Calling all ocean liner SS Normandie fans

[callen]

Chime in if you'd like to see a kit of the famous liner. Let me hear what scale you'd prefer as well. If enough people sign up for this we can let the model companies know and maybe they'll ablige us!
Let's make it happen!

[PreDreadNut]

A person I know is buiding a 1/160th scale rc Normadie and its looking goooood!! He told me it will be ready for next years St Louis Admirals RC Boat Club Regatta in Sept. If anyone would like to see some build pictures of her, go to RC Groups and search Normandie in the Scale Ship forum. I'll post some pictures later.

[Pieter]

I'm a long time fan planning to scratchbuild or semi-scratchbuild (re-sized JSC paper kit) Normandie in 1/700. Will start to do so once I have collected enough information and I have figured out how to paint long strokes of windows over a white surface convincingly. I think she was the most beautiful of the classic superliners of the 1930's .

[cerberusjf]

A 1/350 scale would be fantastic!! 1/700 is a bit small for me, but owuld do at a push... Why hasn't any of the bog companies made a kit of this? there was a lovely 1/600 a while ago but sadly oop now

[Laurent]

Hi all ,

I love "Normandie" , but as I always work at scale 1/100 , she would be too big for my workspace

And there is no way I would change of scale

I have the 1/100 plan on my shelf , though ...

I still have a 1/100 "Lusitania" hull at home I've built years ago , I still don't know to handle that one ...

Regards ,

Laurent

[JIM BAUMANN]

cerebrusjf wrote

...>>>there was a lovely 1/600 a while ago but sadly oop now ...<<<


Ha!--it was not that lovely....

made by Ocean Liner Models( OLM) by Tim Nicolai

It was dimensionally pretty good--albeit the surface detailing was simplified--and my kits the casting quality was pretty tragic.

here is a link to a well built version of that kit- by Don Stoltenberg
http://russellwild.co.uk/settingsail/in ... &Itemid=39

I have plans.... Paper-as well as virtual.

The plot I hatched.... is to make ( actually I will have these made by a well known PE designer!!) photoetched relief etched brass window overlays (solving Pieters problem) and glue these onto the dimensionally prepared ( recessess the resin to take the brass panels) existing OLM model hull that I have ( 1/600) along with carious refinements-such as deck planking detail( absent totally in the kit) along with windows etc etc

The problem that immediately arises is the differential expansion/contraction of brass and resin-the window overlays would buckle and probably fall off....

ergo...

....the clever bit

I will use the suitably modified hull to make silicon moulds and cast the modified hull(s) in resin-thereby ensuring everything moves at the same rate!

Obviously there is a considerable cost as well as time element involved with this project.... which partially explains why I have done it yet!

I understand that Jaques Druel from L'Arsenal has seriously considered the possibility of producing a kit of her--being French -and with his track record of producing fine quality model kits as well as fine quality Photo-etch material he would be eminently well qualified to do so...

Perhaps a set of firm pre-orders-with a Paypal deposit--would accelerate the process somewhat.... once the scale hurdle has been overcome...

Normandie was a large ship over 1000 ft loa--In 1/350 a resin kit of that ship could be VERY expensive--

in 1/350 she would be 900mm loa--thats around 35.5 inches....!



There was a discussion going on over at Steel Navy--the problem being that no-one could agree as to what scale the proposed should be....

http://members.boardhost.com/Warship/ms ... 99535.html

I quote Bill Gruener from Pacific Front Hobbies...

>> We probably get more requests for Normandie than all other liners combined.
Bill Gruner<<

I personally would favour a smaller scale-- as 1/350 ready built models--to a pretty high standard are available at $ 2850.00--actually very good value for a model of that size and quality.-For UK buyers in sterling remarkably good value right now.... produced in batches...


see here:

http://www.maritimereplicas.com/normandie.htm

http://www.bertilewis.com/normandie.htm

A very fine scratchbuilt 1/600 Normanie diorama( on L'Arsenals site)

http://www.larsenal.com/GB/galeries/gal ... en_Watelet

If you like your models REALLY large

http://www.encyclopedia-titanica.org/di ... 93938.html

here is a building record of a very fine 1/192 model of Normandie--all in brass

http://www.hot.ee/revall11/


AVOID THIS at all costs....

http://www.handcraftedmodelships.com/No ... l-ship.php

and RUN like hell from this
http://www.rjmodelships.com/store/produ ... ctid=16144

Useful and interesting candid detail images here:( when we eventually get to building the model...!)

http://www.garemaritime.com/gallery.php?s=10

Right--lets settle on a scale then...!

Jim Baumann

[Pieter]

Though I am usually a real 'only true scale' fan (1/700), I would also buy a good 1/600 kit if it has decent deck detail (which the OLM kit didn't have).

