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.

something to look at.
DDG-9 USS Towers Booklet of General Plans (1974) https://archive.org/details/ddg9bogp1974
DDG-16 USS Joseph Strauss Booklet of General Plans (1962 https://archive.org/details/ddg16bogp1962v1
DDG-22 USS Benjamin Stoddert Booklet of General Plans (1963) https://archive.org/details/ddg22bogp1963
DDG-24 USS Waddell Booklet of General Plans (196X) https://archive.org/details/ddg24bogp196x

Thanks FFG-7 for the general plans links, was able to get some knowledge from looking them over.

after a very long delay {due job change/life, family etc. Finally restarted work on the DD931 type to DLG conversion, added twin sonar domes, closed up the anchor ports, and reconfigured the anchor ports, raised the bow by 2.85mm (about 3 ft in scale), next is add the main deck

In the above picture post was able show a original dd931 hull next the to the extended hull, this my fourth F.Sherman kit 1/320 scale, (kit is the John Paul Jones), also picked up two 1/311 scale DEG-1 Brooke class models (kit is the Ramsey), both model kits by Atlantis (old Revell/Monogram kits released under Atlantis)

DEG-1 USS Brooke Booklet of General Plans (1965) https://archive.org/details/deg1bogp1965

thanks FFG-7 for that link of the deg, that i did look that over before after buying the Ramsey kit and i saw the two 21" torpedo tubes, I quickly modified the new kit, so I would not forget to do this modification later when I build the kit.

thanks FFG-7, I looked at the DEG general plans after I brought the 1/311 Atlantis Ramsey kit, And notice the 21" torpedo tubes in the transom, so I quickly added that modification to the kit, so when I build it later would not forget or be too lazy to add it.

why is the conversion model bent at the middle so that the keel is curved downwards at the ends instead of being straight?

FFG-7 I remember this issue now, after not touching the model in many months, when I sanded the hull extension to blend in with the hull , parts of the keel got sanded down in certain areas, quick fix added a strip of white plastic to the keel and will add super glue later to even the keel out more.

that won't solve the bent model as can be seen in this picture of yours. download/file.php?id=158570&mode=view

The hull not bent, the curves of hull are changed due sanding to blend in with the hull extension, and hull is also push out with inside brackets to widen the hull. add all this together get a change hull curves fwd and aft of the extended hull section.

So I decided cut the inside brackets to take some of the pressure off the widening part, it only moved about .05mm at the most, this cause the extension part to bubble up little in some spots, as this is made up of four layers, it bubbled up inside the layers, also added white plastic to hull to try fill in area of heavy sanding see if will take out some of the curves, and then build the keel back up in this area.

Added more white plastic to the hull, was thinking of modifying the area into a bilge keel, need to research what a bilge keel would look like on USN destroyer type ships of late 1950s to mid 1960s.

look at these.
DDG-9 USS Towers Booklet of General Plans (1974) (version 1) https://archive.org/details/ddg9bogp1974
DDG-16 USS Joseph Strauss Booklet of General Plans (1962) https://archive.org/details/ddg16bogp1962v1
DDG-22 USS Benjamin Stoddert Booklet of General Plans (1963) (version 1) https://archive.org/details/ddg22bogp1963
DDG-24 USS Waddell Booklet of General Plans (196X) https://archive.org/details/ddg24bogp196x

FFG -7 thanks for the links only the last link opens, the others won't open, I looked at drawings of DD-931, DDG-2, DL-1, DL-2, DLG-6, DLG-16, DLG-26 for length of bilge keel, will probably used DL-2 bilge keel length.

they somewhat open in ie11 but use google chrome to properly open them.

added the main deck, drilled two holes in the deck one for 5"/54 mk42 and one for mk10 terrier lchr, (the Deck not glued down yet), next step building of superstructure, thinking of just using Coontz class DLG for style and layout of the superstructure and systems.