Postwar navy.

[pingjockey]

Carl,
I was a senior chief sonar technician on the James. It was a really great time. The surface fleet definitely gets to see more places than the sub fleet thats for sure.
My diorama is going to consist of the Reuben James (FFG-57), Lincoln (CVN-72), Shiloh (CG-67), and Paul Hamilton (DDG-60). I wanted to have the Fletcher in there to but I have not been able to find a 1/700 VLS Spruance. The James is almost finished (all that is left is putting on the mast and some detailing) and the Lincoln's hull and flight deck is complete. The other two I have not really done too much with yet. I am still experimenting with how to make water on some old kits. My first attempt using clear silicone was a complete disaster.
I will post some pics when I the models are coming together.

[Nektarios]

I wanted to have the Fletcher in there to but I have not been able to find a 1/700 VLS Spruance.

You can find it at Pacific front

http://www.pacificfront.com/catalog/pro ... cts_id=275

or this one

http://www.pacificfront.com/catalog/pro ... cts_id=130

[J Goodacre]

Nektarios,
John,

A couple of days ago, I was checking out your ships in the Gallery looking for the chain guns that you had mentioned, but I thought they were .50 cal.s. The PE ones look a little skinny, don't they?

Carl

I might of folded them too thin, but If you look at the stance of the gunner is about the same width as the gun. So if you place a PE figure behind it, it is close. I think maybe a thin piece of plastic stock will do the job. Or maybe folding them a bit thicker will. Just my opinion.

John

[NukeMM]

John,

I wasn't indicating that you did anything wrong, just that the PE gun was thin no matter how you did it. Merely the nature of the manufacturer's depiction. It is definately better than nothing, though, right?

Carl

[NukeMM]

Nektarios,

How is this for a "small" diorama?

[Nektarios]

Looks really nice Carl.



How s that for a big diorama ??? . Yes i know i am

[NukeMM]

I love that shot of the "Fleet"!

How long have you been actively building 1/700, Nekatarios? How many models total do you have?

That harbor dio of your friend's, what nationality is portrayed by it? I don't recognize the flags on the ships, off the top of my head. Is the harbor any particular real harbor or is it a ficticious one?

[Neptune]

Both of you are nuts. I'm still happy with your comments on my small build though.
BUt these things of yours are crazily cool! I'm still saving up for my diorama, but I'm quite sure it'll never go as quickly as any of yours nor as end up as nice as yours. I have a total hatred for PE... Anyhow one improvement is coming. I'm ready to take my stuff with me on the ship and continue my builds there, that should at least shorten the whole process a bit!
Congrats to both of you! Nektarios, you should get a life-time achievement award in 1/700!

[Pere]

Nektarios

. Yes i know i am

Don�t worry Nektarios , you are a artist .

best regads

[Nektarios]

How long have you been actively building 1/700, Nektarios? How many models total do you have?

I have started building models when i was 14 Y.O. Now i m 32 Y.O. the total nr. is 596 ships but that includes several subs, FACs and other smaller ships (of course i do not count small craft like LCUs or LCACs in that nr.)

these are the ships for my goal of the 600-ship U.S. Navy project.I m half way there.


600-SHIP NAVY BUILT SHIPS


U.S. NAVY(323) (+01 MSC + 01 COAST GUARD)

SUBMARINES(116)

68x SSN-688
30x SSN-21
05x SSN-23
06x SSN-774
07x SSGN-726
00x SSBN-726

CARRIERS(14)

01x CV-62
03x CV-63
01x CVN-65
09x CVN-68

SURFACE SHIPS(181)

01x BB-61
34x CG-47
34x DD-963
28x DDG-51
17x DDG-79
01x DDG-1000
37x FFG-51
17x FF-1051
16x PC-1
06x PHM-1

AMPHIBIOUS SHIPS(05)

02x LHD-1
01x LHA-1
01x LPD-4
01x LSD-36

COMMAND SHIPS(03)

02x LCC-19
01x AGF-3

REPLENISHMENT SHIPS(03)

01x AOE-1
01x AO-177
01x AE-26

MINE WARFARE SHIPS(01)

01x MCS-12

MILITARY SEALIFT COMMAND SHIPS(01)

01x T-AKR-295

U.S. COAST GUARD(01)

01x WMEC-901

That harbor dio of your friend's, what nationality is portrayed by it? I don't recognize the flags on the ships, off the top of my head. Is the harbor any particular real harbor or is it a ficticious one?

