The Ship Model Forum

An in-box review of the Very Fire 1/350 USS Atlanta has been posted.

Add your comments here and join the conversation.

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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

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Some notes on the AA weapons found in the basic kit:

1. There are enough 40mm quads (8) and twins (5) for a San Diego/San Juan. Once Matt (Kraken) produces the upgrade parts for the bridge and boat deck area, either of these can be built.

2. The 20mm singles (50) lack the shields.

Steve, I have the same kit on order from Freetime Hobbies. My aim is San Juan in Ms32/22D at Luzon in JAN1945.

The weapons you've called out will satisfy the one quad 40mm, five twin 40mm, and thirteen 20mm required for San Juan.

San Juan had a railing around the front of the nav bridge, not a bulwark like San Diego. I don't think I need the Kraken mod.

I'll scale down the 1/192 1944 San Diego plans and the 1/200 1944 San Diego Profile Morskie plans that I have, adding the two twin 40mm amidships that San Diego didn't have. Scratchbuilding/removing the former boat deck and crane, moving the searchlights, adding the 40mm and 20mm, adding a 5" practice loader, and adding railings from the spare parts stash should be doable. BCM is a my backup plan for weapons, FCDs, SC2 radar, etc.

Please add your thoughts. I don't have the Atlanta kit yet, so I'm just brainstorming at this time.

Martin,

Very nice review! Question, where did you see that she had 4- bladed props at time of loss?

David,

The San Juan did have the extended bulwark and venturi around the roof of the Pilot House similar to San Diego. You are correct that the walkway in front of the Pilot House was railing vs sts, but the bridge wings were modified as well from the kit style. Not quite a match for SD but similar.

I am not convinced that the Stern 1.1 tub is circular at least on Juneau, there is an image looking forward from the DC rollers and the tub has a noticeable sharp angle to it. There appears to be an open deck hatch in the image as well which could mean it had this flat section to clear the hatch opening. I have found no clear images of this tub in the Atlanta or Juneau wreck images/films

Matt

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In the yards right now:
USS Utah AG-16
On Hold
1/350 USS Portland CA-33 1942
1/350 Trumpeter Texas with a twist

Matt,

Thanks. Warship Perspectives, Atlanta Class Cruisers in World War Two, by Glenn Arnold. Page 9, in speaking about the vibration issues: "It appears the problem ultimately resolved when the original three bladed propellers were removed and replaced with a less deeply pitched bladed ones."

Looking again at The Floating Drydock, USS Juneau book, I see he never mentions a switch of props. I guess it stuck in my head from Arnold's book.

_________________
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

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How many blades on props ... another reason I model waterline.