Calling all Allen M. Sumner-class & Gearing-class DD fans

[moritakafan]

Hi!! Guys
I come from Republic of China (Taiwan)
Its my ship model DD-837 1945
http://forum.modelship.com.tw/phpBB2/vi ... php?t=1366

http://forum.modelship.com.tw/phpBB2/index.php
forum.modelship.com.tw is Taiwans model ship websit
Welcome please

[Sebastien Lausdat]

Hello
Thank you for your responses. I had bad surprises with the quality of plans from Floating Drydock.
Jimmy Conway gives the following plans:

- Bu-DD692-40 USS SUMNER DD692 11/44 DOCKING PLAN, BuShips#109720-2 1/96
- Bu-DDR829-1 USS MYLES C. FOX DDR829 11/76 DOCKING PLAN 1/96
- Bu-DD710-3 DD710 CLASS 1944 DOCKING PLAN,BuShips#509275 1/96

If someone, who has at least one of these plans, can give me his opinion.
In advance, thank you.
Kind regards
Sebastien Lausdat
France

[Jimmy Conway]

Ok Sebastien, I'd like to receive the same opinion.
Regards: Jimmy

[desron48]

Hello
Thank you for your responses. I had bad surprises with the quality of plans from Floating Drydock.
Jimmy Conway gives the following plans:

- Bu-DD692-40 USS SUMNER DD692 11/44 DOCKING PLAN, BuShips#109720-2 1/96
- Bu-DDR829-1 USS MYLES C. FOX DDR829 11/76 DOCKING PLAN 1/96
- Bu-DD710-3 DD710 CLASS 1944 DOCKING PLAN,BuShips#509275 1/96

If someone, who has at least one of these plans, can give me his opinion.
In advance, thank you.
Kind regards
Sebastien Lausdat
France

i'm sorry to hear about the quality of the plan....what problems are you having???...let me see how i can help...i have access to many plans...i'll pm you with what i can find.....joe

[Sebastien Lausdat]

Hello Joe
Thanks for your reply.
In one of these three plans, I look at the details of the hull below the waterline.
So I'm looking for someone who has these plans and, who can then give me his opinion.
Kind regards
Sebastien lausdat

[Jimmy Conway]

Hello
Thank you for your responses. I had bad surprises with the quality of plans from Floating Drydock.
Jimmy Conway gives the following plans:

- Bu-DD692-40 USS SUMNER DD692 11/44 DOCKING PLAN, BuShips#109720-2 1/96
- Bu-DDR829-1 USS MYLES C. FOX DDR829 11/76 DOCKING PLAN 1/96
- Bu-DD710-3 DD710 CLASS 1944 DOCKING PLAN,BuShips#509275 1/96

If someone, who has at least one of these plans, can give me his opinion.
In advance, thank you.
Kind regards
Sebastien Lausdat
France

i'm sorry to hear about the quality of the plan....what problems are you having???...let me see how i can help...i have access to many plans...i'll pm you with what i can find.....joe

Hi Desron48!
Me and Sebastien are looking for documentation (plans and photos) of openings and details located below the waterline for Sumners and Gearing class destroyers. That is what we need, if you can give us a help.
What we have doubts about the above listed plans is if they show the details for the hull openings, and I would like to have details for theses ships as FRAMED, not as original built, and I dont know if the ships suffered any mods.
Thank you very much: Jimmy

[fnorkk]

This is a nice model. My Dragon Gearing is now complete and I will post soon. I had the honor to serve a couple of weeks on the USS Soley DD-707 back in the 60's. Greg

[gee_gdavid]

I was EWO and EMO in the late 70s. As I recall the only difference would be on the location of the torpedo tubes. For what it's worth I was Comm and EMS on the USS Sarsfield (two forward mounts). Other than the location of the tubes I don't think there was a major difference.

[falcon04]

Any proof - either way - as to the colors used in Measure 22 on the Gearing ? Would the "1945 Revision" neutral grays be an acceptable choice ?

[Rick E Davis]

Given when GEARING herself was completed and started operational service, I would think the 1945 paint would be the most likely.

[el Cid]

Hello Gentlemen,

Long time lurker, first time posting.

I'm in the process of converting the Dragon Gearing into a mid to late 50s Sumner, specifically USS Harlan R. Dickson "the Flying Dick" (DD-708). I've pulled the available photos from the web and read and re-read Sumrall but still have a few questions.

1. Dickson appears to maintain full bulwarks around the bridge and 3' 50 sponsons until refit in the early '60s when railings were installed. Photos show rectangular openings in the sponson bulwarks (see this picture of DD-725 http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0572508.jpg). Any ideas on what these are and how they should be represented?

2. When were K-guns removed from the Sumners? Sumrall indicates 1950, but many photos show Sumners and Gearings with K-guns in the 50s. Photos of Dickson are unclear. Were these launchers kept in service until FRAM or phased out completely sometime prior?

