mk VI not the Type A, Mk IV that was required. So, I went ahead and started building the catapult from scratch. I still haven't figured out all of the plumbing but its coming.

The crane is already under construction; here again its scratchbuilt. I am using plans that I have created from a CAD model that I have created based on a lot of time studying pictures and comparing those dimensions to surrounding known features. The turntable is roughly 75% done and the kingpost is in the area of 30%. I haven't decided at this point if I'll have the boom elevated or in the stowed position.

In addition to scratchbuilding the catapult, and crane; I have also had to scratchbuild the OS2U that will be sitting on the catapult. The rear cockpit has been pretty well detailed out with the exception of the machine gun which will be shipped later; the forward cockpit needs the sidepanels finished and the seat. The picture below is a little older as the entire plane outside has been primed for paint.



Good modeling,
Bruce

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Bruce
OSC USN-Ret


Currently on the building ways:
1/144 USS Stevens DD-479
1/144 USS Cook Inlet AVP-36
1/144 USS Walke DD-416
1/144 USS Preble DDG-46

Looking better every post!!! (but then again, that's the point right?) I can't wait to see how that turns out, and also, what scale are you doing? I may have missed that, but it takes me a while to read these threads.

As a last thought, was the crane similar to that on other ships?

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Current builds:
Hobby Boss 1/700 Type VIIC U-Boat for my AH

Planned builds:
3 more 1/700 AH submarines

Hey Gopher,

Thanks. The Stevens is built on a scale of 1/144. Its a really long story how I ended up building all my models in 1/144 but its a scale that I've come to love.

The crane design was used on the Halford as well; the Leutze never shipped the crane as far as I have been able to determine; Rick might know better there. The earlier three DD's that were suppose to carry the OS2U had the kingpost on the aft stack design.

Good modeling,
Bruce

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Bruce
OSC USN-Ret


Currently on the building ways:
1/144 USS Stevens DD-479
1/144 USS Cook Inlet AVP-36
1/144 USS Walke DD-416
1/144 USS Preble DDG-46

Hutchins, Stanly and Pringle all had the boom type crane supported by the after stack, even if only Pringle and briefly Stanly actually mounted the catapults. Stevens and Halford had a lattice type crane to port of the after stack. The construction of Leutze was delayed to the point that she never carried any of the aircraft arrangements. In fact, the only sign Leutze had been part of the aircraft group was the arrangement of the waist 20MM guns and the DC throwers. They matched the arrangement unique to the Stevens/Halford group of aircraft carrying Fletcher's, and therefore differed from all other units in the class.

Hi guys. I´m planning to build a 700th spanish Fletcher. Most likely D-24 Alcalá Galiano ex "Jarvis", DD-799.

I have the Tamiya, Skywave and Trumpeter kits, and I wonder wich of the three hulls is best.

TIA

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Luis Crespo "Sparrow".

JARVIS (ex-DD-799) was upgraded to a 4-Gun unit and any of the kits will need work to build as one. Of these three 1/700 kits ... I would go with the Square-bridge FLETCHER kit from Tamiya (CALLAGHAN) as a base kit to convert. You will need three twin 3-in mounts, two hedgehogs and need to build a tripod. They all have problems, but the Skywave kit is the oldest kit and the Trumpeter kit lacks details. If you want a really nice kit, replace the single 5-in mounts with better after market units.

Hey, Rick, thanks!.
Yes, I´m aware I´ll have to do some scratch build work as no one of the kits accurately represents Alcalá Galiano/Jarvis.

But wat I would like to know is wich hull is more accurate, assuming that superstructures are not accurate in any of the kits. My first impression is that the Trumpy hull is the best, but I´m really not so sure.

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Luis Crespo "Sparrow".

Hello-I have the old Revell The Sullivans. What schemes did it wear during
its WWII cruises. Did it ever use the "dazzle scheme"? Want to try to do
some work to correct this older kit as much as possible. I built it as a kid
back in the late 60's. Don't remember much about it. Thanks---John

John,

I don't know how much effort you want to put into modifying the old Revell THE SULLIVANS kit. The kit represents a late war Anti-Kamikaze modified FLETCHER with 14-40mm. By the time of the Anti-Kamikaze Mod (May 1945) the dazzle schemes were discontinued. Late war FLETCHERS were painted either in MS 21 or Ms 22. THE SULLIVANS herself was repainted into Ms 22. Cleaning up this kit and painting her in Ms 22 is possible ... a challenge with the odd scale in not being able to find after-market replacement parts.

If you want to "back-fit" THE SULLIVANS to her previous war-time configuration of five twin 40-mm mounts, that will be a challenge with scratch building. But, from the information I have and photos I'm aware of, THE SULLIVANS was only painted in Ms 21 from her completion in mid-1943 until she was modifed to the Anti-Kamikaze Mod.

I have a couple of the old Revell kits myself and have one in half finished condition I plan on finishing in a post-war Korean War recommissioned 5-Gun configuration.

Sounds like I would be better off with the Trumpeter kit?
Looks good to me! Thanks for info.---John

John,

Any of the 1/350 scale FLETCHER kits would certainly give you more options than the ~1/300 Revell FLETCHER kit.

Rick-thanks. I am still going to build the Revell for
"fun" and paint it up in MS22 and then rig it up.
Thats as far as I want to go with that, a relaxing
build between challanges. I think I do want the
Trumpeter, I had their 1/350 USS England and it
is pretty well detailed and fairly accurate, also I am not
fond of "round" bridges!---John

The Trumpy 1/350 The Sullivans is not as good as their England - quite a bit worse, actually; there's more specifics about that in this thread somewhere, I think.

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De quoi s'agit-il?

There are issues with both Tamiya's and Trumpeter's 1/350 scale FLETCHER kits. I really hope that some day DML adds the FLETCHER class to their impressive line of 1/350 scale kits. There are a lot of possibilities for this class with 175 units and service from 1942 into the 1970's. But with these two kits already available, I don't expect that to happen very soon.

DD-450 Post War

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Russ