The Ship Model Forum

Started third build of Atlantis 1/320 Forrest Sherman kit: building a what if F.Sherman with Terrier system, cut the hull in half added a hull section to extended the hull.

Researched twenty-one ship plans of USN: from years 1944 to 1957 of DD/DDG to DL/DLG ship types, only five of the twenty-one plans was ever actually used/built and entered service between 1948 to 1961, I choose one of the ones not built from the 1955/56/57 USN studies(using SCB scheme B-1 from May 1957) to use for the model ship's hull data based on the closest in size by length and beam therefore a 98% match in size. My build is just a little longer and wider 452'-5.75" at LWL, 50' beam verses SCB B-1 at 450' LWL, and 49' beam. The USN choose the 85,000 SHP as ship's power, , and added 100 tons, the box fit of the new pressure fired steam boilers is about the same space as a 70,000 SHP power plant, the 70,000 SHP was planned for B which has a longer hull length 480' LWL, and has speed of 31.2 kts verses 30.2 kts of B-1. I plan on using the weapon systems that was planned for B and B-1 which is: one Twin Terrier launcher, one single 5"/54 gun, the octuple ASROC launcher, two triple mk32 ASW torpedo launchers; maybe add a helio pad. One of drivers of increasing ship size was USN endurance requirement of 6,000-8,000 Nautical miles @20kts, space for terrier missile magazine and the fire control radars needed. The USN ended with even larger hull size when it ordered the Farragut/Coontz class, 490' LWL, and pushed for a higher speed of 34 kts, then added two twin 3"/50 guns to above armament.

will need to scratch built the main deck, as the original deck from the kit is too short and too narrow after the hull extension, will be using* 1/318.555 as the scale, the model kit size does not match up with the data for a Forrest Sherman the model kit is listed as 1/320 scale, and Revell listed the kit as 1/319 scale (maybe 1/318.5 rounded up ?). I will have to scratch build the smoke stacks as the later ships had bigger stacks than earlier F.Sherman class. next will be post of the build as it progresses.

had issues when I posted, all fixed now thanks to Timmy C, and BB62vet, the moderators for this site do a excellent job, compared to other web sites that I have used.

The smoke stack size, the later ships starting with C.F.Adams class have bigger stacks than the F.Sherman class; from scale size 3.5mm wider, 10mm+ taller, the C.F.Adams class is closer in height by couple mm, and is wider by about 3mm, if C.F.Adams class stacks was not wider, I would use the stacks from the kit, I drew out the kit stacks on my working drawings do not like the appearance (looks too small) does not fit with overall size. also need to raise the bow height by 3mm, this was done on DD936 Decatur and all later ships of F.Sherman class, even the C.F.Adams class has this raised bow.

David P : you got me thinking, so I tried wraping plastic sheets cut in small pieces around the kit's F.Sherman stacks, two sheet pieces overlaping gives the correct thickness, So looks like will use this method,

When I did the hull extension I tried one piece on each side port and strbrd getting the correct shape was time consuming bend and heat, then bend and heat again ended with too much heat damage just too thick to work with, so I ended up using four layers of thin sheets overlaping over each other in layers, one set of four for each side, worked out much better, attached to a thick piece in the bottom center(keel) match the thickness of the keel there, then added side frames just below the deck level; after the glue dried area feels very solid.