The Ship Model Forum

I'm looking for some aftermarket 1/700 Mk.28 directors as used on e.g. early war New Orleans class cruisers.

3Dmodelparts used to make them but they seem defunct? Nothing in stock on the website and their support email bounces.

ModelMonkey and Black Cat don't do this particular type, though they do have a few versions of Mk.33.

Can I convert an early style open top Mk.33 into a "good enough" representation of a Mk.28?

To a large extent, the MK-33 director was a MK-28 with power drives. But because the MK-28 was hand cranked, weight was strictly limited. Visually, because of the power drives, they could hang more things on a MK-33, like side wind baffles or MK-4 radar. Also, many of the Farragut and Mahan class ship's directors had a curved shield in front of the rangefinder. All of these weights would have been intolerable on the MK-28. So technically, you should be able to convert one to the other. Just watch the details.

Thanks Dick, so basically check pictures and scrape off stuff that shouldn't be there. What about the basic tub shape? The Mk.28 has a rectangular protrusion underneath at the rear, the 33 doesn't seem to have this and is flat bottomed?

Vlad,
Could you post a picture or two of the Mk. 28? It might help for some of us who are not familiar with that particular piece of equipment but might be able to help you out.

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

I'm not Vlad, but they're the stalk-mounted structures atop the two superstructure blocks in this photo of San Francisco:

https://www.navsource.org/archives/04/038/0403854.jpg

Vlad, El Santo -

Got it, thanks!! I'll see what I can come up with as a 3D design. I've got the USS SAN FRANSISCO Tech. History by Chuck Hansen and it has some drawings & photos.

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Vlad,

OK, so here are a couple shots of a 1/200 Mk. 33 w/Mk. 28 RADAR dish -


The drawings in the book I referenced were drawn at 1/400 scale so I made this at 1/200 - I could add a lot more detail, but I doubt that at 1/700 scale that those details (hand rungs, ladder, etc.) would even come out (although stranger things have happened... )

I haven't tried printing these yet, but may do so later this evening. Let me know what you think - is this what you were expecting??

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Hi Hank! Wow that was quick. Sorry, I wasn't in a position to follow up with how quickly this thread came to life.

So that looks like the upgraded enclosed directors San Francisco has in 1944, not the early style open top. Note that Mk.28 is the director itself, it doesn't have a radar.

I was expecting something which looks like this, these are the out of production 3Dmodelparts ones:



There are these excellent pictures of Astoria's bridge showing the director on the pedestal:

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/hi ... 96383.html

https://www.history.navy.mil/content/hi ... 96382.html

This version seems to have a folding canvas cover though I'm not too fussed about that.

don't think that is what he is looking for especially with the dish on the front. this is what he is looking for tho yours will show the difference between the Mk 28 & Mk 33 directors because of the large size of yours.

Vlad,

OK, earlier version - The photos and examples are what's needed here!!

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

https://www.navsource.org/archives/04/044/0404406.jpg

Quincy and Vincennes had the MK-33 directors and these appear to have the same protrusion under the back of the unit. So pictures are definitely needed to match the details of whatever project you plan to do.

Vlad,

Based on the links and photos YOU provided, I came up with this (a bit simplified here & there) -



This (again) is a 1/200 scale item - I think it will print fairly well. At 1/700 scale, I won't make any bets

I may add the handrails and ladders if the initial print comes out, just for the hell of it!! The director in the photo that Dick J. posted I don't think matches the ones you posted - at least, there appears to be quite a few missing elements, perhaps because it's under a canvas cover (?). I did find in the booklet that I referenced earlier, a few photos of SAN FRAN in her early config with the Mk. 28 - esp. one from the back which, if the print does come out, I may go ahead and add a few more details that were somewhat obscure but could be "fudged"!!

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Hank,

Nice rapid prototyping there!

Vlad,

It has just come to my attention that even though I have printed them, I never added the 1/700 MK28's or MK33's to the shop. I do have the DD style open top MK33's there, but not the others.


I will work on adding these to the shop over the weekend if you are interested.


Matt

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Kraken Hobbies Online Store
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I realise now my confusion arose from looking at Black Cat Models Mk.33 open directors, which are all DD versions that I can clearly see based on Matt's render have a completely different housing to the CA ones.

Hank,

That is very fast rapid prototyping indeed, and those look right.

So I suppose now the question is (for both Hank and Matt), how much to buy a few of these and get them shipped across the Atlantic?

Matt,

One more question for you, do you have plans to scale down the Quincy and Vincennes bridge sets to 1/700?

Matt wrote:
"Nice rapid prototyping there!"

Matt,
Hello again! And THANKS!! I found it an interesting mini-project - these older warship parts are not usually in my field of interest, but I've learned quite a bit - esp. from your post - obviously, there were more than one version produced depending on the ship type, etc.

Vlad wrote:
"That is very fast rapid prototyping indeed, and those look right."

Vlad,
GREAT!!! I'm glad I was able to capture what you were looking for!! As for anything further, I'm printing a couple of 1/700 scale parts and one 1/200 scale this morning (8 hr print run) just to see if these do come out...

As for anything in the way of items for sale, I'll leave that to Matt, etc. - I'm not exactly in the business end of things. I think from the examples Matt has posted, he can fully provide what you're looking for and is set up to do so!

I'll post my printing results later...!

Thanks both for your kind remarks!

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

I'd really love to see how those come out Hank.

Meanwhile I'll wait and see if Matt adds 1/700 versions of those directors to the store. I'm not in any rush

Vlad,

The prints came out - actually, the 1/700 printed better than the larger 1/200. This is a support issue, not an issue with the design. I've since redone a couple changes/additions and will re-run both sizes today. Here's the current version -


Once I get the new prints, I'll post photos!

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

The latest prints came out, but with a few errors. Minor adjustments to the design file for the 1/200 scale will correct those errors. The 1/700 scale part is a scaled down version of the 1/200 scale part that is done in the print file. Very tiny and hard to see details -

But at least I have been able to get these items printed!!

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48

Wow, those are cool Hank.

_________________
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

Martin,
Thanks so much!!! I appreciate the kind comment! I wish I could get better shots of those, but the camera on the phone can only do so much

I may try reprinting after making corrections, well....at least to the 1/200 scale part. It's much easier to see than the 1/700 item. I may get to those corrections tomorrow (esp. if it rains as predicted!).

The neat thing about 3D printing is that with the smaller scale models, you can get some really detailed parts that simply put the kit parts to shame...

Hank

_________________
HMS III
Mocksville, NC
BB62 vet 68-69

Builder's yard:
USS STODDARD (DD-566) 66-68 1:144, Various Lg Scale FC Directors
Finished:
USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) 67-69 1:200
USN Sloop/Ship PEACOCK (1813) 1:48
ROYAL CAROLINE (1748) 1:47
AVS (1768) 1:48