1/144 Jorge Juan (ex USS McGowan)

[LE BOSCO]

it looks so easy with you willie
cheers
Nicolas

[Willie]

Hi all modelers again,

And thanks again Hank and Nicolas for your interest and encouragement.

Next step is the aft stack, but this one is going to be a different, more difficult song. As an appetizer, I wanted to start with the easiest part, the rear support for the aerials. MacGowan had hers...

...that was not deleted on board Jorge Juan:

Both pics are nor too helpful, but this structure was virtually identical all through the Navy, and this one of USS Daly is specially good, and allows to calculate the exact measures:

Once it is clear what has to be made, the making itself is easy using a section of 1,00 mm. Evergreen rod, scraps of plastic and pieces of stretched sprue:

When compared with the original, the effect is quite good, although everybody knows that macro will always be a modeler�s worst enemy:

To be continued when I have clarified the forward supports.
I hope you like it, and best regards from these distant shores,

Willie.[/size]

[BB62vet]

Willie,

Well done on the After Stack & details, etc. I think you've got a good handle on how to construct these various items. Always glad to see the photos as you progress!!

Hank

[LE BOSCO]

Hi Willie
you have a fan of your work !!! admire, especially since I work at this scale at the moment
cheers
Nicolas

[Willie]

Howdy Hank, Nicolas and all,

Thanks again for your remarks.

(...) you have a fan of your work !!! admire, especially since I work at this scale at the moment

Nicolas, I have had a detailed look at your blog, and honestly, there is nothing you can learn from me. I would have never been able to detail those small Citro�ns in the way you have done the job.

Nice going, and warmest regards,

Willie.

[LE BOSCO]

HI Willie

we always learn from others , above all, gifted model maker like you thank you for your nice comment but for the small Citroen ....a good optivisor "and voila" nothing too complicated
cheers
Nicolas

[Willie]

Hi all again.

Once I had clarified the structure that will follow, I can go on. The forward supports of the aft stack on board Jorge Juan are the following:

The picture is not very clear, but clear enough to realize that this is again the standard arrangement in the modified Fletchers, and on Fletchers I have lots of info.
I could take some good pics of these elements on board USS The Sullivans:

Apparently, the whole weight of the structure rests on a system of bars in the middle of the lower cap, more or less the same system already used in the rear suppoorts.
It was almost midday when I took these pictures, and because of the angle of the picture and the position of the sun there is little contrast in the blackened elements, but I can use this other one of USS Eversole, showing the supports in an early version, but identical solution:

What has to be done is then very simple:

Added bonus: by pure chance, the elements are so well cut that the horizontal bar rests absolutely even on the supports, without the need of sanding or refining. Great.

I will let it dry out completely, and will try to go on tomorrow.
In the meanwhile, warmest regards from this side,

Willie.[/size]

[BB62vet]

Willie,

Once again, you've got this thing well in hand! When you get to the platforms see if you can use some spare PE parts that are grid or grating as the platforms were not solid sheets of metal. Just a bit of advice in advance!!

Hank

[marijn van gils]

It only gets better and better...

[Rick E Davis]

Willie,

I didn't post this view of McGOWAN earlier because it cuts off at the bottom and wouldn't help with the brackets. But, now that you will be starting to add antennas and such, this may be of help. Looking forward at the aft end of the aft stack, as of February 1959, of USS McGOWAN.

Here is another view, about as close as I can find looking forward, of USS UHLMANN (DD-687) proving a different perspective. There are differences in antenna placement and other details by March 1969, for this Pacific Fleet based unit. But, may be of help.

Another view, this time of USS THE SULLIVANS (DD-537) in March 1962, she is an Atlantic Fleet based unit. Looks to be the same configuration installed on McGOWAN

Finally, a view of another Pacific Fleet unit, USS ISHERWOOD (DD-520), seems the USN flipped the locations of the AS-571 and ASR-570 antennas, depending on the Fleet assigned?

[Willie]

Hi there Hank and all,

When you get to the platforms see if you can use some spare PE parts that are grid or grating as the platforms were not solid sheets of metal. Just a bit of advice in advance.

