Model Monkey News

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Tue Aug 04, 2020 10:51 pm

Any update on the compass platform for the HMS Belfast?

whaynes · Post by **whaynes** » Wed Aug 05, 2020 11:59 am

No hurry, Steve. My Sopwith won't be started until next year.
Walt

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Thu Aug 06, 2020 6:47 pm

It will be a little while before both the Belfast compass platform and the Vickers weapons are ready. Thanks for your patience!

In the mean time, several new nameplates for modern PLAN (Chinese navy) Type 052B, 052C and 052D class destroyers are now available. Some examples are shown below. And a recent printing, the 1/700 scale USS Arizona Memorial, follows.

Guest · Post by **Guest** » Fri Aug 07, 2020 12:14 pm

Hopefully, it ok to post here. Would you ever consider IJN 40mm/62 HI in 700th? Probably would fly of the shelves, there are none in that scale either.

maxim · Post by **maxim** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 2:12 am

The Japanese 40 mm/62 is the gun called 2-pdr. Mark II (PomPom) by the British.

Niko Model offers one as Japanese version:
http://www.nikomodel.pl/index.php/en/re ... gle-aa-gun

But I am sure there are better parts for the British available.

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Sat Aug 08, 2020 8:16 am

Guest wrote:Hopefully, it ok to post here. Would you ever consider IJN 40mm/62 HI in 700th? Probably would fly of the shelves, there are none in that scale either.

Thanks for your interest!

I regret to say that other than custom text on nameplates, I no longer accept requests for new research and design projects, free or commissioned. Other vendors may accept your request. You can reach many on Shapeways' 3D design request board, link: https://www.shapeways.com/forum/f/3d-de ... quests.92/

Hope this helps, thanks again and best wishes!

dhenning · Post by **dhenning** » Wed Aug 12, 2020 9:10 pm

ModelMonkey wrote:
Guest wrote:Hopefully, it ok to post here. Would you ever consider IJN 40mm/62 HI in 700th? Probably would fly of the shelves, there are none in that scale either.
Thanks for your interest!

I regret to say that other than custom text on nameplates, I no longer accept requests for new research and design projects, free or commissioned. Other vendors may accept your request. You can reach many on Shapeways' 3D design request board, link: https://www.shapeways.com/forum/f/3d-de ... quests.92/

Hope this helps, thanks again and best wishes!

Steve,
Understand completely your decision to decline any more requests, but would it be possible to get an update on your "to be developed" project list? Some of us have future builds in mind and it would help tremendously if we knew what goodies might be coming down the Model Monkey slipways to prevent scratchbuilding regrets!

Dave

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Wed Aug 12, 2020 10:25 pm

dhenning wrote:Steve,
Understand completely your decision to decline any more requests, but would it be possible to get an update on your "to be developed" project list? Some of us have future builds in mind and it would help tremendously if we knew what goodies might be coming down the Model Monkey slipways to prevent scratchbuilding regrets!

Dave

Hi Dave,

Thanks for your interest and patronage!

Except for a few projects already announced, the project list is now "close-hold" and will not be made public. This is to help preclude competitors from preempting products in research and design, then quickly releasing identical products spoiling the market and wasting significant efforts and monies spent, as has happened.

I do regret any disappointment and inconvenience this causes modelers.

I will confirm two soon-to-be-released products, hopefully this month or next (no promises), a set of RMS Titanic funnels in 1/350 and 1/400 scales, and a bridge for USS Salem in 1/350 scale, not necessarily in that order. Renderings of one of the funnels appear below at about 80% complete. Some of what you see will change.

There will be more nameplates, too.

For those who haven't already done so, please consider subscribing to Model-Monkey.com at the bottom of the catalog's main webpage. Subscribers receive new product announcements via email, about once per month or so - no spam.

Elvis965 · Post by **Elvis965** » Thu Aug 13, 2020 6:50 am

ModelMonkey wrote:a set of RMS Titanic funnels in 1/350 and 1/400 scales

Nice!

