Calling all Oliver Hazard Perry-class FFG fans

[Sutho]

Perth or anyone,

Does anyone know if the RAN has already decided on the new grey that Perth mentioned below?

Almost given on trying to find storm grey here in Canada...which is why I'm considering just using a haze grey for my 1/700 Fujimi Perry class kit. (original kit options: 1/700 USS De Wert/SPS Santa Maria of the Spanish Navy)

If worse comes to worse, I might either build it in a USN or Taiwanese/ROCN guise.

Navy is going to change from storm grey to a colour similar to USN Haze grey but the actual colour is yet to be decided and no Australian ships have been repainted. Sydney FFG 03 will be decommissioned soon so you'll be safe painting your model in storm grey. Hope that helps.

Try converting the colours from Australian Standard to your own chart standards and get a hardware store to make up the paints.

That is what I did to paint my RAN ships. I just went to the local hardware store and I think it was a 1L tin I had to buy of each. At least it will never run out.

For the decks we use N63 Pewter - http://www.e-paint.co.uk/Colour_alterna ... ion=Pewter

The hull is storm grey - http://www.e-paint.co.uk/Lab_values.asp ... orm%20grey

http://www.e-paint.co.uk/Colour_alternatives.asp

The numbers on that website should at least help getting a hardware store to mix the paints up.

[Willie]

Hi all once again.

After this horrible, eternal winter that I would like to forget and I am not able to, I have had some time to devote to this construction, so I am now in the runway to say so.

The following step was to set in place all the handrails in both decks. The ones in the upper deck are made in steel tube, while the ones on the main deck are made in wire, so I had to make some --well, many-- tests stretching sprue to have threads in different calibers. I more or less got them, although at a short distance the difference is hard to appreciate.
I have also set in place the decks for the SAT aerials, with the supports and all the trimmings, and most of the elements in both decks are already glued in place as well.

It is now like this :

The flight deck is virtually finished as well, and the nets are to some extent translucent, what allows to see the details on deck through them. I didn�t expect so much, honestly. It is like this :

And finally, the whole ship looks like this at the moment :

And that�s all for today. I hope you like it, and warmest regards to you all,

Willie.[/size]

[Pawly]

The RAN will be changing colours to USN Haze Grey during the new mods on the ANZAC class ships. The first being either HMAS Warramunga or HMAS Ballarat. I am not sure if the FFG's will be getting the same colour change.

[Peter H]

Hi Guys

I have had the 1/350 USS Reuben James sitting for a while and finally ordered the Pontos "Advanced" upgrade set with the 25mm chain gun replacing the MK13 launcher.

My question is, as I believe all ships in class have the OTO 76mm as the main gun "would" or "could" that unit be replaced by the MK-45 5" 62CAL unit?

Thanks in advance.

Peter Hoskins
Sydney, AU

[el Cid]

Hi Guys

I have had the 1/350 USS Reuben James sitting for a while and finally ordered the Pontos "Advanced" upgrade set with the 25mm chain gun replacing the MK13 launcher.

My question is, as I believe all ships in class have the OTO 76mm as the main gun "would" or "could" that unit be replaced by the MK-45 5" 62CAL unit?

Thanks in advance.

Peter Hoskins
Sydney, AU

No way. Too much weight too high above the waterline (or CoG or whatever). I also don't believe the lightly constructed superstructure would long endure the recoil of the larger gun. Maybe in place of the Mk 13 launcher??

Cheers,

Keith

[Peter H]

Hi Keith

Thanks for the reply, I was afraid it would be too much to ask of an older hull. So my kit will be standard with the Pontos extras and the 25mm chain gun forward.

Best regards

Peter H
Sydney, AU

[el Cid]

FYI for anyone interested in portraying the underwater thru-hulls, sea chests, etc on their FFG model, the docking plans are availible in PDF at:

http://www.drydocktraining.com/drawings.html

Enjoy!

Keith

[Rob Jansen]

First item; awesome job Willie!

The 1/350 Academy Perry has what appear to be two reinforcement straps on each side of the hull about midships. I've noticed on all the pictures in navsource they appear to be a later (post 90' or so) addition and some ships only got one.

A I correct in thinking if I'm building a mid 80's Sides (FFG-14) that these should be removed?

Thank you!

[el Cid]

First item; awesome job Willie!

The 1/350 Academy Perry has what appear to be two reinforcement straps on each side of the hull about midships. I've noticed on all the pictures in navsource they appear to be a later (post 90' or so) addition and some ships only got one.

A I correct in thinking if I'm building a mid 80's Sides (FFG-14) that these should be removed?

Thank you!

You're probably correct. The hull doublers were added to remedy a design shortfall (missing expansion joint) that resulted in structural cracks amidships. I'm not sure exactly when they started showing up. I was in USS McInerney (FFG-8) in the mid '80s and we suffered the structural cracks in two separate heavy weather events. I don't recall the doubler plates being installed nor can I find photographic evidence of their existence during this period.

