The Ship Model Forum

Pavel's USS Spokane kit excels in completeness and detail. It even includes instruments inside the covered bridge. The directions are refreshing in that they identify the various components of the actual ship. The kit includes decals for all three sisters as built. It contains complete PE, even the life rails. The life rails are a little heavy but the ease of use is so attractive that I expect to use them.

I plan to build her as USS Juneau (then CLAA 119) off Korea in 1950. At that time she mounted SPS-6A search radar antenna instead of the initial SK-2, and had reduced 40mm and 20mm batteries. According to photographs and an officer aboard the ship, American flags were painted on the roofs of #2 and #5 turrets and on the bridge roof, and "119" on #3 turret. I can fabricate the radar SPS-6A antenna and the small radar SG-6 antenna.

Juneau was modernized at Mare Island in 1951-52 with SPS-6B air search radar, with 3-inch gun mounts replacing the Bofors guns, and with other differences. To model Juneau accurately as in 1952 or later, a modeler needs parts not in the kit, and should eradicate particular moulded sponsons that were removed without replacement aboard the actual ship. Doing that without damaging Pavel's fine kit would require more skill than I have.

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

Who else is building the new USS Spokane kit from Admiralty Model Works? We could usefully share notes about this very detailed kit.

In Step 1, with kit part number 2, the navigation bridge, you encounter such details as the captain's chair and the chart tables. What colors were these items on a postwar cruiser? Haze gray like everything else? Flat black for light suppression at night? Peacetime pea green and white?

Part number 10, the signal bridge (the kit doesn't call it that), takes care to prepare. You need to remove the wafer layer for this part to fit the slot it slides into, and to open two ladder wells. I used a single-edge razor blade to carve off the wafer but the elongated U-shaped part fractured. Pavel generously supplied a replacement. For my skill level it's too big to sand the wafer away. I used the razor again on the new part, this time with success.

Part number 21, qty 2, the flag bags, should be mounted lower than the kit instructions show. Will that cause assembly problems later?

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

Admiralty Model Works Spokane kit ... More evidence of Pavel's highly skilled design:

I pushed a 0.7 mm drill bit down the hawsepipe from the deck to deepen it. My plan was next to drill the hull opening for the hawsepipe enough to hold a partial shank of the anchor. Meanwhile the bit was pointed toward the molded port on the hull so I continued. BULLSEYE! The bit poked through the hawsepipe opening on the hull side. I drilled the other hawsepipe with the same good result. There is no way that dumb luck did that for me. This is a great kit. I used the same bit to drill open the hawseholes through the bow gunwales.

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

Here is the main casting and some smaller parts, in the postwar USN standard haze gray scheme (air brushed, Testors marine acrylics 4238 Haze Gray and 4243 Deck Blue; I stocked up before they went out of production!). The red items are firefighting equipment and CO2 bottles. A little color is nice. Dark gray on the vertical surfaces represents air intakes.



The original kit casting featured bulwarks on the main deck along the aft superstructure, for 20 mm guns. By 1950 this battery was deleted from Juneau for additional boats.

The kit includes twelve beautiful drilled brass barrels for the 5-inch guns and of course needs all twelve. I recommend assembling the gun barrels to the turrets as soon as possible, to preclude misplacing a barrel.

A very useful tool for details is a fine-tip 20/0 paint brush, from Aaron Brothers in the US. An indication of the detail of this kit: The 23 cm model will contain over 500 discrete parts plus rigging.

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

Hello Michael,


i have also build my Spokane CL 120 and finished her some times ago .

A real beautiful kit with outstanding details.

Best regards

Chris

Ahoy, Chris:

Even the small photograph shows that your model is well-built. Further photographs of your model, and any advice you may have, would interest me. I'll PM you my e-mail address.

Did you consult photographs of actual ships? Leo van Ginderen sold me useful photographs of USS Juneau.