Thanks for this excellent advice. Certainly, this is my plan. As in the case of vertical ladders I always have some of this stuff around just in case, and three different mesh PE�s for this specific one.

Nice going in NC,

Willie.

[Willie]

Hi there Mr. Davis and all,

Thanks a lot for your interesting post, and for the pictures that leave nothing to imagination.

I didn't post this view of McGOWAN earlier because it cuts off at the bottom and wouldn't help with the brackets. But, now that you will be starting to add antennas and such, this may be of help. Looking forward at the aft end of the aft stack, as of February 1959, of USS McGOWAN.

Three hours too late for being of use today... And Good Old MacGowan, nothing less...
But also the whole lot has been added to my files.
Thank God I have this other picture of USS Cassin Young, which is virtually the same thing, that also allows to find the exact length of the horizontal bar, and that is the one I have used instead:

To make this was very easy again. This structure should be very precise, so that the rest of the antennae that are going to be added has an even ground to rest on.

I recommend to use for this kind of work Tamiya ultra fine glue, excellent to go along with any sprue and Evergreen specifically. It allows to make corrections for 1-2 minutes. The only problem is that the chemicals reduce styrene to almost liquid if used in some quantity. Again this has to dry before adding the rest of the elements.
I hope you like it.

Best regards from this side,

Willie.[/size]

[BB62vet]

Willie,
Keeps looking better! Thanks for the tips on glue, etc. I was wondering what adhesive you were using on this. I agree that too much of that type of glue does have a tendency to melt the Evergreen styrene plastic very easily.

Once again, great work!

Hank

[Willie]

Hi all again,

The next thing are the radomes for the ECM antennae AS-570/SLR and AS-571/SLR. In this case, this picture from Mr. Davis is gold worth, as it allows to find the exact position and relative dimensions of both radomes, something that in perspective pictures would be much more difficult to calculate:

The frontal picture of USS The Sullivans shown before is the perfect complement:

Once the elements are clear, the process is again easy.
Basic elements for the AS-570/SLR radome:

The only tricky thing is to have the vertical bars perfectly aligned, something that can be achieved making the holes very tight fitting, and putting the elements on a "mirror" to adjust before applying glue:

I think my lines are more or less acceptable.
The AS-571/SLR radome has a different shape, that I found in a crop of one of the previous pictures:

Very useful to make this :

Both radomes are self made with a piece of thick sprue reduced to 4,00 mm.(AS-570) and a section of 6,3 mm. Plastruct rod (AS-571)
Over to the next post.[/size]

[Willie]

With everything set in place, the effect is convincing, and the whole lot can be accepted:

I hope you like it, and very best regards,

Willie.[/size]

[BB62vet]

Willie,

Once again, it looks like the Real Deal!!! Very nice indeed!!

Hank

[Kubilay]

Stunning details, very well done.

[Willie]

Hi all again,

While I am thinking on how to do the wiring to the ECM pods, I started the loading practice machine,
It was present on board USS McGowan, but placed in an usual position, just abreast of the torpedo mount on the stbd. side rather than midships behind it:

Jorge Juan had it the same position:

It can be observed that this was the longer model, to say so, with some more details and gadgets; this one:

This loading pratice machine was used to save wear down and breakdowns in the real guns, if they were used for practice. The place could also be really crowded:

I also found this other pic, very useful because of the perspective:

...And also this graphic, that can solve some doubts. Notice that this loader model lacks some elements that can be seen in the pics:

Over to the next post.[/size]

[Willie]

Hi again, folks,

Once the thing to do was clear, the process was as follows: firstable the mount itself, something quite basic to build. Only bthe cross inside required some attention:

Then the basic elements of the practice gun:

And the gun almost finished:

And the final product minus some small details:

It was again a bit tricky at times, but nothing that a bit of patience cannot achieve. The gun is only dry fit for now. When it is finished it will be ca. 3 mm. backwards.

I hope you like it, and best regards,

Willie.[/size]

[Willie]

Hi all again,

After letting it dry for two hours, I have already made the final details, and even if only dry-fit again, the position is now definitive after the adjustments, as I have seen the these practice machines used to be set at a slight angle when they were not being used.

I hope you like it, and warmest regards from this side,

Willie.[/size]