I'm currently building McInerney circa 1985 (w/ Pontos set), below are a few Academy errors (general and period/ship specific) I'm in the process of addressing:

Removed hull doublers
Removed TACTAS fairlead
Added missing bridge windows, port and strbd
relocated bridge fan room access door (port side next to FAS station)
Added CIC escape scuttle (02 level, forward of strbd SatNav antenna)
Corrected stanchion location under strbd SLQ-32 antenna
Added bridge pyro locker and weather instrument box (stbd side, forward of CAS equipment room door)
Corrected bridge wing configuration (life rafts and platforms for signal lights and CO's chair...check your photos)
Added port and stbd nav lights
Removed SRBOC sponsons
Corrected configuration of stbd high line station and ladder (may have varied by ship, check your photographs)
Opened superstructure vents and added PE wire mesh (many vents on main deck have spray shields installed, several should not...check your photographs)
Added missing watertight door (port side main deck, behind breakwater)
Removed hooded vent port side main deck
Added portholes for CO and XO staterooms; corrected launcher control window
Added missing boat boom (aft of breakwater, usually port side)

Probably more, but these things come to mind. All in all the kit is good, just need to check references for specific ship or period differences.

HTH,

Keith

[Rob Jansen]

Thank you very much Keith!

You've supplied a lot of valuable information; I will definitely comb through it all.

The Academy kit is a very good kit, my only real complaint was how they did the railings, way too thick and out of scale and their holes require lots of "plugging". aside from that it is a great build w/ really good fit.

I was on the USS Enterprise in the early to mid 80's I've had the Tamiya kit for thirty-years now...about 1/2 way through the island...someday...

I have no connection w/ FFG's or the Sides other than I visited it one 4th of July w/ my two sons in Anacortes Washington... almost twenty years ago...

Thanks again!

[Philip LaVoie]

I am planning to build a late configuration 1/350 Oliver Hazard Perry class frigate as the USS Elrod FFG-55. I will be using the Pontos advanced aftermarket set and it should build up into a nice looking ship.

I read over the form and hopefully this wasn't asked earlier. My question on researching these ships is that several appear not to have anchors, but rather empty wells on the right, err, starboard side. The anchor chain seems to also be removed on the deck. Is this correct, or are the anchors lifted inside the hull so it looks like they are missing? Thanks!

[el Cid]

Yeah, David is correct. On Perrys the anchor is pretty much hidden when stowed. However you should still see the anchor chain (and other ground tackle eg. stoppers and pelican hooks) on deck. Perhaps you have photos of a ship during a yard period when the anchor and chain have been removed for inspection and maintenance?

HTH,

Keith

[Philip LaVoie]

Thanks for the reply, I didn�t know those anchors could go all the way into the well. I guess I am too used to WWII ships!

As for the chain question, on further looking at my reference pic the chain may be hidden by the forecastle, so I�ll make sure to put one on.

[Rob Jansen]

Hi another question: FFG-14 had a towed array in 1992, I'm sure of that...about what year did these start getting added to the class?

The reason I ask is I spent the weekend reworking a perfectly good hull to remove the reinforcing straps and adding new "bubble makers" and such to backdate to the mid 80's ...I'd hate to add this item if the period was wrong...

Thanks!

[el Cid]

Hi another question: FFG-14 had a towed array in 1992, I'm sure of that...about what year did these start getting added to the class?

The reason I ask is I spent the weekend reworking a perfectly good hull to remove the reinforcing straps and adding new "bubble makers" and such to backdate to the mid 80's ...I'd hate to add this item if the period was wrong...

Thanks!

The TACTAS was installed in McInerney during an overhaul in Boston '86-'87 and I believe she was one of the very first.

Cheers,

[Philip LaVoie]

I came across this schematic while researching FFGs and thought it might be helpful for detailing purposes. It is for an early USS Ingraham FFG-61 with the Mk 13, but it shows the running lights and other little details. Forgive me if it already has been posted.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File: ... ematic.jpg

[Rob Jansen]

Thanks again Keith!

I'll leave it off then.

Thank you Philip good stuff in that drawing.

And thanks to all for some really great posts. Willie... wow... yeah no pressure there...LOL, and Sean how is yours going?

-Rob

[Willie]

Hi all once more:

Well, the last thing to do is the final fixing, and a couple of minor details.
The halyards are made of stretched sprue, glued at the top and loose at the bottom, what makes the process way easier, and makes no difference reg. realism.

The main mast has twelve wire aerials, six on each side, in groups of three, fixed at the top with short Evergreen strips, and at the bottom using a kind of Evergreen sandwiches --the same way as in the original FFG�s-- that are necessarily much bigger than the original elements, but it is something we have to accept.This :

Once in position, the effect is very realistic and convincing:

Maybe the halyards are a bit thicker than necessary, but I was not able to make them thinner so that the liquid poly does not melt them. In the pics they look also much thicker than they actually are because they are not painted in order to make somehow translucent.

The halyards in the upper mizzen do interfere with the elements present there and do not fall straight, which is exactly what happens with the 1/1 Santa Mar�a. This not only adds another element of realism I didn�t count with, but is also a further evidence that the measures of the mast are correct. Wonderful.

The flight control station in the flight deck is made with a piece of evergreen, and the windows profiles again with stretched sprue :

As you can see, the macro has no mercy on mistakes, but at half a foot distance these mistakes disappear, and the effect is excellent.

And at last a touch of color, the crest of the 41st Squadron and the specific crest of Santa Mar�a. I would tell you a lie if I said that I got them at the first attempt, so I will not say so... :biggrin: But at last I got them. Not as well as I would have wished, but I can live with it.

And that�s all. I will try to upload some pics of the finished ship tomorrow, if possible.

Brgds,

Willie.[/size]

[veliko_pile]

New masking product, ready for airbrush spraying. Oliver Hazard Perry FFG, long hull version to come.

[admiralbb62]

Those masks look great. Will they be available in 1/96 and 1/72 scale?