Hi there Sean and all,
Thanks very much for these very interesting links.
Goodwood wrote:I've come across an interesting quartet of photo videos cataloguing a build of this same kit as USS Heermann. (...) Dunno how much of this you can use, Willie, since you're so far along, but I'm certain others watching this great build would welcome some additional perspective on the kit.
As you say at this advanced stage of my construction and because this modeler is building a WWII Fletcher, most of the footage is of little help, but not of little interest. Some details --how to finish the decks, for example, or much small stuff-- are certainly of interest. Other than this, I think that this modeler is building OOB with lots of PE and some scratch built details added, and his movies show clearly the immense potential that this kit has. To see it finished is really a candy for the eye.
While reviewing some pics looking for details for the A-frames for the props, I realized that if most of the refitted Fletchers were given a modified rudder, and if USS McGowan was transferred to the Spanish Navy in 1960 after her own refit, the rudder should have been modified as well. The original WWII rudder was this, USS Wren in 1952 :
And this other picture shows same
USS Wren in 1957, after her refit:
The previous picture shows that apparently the original rudder was not replaced, but simply extended fore and aft with additional plates to make the
control surface bigger and improve maneuverability.
I was lucky enough to find two excellent pictures of
Jorge Juan or perhaps her sister ship
Alcal� Galiano at one of her overhauls at Cartagena shipyard, both them extremely useful. This is the first one:
The picture is not very clear, but it shows that the rudder had been modified in the same or in a very similar way, but also that, unlike
USS Wren, the Spanish units had retained the three-bladed screws.
As I have no detailed idea of how
Jorge Juan�s rudder was modified, I decided to follow the pattern of
USS Wren, but inverting the elements, i.e., extending the horizontal part, and shortening the vertical strip. As I say, there is no evidence that I know of on how her rudder was modified, the difference is minimal, and it will give the larger strip additional support in case of accidents while building and painting. I have already broken the bow peak, and I don�t want to break my rudder if I can avoid it.
To extend the rudder was an exercise of patience, but very easy, to get the thickness of the original rudder�s, using only sandpaper:
The only tricky thing was to achieve the hydrodynamic profile, using again fine grain sandpaper. I think that more or less I have got it.
The rest of the job was simply adding a triangular structure fore, made with very thin yogurt container styrene, some stretched sprue to simulate the weldings (and cover small mistakes at the same time), and replacing the elements that I had to delete for my own rudder refit.
Once set in place the effect is quite realistic:
As the rudder is only dry-fitted the weight of the thing makes it to fall slightly backwards, but it sits well in place, and will be perfect when glued in the definitive position.
The only drawback is that the plastic I used for the triangle is so thin that the Tamiya liquid poly has melted it from the inside, and will need some additional putty and sandpaper. Ok, you cannot have everything together at the same time.
I hope you like it, and warmest regards fro m the North Atlantic,
Willie.[/size]