[patiens]

Not to get too many fans drooling, but I responded to a posting on the other site where folks clamored for a Normandie model. Said how the loss of The Debris Field was a sad day for us all. Then described my own 1935 wooden Normandie kit in 1/385, which now sits finished in a case in my living room. Got contacted by one of the better resin firm owners who said he'd be interested in doing a kit. So I sent him off two sets of plans. May the Kit Gods smile on us now.

[LeeAnneWard]

'Glad to see some activity here! And thanks for the potential good news!

I'm playing around with a scaled scan of the JSC model, going from 1/400 to 1/600. Unfortunately, the parts get smaller with each passing year! (I know it couldn't be my eyesight...)

Yes, I'd definitely be interested in a Normandie kit!

Lee Anne

[commodore4]

I have wondered for more years than I care to count why none has ever been done.I think to ignore what was once said to be the most beautiful steel ship to part a wave is sad.The NORMANDIE in paper even, is gorgeous. I would be thrilled to see her in 1/350,1/400 and even 1/700 although I prefer the larger scale of 1/350.There is a second ship from that great nation that has never been modeled either! How about we ask for two, the NORMANDIE and the ISLE DE FRANCE??? The second helped in the ANDREA DORIA situation! As great liners go you can find a lot of them in papermodel form, but,I would like to see the NORMANDIE first,in plastic then we could go from there. I hope this helps commodore4 P.S. although I am very fenced by budgetary restraints I could go $150.00 for one in resin.

[MarkieSparkie]

I would definately be interested in a SS Normandie kit. I wouldn't much care for what material it was but I'd want it to be in the rather odd scale of 1:230 purely due to the fact that I like building my Ocean liners in this scale. I could, however, stand for it to be in a smaller scale such as 1:350 or 1:300.

Kudos to everyone who wants a Normandie kit, that would be amazing!

[Sr. Gopher]

Does anyone know of the plans to turn the Normandie into a carrier?

[Joachim]

Hello!

I�d like to add a nice site�s adress, hope I didn�t miss it in the posts above:

http://www.mitidelmare.it/Paquebot_Normandie.html

If I only had the space....

Best regards from tropical Dortmund!

Joachim

[Knight4hire]

I have been looking for the tech drawing of her.
I was thinking of building the USS lafayette version of her in 144 scale.
Yes she would be RC, and yes she would be armed with CO2 Cannons.

[marco]

hallo i`m marco from hamburg germany, frend in italy as built a RC ship model to 1:100 (3,13 m ), of the ship.....

http://www.mitidelmare.it/Modello_del_Normandie.html

[commodore4]

JOACHIM: I do so much appreciate the photos of the model on the site you refered to.The problem is,I speak fair AUSTRO-GERMAN,SICILIAN ITALIAN but mainly AMERICAN ENGLISH.I got lost in the language,but GOSH thank you for what you did.I guess I,ll have to do her in 1/200 and run R.C as well as lighting on her.Thanks again.That was a beautiful model wasn,t it?? Commodore 4

[Joachim]

Hello Commodore!

The pictures really are inspiring Maybe one should build a 1/200 Normandie and as next a 1/200 France model: Mother and daughter or best "what-if" running mates...
By the way: Does anybody know the 1/200 SS France model kit by New Maquettes from France?

Best regards from Renown shipyard

Joachim

[commodore4]

I know I,ve already posted a reply.I did want to add this though.I acquired two of the S.S. UNITED STATES models(REVELL) and they were both built.I have started ,using photos I have to convert one to the NORMANDIE. She won,t be perfectly accurate ,But she will look nice next to my other liners.I guess I could do like I did when I converted the LINDBERG "BLUE DEVIL" to a FRAM GEARING. I could cut it in half lengthwise and add the required difference in EVERGREEN.The NORMANDIE was 8 1/2 feet wider than the UNITED STATES and her sister. That,s all I,ve got, as I get it done I,ll try to send some pictures up here. thanks commodore 4

[Russ2146]

That is the Normandie after it had capsized due to water from fighting a fire that broke out while she was being refit for use as a troop transport (USS Lafayette) in February 1942. Supposedly, a welder wasn't paying attention to the wood on the other side of a bulhead and a fire broke out which ran through the entire ship. (Though there was suspicion of sabotage) Everthing above the main deck had to be cut away in order to roll her back. 3 November 1943 tugboats move her salvaged hull from Pier 88 toward the Navy drydock at Brooklyn Navy Yard, for planned conversion into a high-speed troop transport. Navy inspectors soon discovered that while the liner's basic hull structure was in remarkably good shape, nearly everything else was beyond economical repair. She was ultimately struck from the Navy list and scrapped.

By 10 August 1943 Lafayette (AP-53) had reached an angle of 30 degrees. The ship partially visible at lower left is Cunard's RMS Queen Elizabeth, which is bristling with weaponry Lafayette would have carried had she made it into military service.

[BFR4570]

Outstanding pics Russ! Especially the ones in color!