Bob

Ship Model Gallery · Post by **MartinJQuinn** » Thu Aug 13, 2020 8:32 am

Elvis965 wrote:
ModelMonkey wrote:a set of RMS Titanic funnels in 1/350 and 1/400 scales
Nice!

Bob

Yes, indeed!

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Thu Aug 20, 2020 10:41 am

Thanks, fellas!

New nameplates include:
- several US Navy destroyers
- all completed Italian Capitani Romani class light cruisers with additional nameplates for those ships of the class in French service with their French names. This class was exceptionally fast, over 40 knots.

Nameplates for Russian subjects in Cyrillic have been modified to include a more traditional Russian font.

Basic nameplate size is 7 cm (~2.75 inches) to complement 1/700 scale ship models. Nameplates can be enlarged upon request to better complement models in larger scales.

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Fri Aug 21, 2020 9:37 pm

A few recent printings and new nameplates for hypothetical "never-were" H-class battleships.

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:11 am

Happy to announce a set of enclosed bridges for Baltimore class heavy cruiser USS Los Angeles CA-135 as the ship appeared circa 1957-1959 is now available in 1/700 scale.

It was during this time that the ship carried three SSM-N-8 Regulus missiles.

The model includes a complete set of Mk.34, Mk.37 and Mk.56 fire control directors and Mk.13 radar antennas, enough for both the forward and aft superstructure.

Turrets and a nameplate are also available.

maxim · Post by **maxim** » Mon Aug 31, 2020 11:19 pm

Cool, another interesting conversion set!

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Fri Sep 11, 2020 2:04 pm

Thanks so much, Maxim!

A valued customer, James Strauss, sent some photos of his recently completed 1/700 scale USS Oklahoma BB-37 and USS St Paul CA-73 models. His Okie features Model Monkey 14"/45 turrets and Mk.19 directors. His St. Paul features a Model Monkey forward superstructure, 8"/55 turrets, 3"/50 tubs, and Mk.34, Mk.37 and Mk.56 fire control directors. Another valued customer, our own Martin Quinn, sent photos of his 1/350 scale Revell Tirpitz, featuring Model Monkey turrets all around.

[edit: added customer name by permission]

Ship Model Gallery · Post by **MartinJQuinn** » Fri Sep 11, 2020 2:45 pm

Love that Oklahoma! The St Paul is nice too. That other guy? What a hack...

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Sun Sep 13, 2020 10:26 pm

Thanks, Martin!

Happy to announce some new nameplates:
- all three Indiana-class battleships, USS Indiana BB-1, USS Massachusetts, BB-2 and USS Oregon BB-3, 10 cm length to complement your 1/225 scale Glencoe USS Oregon kit

- Shimakaze ??, suitable for both the exceptionally fast World War Two-era IJN destroyer (47 knots!) or modern JMSDF Hatakaze-class destroyer. It's a large plate, 10 cm, to complement 1/350 scale kits (Fujimi, Hasegawa, etc.) and 1/200 scale kits (Timo's Model World multi-media kit). 5"/54 cal. single-dome "Frog-Eye" mounts are available, too, for Hatakaze class ships, etc.

- Nanchang ??, first PLAN Type 055 stealth guided missile destroyer (filling a role roughly similar to a Ticonderoga-class cruiser)

- three more PLAN Type 052D guided missile destroyer 10 cm-length nameplates, Hefei ??, Xining ??, and Yinchuan ??, bringing the total of Type 052D nameplates to six ships of the class (roughly similar to an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer)

- three Royal Navy World War Two-era M-class destroyers including one in Polish Navy service, HMS Musketeer, HMS Milne and ORP Orkan

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Sat Sep 19, 2020 2:32 pm

The designs for 1/350 scale RMS Titanic funnels and a 1/350 scale bridge for Des Moines class heavy cruiser USS Salem CA-139 are nearing completion.

