Calling all Wickes-class & Clemson-class "Four-Piper" fans

[Tracy White]

The Mirage kit is certainly newer. I built a Revell Ward for Dick Thill about 4-5 years ago... the kits 40-50 years old and needs a lot of work of you want anything more than just a basic representation. The Mirage kit goes together well but just seemed a bit small to me, admittedly I'm primarily a 350th guy.

[les]

The Revell model will take a quite a lot of work, but can be salvaged. Unless you want to do a smaller model, it's about the only game in town.

[Rick E Davis]

The one advantage to the Revell kit is that there is or was anyway, a lot of after market items available. It is a nice sized kit at the now oddball 1/240 scale for display purposes, to be honest I have the 1/600 scale Airfix kit and it looks so SMALL, I would hate to think what a 1/700 scale kit would look like. I have never seen the Mirage kit in person.

How far you wish to go in upgrading the Revell kit is up to you. The biggest headache to the kit is that they molded in a wood deck ... that no USN has ever had. Removing the wood deck raised lines means extra work.

[Seeling]

Hi again-
Thanks for the comments. Since there does not appear to be stores that have ship models down here in KY, I may have to check out what I can find from internet sources. I miss my favorite Richfield MN hobbly store!! I saw that GMM has photo etch I think for both models so I would be ok there either way. Good advice about the sizes too. I don't think my eyes could handle anything smaller than 1/350th so it may have to be the Revell.
Thanks again-
J Seeling

[Tracy White]

With the Revell kit, the deck comes as wood planked (incorrect) with a large rim around the deck edge... if memory serves .040" plastic sheet covered the deck perfectly (once all the details were cut/sanded off). I had to rebuild/add to the gallery section of the superstructure to fix some weaknesses; it was sort of a hybrid 1920s/1940s era fit.

[sammuel]

I just satarted work on my Revell 1/240 HMS Campbeltown. I have the PE fret from GMM. I have the hull together and had to work on the seam line. I just started sanding the planked deck. I will have to remove some deck items to get the sanding just right. Does anyone have any line drawings they would willing to share of the deck layout? I spent plenty on after market items.

I just need a basic layout of the deck so I could replace Items that have been sanded away. I'm keeping track of locations of items. I would like to build her as an escort. Any help would be great.

Respectfully

Sam

[Willie]

Howdy Sam and all,

I built this very kit in this HMS Campbeltown version three years ago. You are very right, this kit is simply lousy, but with some patience and work it can come our very nicely at the end.
Sorry to say that IMHO the PE�s won�t do much difference unless you replace many of the plastic items as well, eg. all the artillery.

I started my construction in this page :

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=7599&start=20

...right to this other page, displaying the model already finished :

viewtopic.php?f=49&t=7599&start=140

I was following the AOTS series HMS Campbeltown, by Al Ross -- really a must -- along with some (many) other pics I got in the Internet and/or supplied by friend modellers. I can say that this is a 90% accurate model of HMS Campeltown in september 1941, after her second refit at Devonport.

Feel free to ask me for whatever you may need. It will be a pleasure to help another friend modeller.

Very best regards from Spain,

Willie.

[sammuel]

Willie;

Thank you so much for your words of advice. I have reviewed your build and photos about 100 times. I have the GMM PE set and I agree with you that plenty of modifications will have to be made. I'm downloading as many photos as I could find and due to other projects that I spent plenty of money on that need to be built down the road, I don't have it in my budget to buy the Campbeltown book.

I'm just seeking a set of deck line drawings of the deck, that explain what items are. I'm in the sanding stage right now and have the hull together. This will be a good kit to work on my scrtach building skills. Like yours, I plan on making her an escort ship.

Any help would be great.

Cheers

Sam

[Tracy White]

Al Ross already gave you a copy of his deck plans; is there something more specific you're after?

[sammuel]

Al

That is what I was looking for. Thank you. I tried printing them up but they came out to small and the deck items that are listed could not be read. They are cut off. Any way you could send them as a PDF file?

Al your background and skill in prints are great. I really want to pick your brain.

Very Respectfully

Sam

[Fletcher]

Has anyone ever found details, or photos of the deck itself? I'm looking for deck plating information for my group build.

Thanks Guys

[Tracy White]

USS Ward's forward deck:
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/imag ... 255440.jpg

[DanCinSD]

Now this is the ship I will try and do with my revell kit.....
USS Hovey and Long were armed with twin 4"/50cal mounts!



Photo's from Navsource...

[Fletcher]

That ship is very neat and I like the twin mounts. I plan on building the Reuben James, as he appeared in 1939 because I like having the tall rear mast and all of the rigging. (Probably won't like it after I have started it.... )

I have removed all of the bits except the two major parts of the superstructure, the torpedo mounts and the engine hatches. I plan on covering the deck with thin styrene sheet, in a pattern that represents the sheeting on the real ships deck. That's just for start, I am going to extensively rework this kit. I love the 4-pipers!!!

Chris

[Russ2146]

There's an opportunity to add rivet detail with http://www.archertransfers.com/SurfaceDetailsMain.html

Just a thought.

Someday I would like to do the USS Moody DD 277, which was sunk/scuttled for the making of the 1933 MGM production of "Hell Below" starring Jimmy Durante and Robert Montgomery. MGM purchased the USS Moody, a World War I-era destroyer destined for scrapping due to the London Naval Treaty limits on navy strength, for US$35,000. The firm of Merritt-Chapman & Scott was hired to sink the ship to simulate the torpedoing of a German destroyer.

[sammuel]

I have learned so much from reading this forum on the Four Pipers. I'm working on the deck of my Revell kit right now. I decided to make a new deck out of plastic card. Way to much sanding of the old deck. I will cut out key parts from the old deck and just mount them on the new deck. Does anyone have any detail info on location of deck hatches for the Wickes, Clemson class ?
I made a photo copy of the deck that came with the kit, so I can get the placement of parts in the correct area. I'm have plenty of photos show location of items and some hatch photo's. Just want to pick the groups brains a bit about hatch locations.

Cheers,

Sam M

[JCRAY]

I find Warship Perspectives "Flush Deck Destroyers in WWII" by Glenn Arnold to be very helpful with plans & photos. hth

[Fletcher]

Looking at my AOTS book, I noticed on the drawings that there are 3 eliptical features in the hull below the water line, about 2/3 the way back on the ship. I assume these are intakes of some kind. Does anyone have information on what these look like, and what size they may be? Are they on both sides of the ship in the same location? They would be neat features to add to my model, but I have never seen any photos, or found any information on them.

Thanks,
Chris

[Tracy White]

I came across some photos and sent them in to Navsource, check the bottom of their DD-207 / DMS-10 Southard page.

[sammuel]

I broke down today and put my order in with Amazon for AOTS HMS Campbeltown. I found a good used copy for $18. Should be in my hands in a couple of days. I still have plenty of prep work today while waiting on the book and then the real scratch building fun will start. I cut out a new deck and will cut off the old deck all parts that can be saved.

Thanks
Sam