3. Gearings and Sumners should all have 4-bladed propellers by this period. Anybody have a source for 1/350 4-bladed DD propellers?

4. Dickson had offset 3' 50 mounts aft with the Mk56 director between. I have the general layout of the Mk56 equipment room below the director, but don't have any indication where the door is. Anybody know the door location or have photos of this area?

5. Dickson's homeport was Newport during this period; I think DesRon 12. Does anybody have a reference that indicates what ships were attached to the different DesRons to back this up?

Thanks ahead for any help.

Keith

[Russ2146]

Hey Keith,
I'm doing the Gearing as the USS Barton, DD722, a Sumner, but in her 60's fit. She had in-line 3" 50s

Those openings appear to be vents of some sort.

As far as Sumrall goes, I got more out of the line drawings in the back of the book- Page 254, the Henley
You would want Page 255, the Joseph P Kennedy BUT it is pre-FRAM 1952 fit with off set 3"50's. The part you can ignore is the 12 feet between the stacks. Also note that Floating Drydock has a 1/96 plan of the Joseph P in the same fit. This gives you the tripod mast detail

All these show K-guns as of 1952 but only one roll off rack, Stbd side.

I ordered 4 blade props from Yankee model works (They look about right, 3" 50 duals from Veteran, but I don't know where you'll get 3" 40 singles. Mk 25 antenna from WEM, SPS 6 radar is about the same as SPS 12 so I just ordered Flagship Models FM 350-2 Modern Warship Radar, which also gives the SG 6.

I just checked the 1/96 plans and they don't show any door into the Mk 56 deck house. What I do is check all like ships in Navsource to see if something is visible. I'll look around

For a masterful tripod mast, check out the work in progress of the New,
Russ

[el Cid]

Thanks Russ, your Barton was my inspiration for beginning this endeavor. I did follow your advice and ordered the JP Kennedy plans but haven't received them yet. Apparently L'Arsenel makes a 3" 50 single mount, ordered them from Tony Bunch. I'll call Yankee re: the props. The USS New mast is great, hope I can manage something close.

I've been combing through all online Sumner/Gearing photos for misc details like the Mk56 equipment room. Few good views of this area (and just so much variability and undated photos). Re: the remaining depth charge roll-off rack, looks like they varied by ship also; Dickson's was on the port side.

Thanks for the reply, I look forward to your updates (I still haven't put saw to hull/deck/superstructure yet to remove that 1/2 inch).

Cheers,

Keith

[Rick E Davis]

From the images of SUMNERS in the 1950's ... the K-Guns were being removed in 1955 and seem to be gone from all(?) ships by about the end of 1956.

As for the openings on the 3-in (single) mount sponson ... they have to do with the empty shell casing "shedding". I'm not sure of the mechanics of these openings, but the openings were common on twin 3-in mounts and various schemes seem to have been used to retain/bin spent shells. Some of the photos seem to show what look like "bags" protruding out of the openings. The Cruiser SALEM has similar openings that appear that they would just dump the empty shells out into the sea or on the deck below.

[Russ2146]

Here are a few shots. As near as I can tell, it was either on the Port side or the aft side

Is that a door to the right of the sailor?

[Russ2146]

I think Rick Davis is right about those openings. I've seen other photos with canvass covers over them but never knew what they were for. They disappeared when the 3" 50 singles were removed.

If its any help, the door into the director house was on the aft face on the in-line ships.
Russ

[el Cid]

Rick and Russ,

When I first saw the cut-outs on the 3" 50 tubs I thought either for rolling empty brass out or for draining water if the ship took a boarding sea...seems the empty brass "chute" is more likely. Still not clear on the apparent structure inside that is visible in the DD-725 picture I linked. Nice photos of the 3" 50s by the way.

I did the 1/2 inch hull shortening today. Used the same cuts you did Russ and everything went back together very nicely. A little bit of Bondo Glazing putty (best and cheapest filler I've found) and I'm good to go.

Cheers,

Keith

[el Cid]

Anybody have the Floating Drydock Gearing Sumner Photo CD? Any observations or comments on the value of this resource, especially re: to mid '50s fit of this class?

Thanks ahead,

Keith

[Russ2146]

Keith,

I just went through my copy of the TFD's Sumner-Gearing CD and there is absolutely nothing on any post-war modifications. That said, there is a great deal of detail on the wartime ships so that famiarity with them does help to recognize post war mods that are visible in available photos.

While I'm on the subject, I would suggest that you not do anything above the hull, other than remove gun tubs, until you have the Joe Kennedy plans. The 40mm tubs are not the same as the 3" 50 tubs and the 02 deck where the single 3" 50s were located is different, enlarged, as the 3" mounts took up more space.

Russ

[el Cid]

Russ,

I knew the 0-1 level gun tubs were different but not the single mounts behind the pilot house...thanks for the head's-up.

Keith