In the mean time, new nameplates for early US battleships and two more nameplates for Flower class corvettes have been added to the catalog.

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Tue Oct 13, 2020 6:58 pm

Happy to announce a 1/350 scale bridge for Des Moines-class heavy cruiser USS Salem CA-139 has been added to the catalog. Link:
https://www.model-monkey.com/product-pa ... 139-bridge

Thanks to Rick E. Davis, Tracy White and Larry Ouellette (a volunteer on museum ship Salem) for their help and advice.

Excellent photos of USS Salem are available on the Modellmarine.de website. Link:
http://www.modellmarine.de/index.php?op ... umsschiffe

Features:[/b]
- 4-part kit.
- Overall dimensions and features of this�design are�based on�official US Navy Booklet of General Plans (BoGP) drawings of sistership USS Newport News�CA-148�adjusted to match high-resolution photographs of museum ship USS�Salem�CA-139 and to fit the Very Fire 1/350 scale kits.
- Open bridge windows.
- Accurately shaped decks and platforms with below-deck supporting structure.��The length of the uppermost deck and deckhouse matches BoGP drawings. It is accurately shorter than the Very Fire kit's parts.
- Splinter shielding configuration accurate for 1950s.� The Very Fire kits' splinter shielding is accurate for the ships' as-built, late 1940s appearance.
- Accurately shaped Mk.37 fire control director tower of the correct height, with aft locker and access door, and battle lookout slits with shades.� The Very Fire kits' tower�is an inaccurately-shaped simple cylinder,�is too tall, and has no detailing.
- Accurately shaped (semi-circular) and fully instrumented�pilot house forward armored bulkhead with open battle lookouts and coverings in the lowered position.� The Very Fire kits' pilot house and flag bridge forward bulkheads are inaccurately flat with no detailing.� The Very Fire kit's navigation bridge pilot house�sides are inaccurately shaped.
- Fully instrumented navigation bridge and flag bridge interior bulkheads including chart tables, with overhead support detailing, all consistent with photographs of the actual ship's bridge interior.
- Accurately shaped navigation bridge overhead cover.� The Very Fire kit's cover extends too far to the rear covering too many windows.� The aft-most windows on the real ship's�navigation bridge�were not covered.
- Accurately positioned deck openings for inclined ladders.� The Very Fire kit's openings are too far forward.
- Open venturi (wind deflector) with the correct number of baffles.� The Very Fire kit's venturi is solid with too many baffles.
- Other features included in this model but omitted�from the Very Fire kits:
1. Integrated peloruses on the navigation bridge and flag bridge, two on each deck, of the correct configuration.
2. Accurately configured doors and portholes�on the aft side of the deckhouses.
3. Doors of two different configurations, rapid-opening on deck house sides, and fully dogged on the aft end of the deckhouses.� The Very Fire kit's doors are of an inaccurate�configuration for Salem.
4. Accurate absence of rigols ("eyebrows") above portholes.� The real ship�did not have them on the bridge bulkheads.� The Very Fire kits bridge parts inaccurately include them.
5. Starboard side, aft, bridge urinal station with door.
6. Splinter shielding interior reinforcing ribs.
7. Port and starboard sidelights with reflecting plates.
8. Starboard side square antenna trunk with insulator on top.
9. Outriggers for mast stays.

Post by **ModelMonkey** » Fri Oct 16, 2020 8:26 am

Changed the orientation of one of the USS Salem CA-139 bridge parts for improved print quality.

New models include a pair of F9F-2/3 Panther wingtip fuel tanks in 1/32 scale. F9F-2/3 Panther wingtip fuel tanks are also available in 1/48 scale intended to replace the popular Trumpeter kit's noticeably undersized tanks.

New nameplates include:
- all FREMM frigates in French service
- the first four FREMM frigates in Italian service
-USS Constellation FFG-62, the US Navy's new fast frigate based on the FREMM design to be built by Fincantieri Marinette Marine