Its a fictitious harbor of a fictitious nation.its his own nation created after 2o years of hard work. he doesn t just have a harbor. Its 2 harbors, an airport but he also has an airforce coast guard and army.

[Nektarios]

I'm still saving up for my diorama.

Let me guess Neptune your diorama will be one with Kuznetsov, Pyotr Velikiy, Slava Udaloy II and a Russian UNREP ship???

[Nektarios]

[/quote]Don�t worry Nektarios , you are a artist .
best regads[/quote]

Thank you Pere for your kind words. Any news on your CVN-71???

[J Goodacre]

Holly cow!

Carl I that is a great little diorama. where did you find that lid for it. Cool stuff. As for the comment about the guns, I was not stating that you thought i did something wrong at all. No worries, I tend not to have the most steady grip, and have problems judging my grip as well. You ships are first rate.

Nektarios

Your only half way there on the 600 ship goal. I would think you were a lot closer. I marvel over the pictures of your case. Even to the point as using them to influence my wife on some purchases. She keeps encourages me to build though so it must be working. After pirating the modeling room for her office, she has been finding ways for me to have a decent building space. So soon I will have my space and new toys to play with. For now this is to progress of my AO-178

John

[NukeMM]

Nektarios,

A 600 model ship fleet is one hell of a goal!

You have built 68 688 SSNs?

And over 300 ships?

WOW!!!!

I hope you're not the kind to keep all of the empty model boxes when you're done with a model. There's another storage dilemma.

I would find the repetition of 34 Sprance class DDGs difficult to continue. I could make an assembly line of 1/700 688s.

Do you have the 757 boat? I was on that one. The 704, too.

I guess I won't try to catch up. I'm 45 years old. Just not enough time.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

John,

The tiny little display case came in a box of 6 intended for 1/64 scale die-cast cars. I got them at Hobby Lobby for $7.00.


I like your oiler. I may get into the auxiliary cargo ships some day, but I don't see it in the near future.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

My nearer future wish list............

In 1/700:

I have a Skywave Spruance kit on hand.
I have started the Trumpeter USS Iowa in 1983 kit but it has been about five months since I did anything to it.

I have the DRAGON USS Mustin DDG kit that I intend to make into the USS Sampson DDG-102, just to have two Sampsons, DDG-10 and DDG-102. I may even get the Somers class Sampson DD model, just for fun.


Coontz Class DDG
Forrest Sherman DD
Garcia Class
Leahy Class (I heard JAB has one coming soon.)
Belknap Class (I heard JAG has one coming soon.)
Providence CLG
Bainbridge CGN
Truxton CGN
California CGN

I'll stop here, for now. The above list would be my favorites list. My goal is one of each post war / modern combatant surface ships. I haven't any desire, yet, to make CVs or CVNs. I'd pay to have somebody make all of the aircraft, if I do. (not really)

In 1/350:

I'd like to make four more ISW 1/350 Small Seaplane Tenders like my Duxbury Bay. One each of her sister ships who served as flagships for ComMidEastFor in the 1950s and 1960s, USS Valcour AVP-55 and USS Greenwich Bay AVP-41. I'd like to make another of the Duxbury Bay AVP-38 in her final 1966 configuration, and then mount all three on the same display base. I've even had a thought of cutting their hulls for waterlines and make a port diorama of them. The forth AVP model would be an early hull number in a WWII configuration.

