Calling all Arleigh Burke-class (DDG-51) fans

[Robin]

Tracy,

Were you able to watch that DVD I suggusted to you?

[Tracy White]

Finished it last night in fact. I have two screen shots, one of which I was going to post here for review... haven't had a chance to yet.

Good and informative show.

[sundownernz]

Hi all,

Hoping someone can help me out with a source for 1:72 scale plans. I'm looking at building a scratch built RC model of an Arleigh Burke destroyer and need a set of plans in 1:72. I was searching the net a few weeks ago and I'm sure I came across a company that had them in 1:72 but can't find the site again.

If anyone could steer me in the right direction for purchasing a set of 1:72 plans for Arleigh Burke I would be most gratefull.

Many thanks,
Garry.

[Tim Barron]

Here's one shot.

[Tim Barron]

Another.

[GTDEATH13]

I recently purchased Dragon's 1/350 USS Preble kit. Does the hanger need lengthening afterwards like the 1/700 kits?

I think that the heli deck is too long. But have not checked it thoroughly... Thanks...

[GTDEATH13]

Well, I found out that the hanger is 16mm shorter than it should be, by my calculations...

Would anyone be interested in the differences between the Dragon USS Preble kit and the flight IIA Arkeigh Burke ships?

I decided to build the kit out of the box without any alterations and get myself an additional kit to correct...

Overall the dragon kit is good, with nice fitm except perhaps the mast and the way it is attached to the superstructure. There are some inaccuracies but no bigt deal...

[Timmy C]

The propellers are also very wrong, if you're building her full hull.

[GTDEATH13]

The props are a dissapointment...

I just finished the forward superstructure except painting, and all I can say is that the provided pe set does not provide enough rails and they are not the correct ones as well... Thank god for the spares box...

It is very impressive though... More of a cruiser rather than a destroyer... Funny they called it that...

Also in the kit are not provided the 25mm mounts and the machine guns...

[Tim Barron]

As of DDG 101, CIWS is back

Reference:
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=75942
http://navysite.de/dd/ddg101.htm

Look aft behind second stack, or whatever it's called.

It's not there on DDG 100
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=65963

[Timmy C]

Hmm, I was looking at pictures of Chung-Hoon (93) - it seems she was refitted with CIWS some time between Sept. 2007 and July 2008.

Sept 2007: http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/05019320.jpg
July 2008: http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/05016030.jpg

Perhaps they ran out of CIWSs during the new Burkes' constructions? Haha.

But I guess it might be to do with the recent piracy concerns.

[Tim Barron]

Good catch. I never thought of looking at previous ships too. So it must be a "retro fit" when any of them go back into the yards. But they are only adding aft? I guess forward is still ESSM via the VLS.

[RhombusJr]

As of DDG 101, CIWS is back

Reference:
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=75942
http://navysite.de/dd/ddg101.htm

Look aft behind second stack, or whatever it's called.

It's not there on DDG 100
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=65963

Interesting, but looking at pictures from navsource, it there doesn't appear a CIWS on 102 and after.

[Tim Barron]

You can see the top of it in this DDG 102 photo:
http://www.navy.mil/view_single.asp?id=74826

And clearly in this one:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/specmode/3940132927/

The other thing I've noticed is that they aren't white anymore. Unless there is color illusion, they appear to be gray in any other photos too.

[GTDEATH13]

All phalanx ciws are painted grey. And you will also notice that they have an extra antenna/tracker on one side...

This is DDG 84 Mediterranean Sea, March 24 2008, after installation of ciws both for and aft and a refit at the antenna configuration atop the bridge in 2007

[Russ2146]

DDG 95, James E Williams moored to breakwater pier at Rhodes, Greece in 2006. I've sent the over 1 meg original to Navsource.

Russ Moody

[Timmy C]

I just realized - did they remove the Harpoons from the FIIa ships? Or are they located somewhere else now?

[Cliffy B]

i think they are in the vls as don't see them on any of the ships but shows armed with 8 harpoons according to navsource.

Harpoons are NOT VLS capable, at least the current models anyway. Some of the Burkes in the middle didn't get Harpoon or CIWS and not all were backfitted. You'll have to check ship specific photos and date stamps to be 100% sure.

[navydavesof]

i think they are in the vls as don't see them on any of the ships but shows armed with 8 harpoons according to navsource.

Harpoons are NOT VLS capable, at least the current models anyway. Some of the Burkes in the middle didn't get Harpoon or CIWS and not all were backfitted. You'll have to check ship specific photos and date stamps to be 100% sure.

Who wants to know the dirty secret why not all the Burkes have CIWS of some sort?

Blue Pill - Well, you'll just never know.


Red Pill - The Navy was hedging so many of its bets that ESSM was going to, in one swoop, make Phalanx and RAM obsolete, so the Navy quit ordering Phalanx units, and the assembly line was shut down. The line was re-tooled for other stuff, and only support parts were being manufactured.

ESSM failed over and over and over again for so long that 7, if I remember correctly maybe more, DDGs were completed without CIWS. When the Navy had enough of the promises, they paid to have the Phalanx assembly line started back up, and Phalanx units started rolling out again, now all Block 1B models. The Navy understood ESSM would work, just not right now, and our ships needed CIWS to defend themselves in the mean-time. New DDGs came out with either RAM or Phalanx fitted. The desire...get this: "when funds come available"... to have Phalanx foward and RAM aft. They just won't buy them both at once.

This is coming from BAE/Raytheon Systems.

Harpoons: The Flight IIA ships have adaptors and rails set up for Mk141 launchers to be installed between the aft VLS pad and the aft illuminators to fire criss-cross across the back of the ship while keeping clear of a phalanx or RAM mount if either installed. One must keep in mind also, Harpoon is a plug-and-play weapon, too. Anywhere you can fit them, you can stick them.

[Bigdaddy Mark]

Is there a good PE kit that will work with the Trumpeter 1/350 USS Momsen?