The San Diego Maritime Museum has a plan; a plan to have built all of the USN ships having or having had the name USS San Diego. There are/were 4 ships in all named USS San Diego. These are to all to be built in 1/96 scale. So far, the museum has one; a nicely finished 1/96 USS San Diego CA53 built by Dave Manley of SmallWorldModels. This model is the centerpiece of the display model room aboard the Ferry Berkeley; one of 5 SD Maritime Museum's 1/1 scale ships. With Dave's help, I have agreed to start this model for the museum. We have agreed to layout the the decks, superstructure and hull exterior details. This is supposed to be done by the years' end, and then we'll turn it over to the museum's model shop where it will be finished by museum modeler members; probably members of the SD Ship Modeler's Guild. Here we have a hull; a very big hull! In 1/96 scale this LPD-17 class hull measures 85.5". The drawings that we have are actually enlarged to 1/96 from 1/800 scale drawings procured from Raytheon Corp. It took us a year to get these drawings, and this was all we could get. Lee Upshaw of the ScaleShipYard was able to make the master for the hull from drawings borrowed from the navy. This hull came with no drawings, as the original drawings were returned to the navy. I think that's how the story goes.
THIS IS WHERE OUR PHOTO CHRONICHLE BEGINS:
These shots were taken by me at Dave's house in his model shop; oh what fun!
FYI
Here is a link to the first USS San Diego
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/acr6/acr6.htm
Here is a link to the second USS San Diego
http://www.navsource.org/archives/04/053/04053.htm
Here is a link to the third USS San Diego
http://www.navsource.org/archives/09/52/5206.htm
Here is a link to the fourth USS San Diego
http://www.navsource.org/archives/10/09/0917.htm
The museum still needs builders for the ACR-6 and AFS-6 USS San Diego's in 1/96 scale. Unfortunately, these will have to be 100% scratch-built as no hull masters exist.
Thanks to Lee Upshaw of the ScaleShipYard for his help in getting the hull and fittings set to us in an inexpensive and timely manner. Thanks to Raytheon Corp for paying for the hull and fittings from the ScaleShipYard.
This project will probably not move real fast as both Dave and I have plenty of irons in the fire, but I will post pics of the progress as things move along!!
Thanks for your interest, Tony Bunch
SD Ship Modeler's Guild and SD Maritime Museum Member