In 1/96:

I have a dream of getting the Casco Class USCGC hull from Loyal Hannah Dockyard and Duxbury Bay plans from the NARA and scratch build her in 1/96. She'd be 39 inches long.

I love those little AVPs!

[Nektarios]

Nektarios

Your only half way there on the 600 ship goal. I would think you were a lot closer. I marvel over the pictures of your case. Even to the point as using them to influence my wife on some purchases. She keeps encourages me to build though so it must be working. After pirating the modeling room for her office, she has been finding ways for me to have a decent building space. So soon I will have my space and new toys to play with. For now this is to progress of my AO-178

John

Here are some photos you could show to your wife.



My 15 CVBGs (still need 2 carriers CV-67 to replace CV-62 and CVN-77 and some SSGNs to complete them)




My 4 BBGs (i need to finish the 3 battleships) and the ocean escort force.



Amphibious ships and their escorts. (i need to work more on these ships i ve got very few of them)



Auxiliaries and some other ships(obviously i need lots of work here)

[assddr]

HEY jgrease:
a scrathbuilt....................made came form putty .....

HEY kidcurrie42:
here are some other photos..but not finish

[Nektarios]

Nektarios,
A 600 model ship fleet is one hell of a goal!
You have built 68 688 SSNs?
And over 300 ships?

WOW!!!!

I hope you're not the kind to keep all of the empty model boxes when you're done with a model. There's another storage dilemma.
I would find the repetition of 34 Sprance class DDGs difficult to continue. I could make an assembly line of 1/700 688s.
Do you have the 757 boat? I was on that one. The 704, too.
I guess I won't try to catch up. I'm 45 years old. Just not enough time.

Yup i ve built 68 SSNs. 62 is the total nr. of LA class and 6 more were cancelled in the early 90s due to the end of the cold war. Also i ve built 34 Spruances because i needed 2 for each of my CVBGs and 1 for each BBG. In the mid to late 1980s budgets there were 3 more improved Spruances planned but they were cancelled too.

My nearer future wish list............

In 1/700:

I have a Skywave Spruance kit on hand.
I have started the Trumpeter USS Iowa in 1983 kit but it has been about five months since I did anything to it.
I have the DRAGON USS Mustin DDG kit that I intend to make into the USS Sampson DDG-102, just to have two Sampsons, DDG-10 and DDG-102. I may even get the Somers class Sampson DD model, just for fun.

Coontz Class DDG
Forrest Sherman DD
Garcia Class
Leahy Class (I heard JAG has one coming soon.)
Belknap Class (I heard JAG has one coming soon.)
Providence CLG
Bainbridge CGN
Truxton CGN
California CGN

I'll stop here, for now. The above list would be my favorites list. My goal is one of each post war / modern combatant surface ships. I haven't any desire, yet, to make CVs or CVNs. I'd pay to have somebody make all of the aircraft, if I do. (not really)

You should get the Niko Coontz its a great kit i ve seen it in my visit to Italy. When we went to the NNT shop one of my friends got 3 of them and i checked it ... WOW that was a real surprise for me i knew it was a good kit but after seeing it i want more than the one i was intending to buy . You should also wait for the Truxton from JAG

[NukeMM]

I have had my eye on the Nikoe Coontz kit for a few months, now. There is a nice build in the Gallery at SteelNavy.com

I'm still working on the USS Sides' mast and rigging. Hesitant to start the rigging. I planned ahead and made a tie down point for the shroud rigging stays on the stbd side and drilled a hole in it to run the thread through. I also drilled a hole in the forward corner of the small boat deck on the port side. The trick will be attaching the thread to the underside of the mast catwalks.





I attached some TDT directors above the bridge and painted black canvas covers on them. (I cheated.) And I mounted two stanchions under the stbd ECM.

[Pere]

Fantastic diorama ...

best regards

[Guest]

very beautiful diorama NukeMM