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

Michael,

if you have any questions regarding this model I might be able to help. After all I did designed the masters... :

Darius
Paper Lab

Designing the masters must be very enjoyable work! Download this image: questions about Spokane kit. My questions about it are:

1. PE p/n X2 window does not fit … unless resin p/n 3 is pushed aft, which would then open gaps along the rear edge of p/n 2, the navigation bridge. The windows on PE p/n X, the bridge roof, cannot be angled adequately for the bridge roof to be forward enough. How is this assembly supposed to go together? My plan is to fit p/n 3 with the gaps, and then fill those manually.

2. Are the sloped ladders accurate without handrails?

3. What are the indicated shapes: fuel hoses?

Thank you for offering to answer questions. I scratch-build most of my models and know that the bridge is the hardest section.

All the best,
MP

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

I cannot comment on the parts fit as I do not have this model here. In my 3d master everything fits as it should. Of course that might not be the same after resin casting. Some minor misalignment are possible. Somebody else did the assembly instructions but from seeing them reviewed on this site I believe X2 is pe windshield which goes on top of front splinter shield ( part no.3 ) In your photo you marked it as p/n 2 which is incorrect. See attached photo of 3d master.

Deck p/n 16 has been done as a separate part in order to preserve walk through area underneath. If left in place it would be very difficult to cast due to severe undercut it creates.

Those pipes are indeed stored fuel hoses.

Yes, vertical ladders have been designed with no hand rails. Not sure why. If you need hand rails you can replace them with generic inclined ladders provided on the PE fret.

Darius
Paper Lab

Darius, thank you for responding with this useful information and the CAD illustration. On my model, the navigation bridge and
the upper bridge (GFCS Mk 37 base) now are installed and aligned without gaps. The bridge windows will fit.

You have designed a spectacularly handsome model. BZ.

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

Michael

if I see it correctly on the instructions the PE parts you are referring to should be place exactly where it shows. Those two blocks are ready ammo lockers for 40 mm mount.

Darius
Paper Lab



> Ahoy, Darius:
>
> USS Spokane life rails PE item B5 (qty 2) - where do they fit? Two cast
> blocks exist at the places where the instruction sheet shows to place the
> B5 life rails.
>
> Thank you,
>
> Michael Potter

I love the interaction of designers and builders!

Thanks to MW.com this is possible!

I enjoy seeing your models Michael P--and I love seeing the CAD



JIM B

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IPMS UK SIG (special interest group) www.finewaterline.com

The masts of USS Juneau (ii) reveal an item of unpublished technical history.

During 1946-1950 this ship mounted three different radar antennas for her main search radar. Although her ship's history in DANFS makes no mention of it, this rapid evolution suggests that the USN used Juneau for operational evaluation of radar antennas and possibly of other radar electronics (internal and thus invisible in photographs), during her regular military deployments. She was thus the most modern of the Atlanta class cruisers. All the others were decommissioned by early 1950. Juneau alone remained in active service. She was modernized in 1951-52 (including yet another new antenna), and was decommissioned only in 1956. In active commission Juneau was by far the longest-serving member of the Atlanta class cruisers.

The Foremast

The foremast in 1946 carried a very large hemispherical SK-2 radar antenna for long-range air search, provided in the Spokane kit. Soon after her commissioning in 1946, a new radar, SR-2, replaced SK-2 but its design proved deficient. Around 1949 Juneau received the antenna for the AN/SPS-6A radar. This was similar to the later SPS-6B antenna but was not the same. The "SPS-6" antenna in various PE sets represents only SPS-6B and SPS-6C. I cut the SPS-6A antenna screen from GMM PE for the SPS-40, and modified the GMM Naval Ship PE "SPS-6" feed horn. (Later, 1952, the SPS-6B antenna replaced the SPS-6A antenna.)

Juneau in 1950 mounted radar SG-6, too. It is the scratch-built dual antenna at the top of the mast, for surface search and short-range air search.

A curiosity: Naval Historical Center photo NH 96890 (or h96890) of Juneau cites an unlikely date of 1951. The correct date must be around 1946-1948 because the photo shows the SR-2 antenna and does not show the US flag on mount 52 that she added in 1950 and still displayed in late 1951. This error in an official caption apparently confused Stefan Terzibaschitsch, who in Cruisers of the USN 1922-1962 printed the photo and misidentified the SR-2 radar as the SG-6 antenna, a mistake he repeated for other cruisers.

The lowest antenna is TDY, a radar jammer. The kit contains PE for this antenna (p/n's N-N2) but I used GMM's "Naval Ship" PE instead.

The foremast trunk in the kit (p/n 49) is too thin and too tall for Juneau in 1950. I substituted a section of 1.2 mm brass rod (3/64"). The white strip is a waveguide. The foremast yard is an assembly of WEM PE 624 yards and a 1.5mm brass rod. The WEM 1/600 RN parts happen to suit this 1/700 USN model.

After a series of modeler calamities including a broken drill bit stuck in the molded superstructure, the original molded mounting hole is unusable. Mounting the new foremast will be difficult in this particular model. CA glue and wire stays must hold the foremast upright.

I recommend to other modelers of this kit to use 1.2 mm (3/64") metal rod from the start, instead of using the originally kitted mast trunks (tapered brass, with pins). The molded holes are compatible with 1.2 mm rod. The correct lengths for rod are 24mm for the foremast trunk and 29mm for the mainmast trunk (allowing for the depth of the molded holes). The rods are accurate in shape and do not require drilling inside the superstructure.



Above: the foremast

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Mainmast

The mainmast too had a different configuration in 1950. A new topmast elevated the domes of the DBM radar direction finders. The kitted mainmast trunk (p/n 48) too is too tall for Juneau in 1950, a discovery I made after I assembled the mast. The scarring at the top of the trunk in this photo reveals where I removed the yard before I shortened the trunk. The yard itself is the kitted yard (PE p/n M1) for the foremast. Not visible in the photo, the kitted trunk (p/n 48) has a mounting pin at its base. I successfully drilled a hole in the main casting for the pin on this mast. My subsequent attempt to do the same for the foremast failed. As I note above, I recommend to other modelers of this kit to use 1.2 mm metal rod instead of the originally kitted mast trunks.

The hemispherical antenna is the SP fighter control radar (Spokane kit p/n 23). The weight of this antenna on the actual ships may be the reason for the thick mast trunk.

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

How to step a loose foremast: If the RN's Devonport dockyard can refit frigates in a garage, I can fix a cruiser!

the cruiser garage:



Still dry-fit here. I'll rearrange my kids' Lego bricks for access to install the stays. In this model, the stays will serve their actual purpose.

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

Looking at the mast pics, I thought the kit was fairly big - it's supposed to be a cruiser, after all. Color me surprised when it turns out the hull is less than three Lego bricks wide... O.o

The detail you put in to those masts would have been beyond me in 1/72, let alone 1/700. Kudos to you!

SP

She's coming along nicely. Great idea using the Legos! Next time I step on one, instead of cursing, I'll just squirrel it away for future modeling use!

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Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery

Her masts are up! The foremast stays perform their real-world function. Thank you, Sebastian.





These photos are the correct width (800 pixels) to show entirely.

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

Fantastic job.Can t wait to see more in progress pics.

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On the workbench:

Various 1/700 aircraft.
Juan Carlos I LHD 1/700.
HMAS Canbera LHD 1/700.
FGS Type 122 class FFG 1/700.
LSD-41 class LPD 1/700.

Edited note: In these photos the after stack looked too low compared to the forward stack. Verifying by a drawing in Norman Friedman's U.S. Cruisers, the aft stack is reasonably accurate. While it is too low by about 0.25 mm, that is practically microscopic.

Thank you, Nektarios, and Martin below.

_________________
If humanity wishes to preserve a planet similar to that on which civilization developed and to which life on Earth is adapted, [atmospheric] CO2 will need to be reduced from its current 385 ppm to at most 350 ppm.
Dr James Hansen, NASA, 2008.

Very nicely done!

_________________
Martin

"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes into us at midnight very clean. It's perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes we've learned something from yesterday." John Wayne

Ship Model Gallery