Roger Pellett

VERY NICE!! She looks just like the real thing. When I first saw your photo I said to myself, “That’s not a Greek Navy minesweeper, That’s a US Navy MSC.” Then I read your post and saw that it was indeed a USN MSC that had been transferred to the Greek Navy. I spent an 8 week midshipman summer cruise in 1964 aboard two minesweepers, USS Widgeon MSC 208 and USS Loyalty both operating in the coastal waters of Japan. Your model brought back fond memories. Roger

Prior to World War 1 most internal combustion engines were massive things turning at relatively slow RPM. World War 1, particularly the aircraft industry, really spurred the development of powerful compact I/C engines. Since power is a function of torque x RPM, these new engines turned at high speeds. While this worked fine with propellers turning in air the marine propellers of the time performed poorly. The problem was cavitation, the vaporizing of water around the propeller. The big problem confronting marine engineers wishing to use these new engines was therefore developing a transmission system to connect the high speed power source to the slow speed propeller. The obvious solution was a gear drive that would also have the advantage of providing a means for easily reversing. Gears were, however, expensive and at least in the US organizations able to make them were limited. As metallurgy improved and automobile industry grew compact marine gear drives were developed. Between the wars, naval architects and boatbuilders developed improved hull forms to reduce the cavitation problem. As a result, in the US by the late 1930’s boats with improved hull forms, propelled by light weight high RPM automotive type engines connected to propellers by efficient, compact geared transmissions were available to support the war effort. Charles Davis was a conventionally trained naval architect with experience working on the mass production of large vessels during WW I. My guess is that this was a brainstorm of his, typical of the ideas that are thrown out but do not stick for any new technology. None of this is meant to imply that you shouldn’t build this model. Practical or not it is an example of an idea that was seriously proposed at a particular time. Roger

Very nice! With your overhead view the actual proportions of this craft are astonishing. In any sort of sea state it must have pitched and rolled like crazy, making any sort of accurate gunnery impossible. I would not visualize the shallow waters off the North German Coast as being placid. Roger

Joe, Nice work. Your Rust Oleum spray can really highlights the model’s impressive size.

My favorite wood filler is Durham’s Rock Hard Water Putty. I keep a large can in my shop and use it for all sorts of things. It comes as a powder. You mix it with water to your desired consistency. Exact mixing proportions don’t seem to matter. It is odorless and sands well. Being a powder, shelf life or hardening in the can is not a concern. It is readily available in home improvement and hardware stores. It is inexpensive. I have no connection to the company. Roger

Mike, Did these operate from the “Taffy” escort carriers during the Leyte Gulf Campaign? If so, maybe a different color scheme? Roger

Maybe the Cuirasier Officer was an Irish Expatriate serving in the French Army.

Very nice work, Denis! It would seem that Lt. Kempf certainly did not suffer from a lack of ego. When he shot someone down he wanted them to know who had done it. Roger

I am not a smoker and can’t imagine someone smoking while trying to build a rigged sailing ship model. Virtually everything burns, some of it quite quickly. Roger

Years ago, I bought Geoffrey Footner’s book Tidewater Triumph expecting an update on Howard Chapelle’s work on the topic, especially as it was published by Mystic Seaport. Although I still have the book in my collection, I was unimpressed by it. Footner seems more interested in semantics than substance, He criticizes Chapelle over and over again for calling these fast Schooners Baltimore Clippers, but then presents us with a drawing from the Venice Arsenal that he purports to be the US Navy Schooner Enterprise without evidence or explanation. The book left me with the impression of an author writing about a technical subject who did not understand the underlying technology. Roger

Bob, Thanks, It is a local legend here. Did he fly a P-38, or was it another plane. When the bridge is down it is only 20ft or so above the water. I have been over, and under it many times. Even a sailboat with a modest rig must call for a lift. Roger

It’s complicated. To use your example. Endeavor was a vessel built for the coastal coal trade. The Royal Navy bought her for Cook’s expedition. While colliers were known for their stout construction they were not built to the same standards as purpos built warships constructed in Royal Navy dockyards. likewise, construction standards varied by nationality. When the Royal Navy captured American vessels, they often described them as “lightly built.” When the Royal Navy tried to built ships to designs of captured American vessels they were often overbuilt. First decide what vessel you intend to model, then buy the references that best suit your project. Roger

Charles, The Duluth Aerial Bridge crosses the ship canal into the Duluth Harbor. It is what I would describe as a Guillotine type lift bridge. During Bong’s tour of the US he supposedly flew a plane under the bridge span. I don’t know if it was in the up or the down position. He he was killed shortly after the war flying as a test pilot. His widow, since remarried, was instrumental in getting the local P-38 restored and the veterans museum where it is displayed established. Roger

Hi Tom, I have been scratch building models since completing a Model Shipways Harriet Lane kit in the late 1960’s. While it is certainly not a museum quality model It still sits on top of my book case in a glass case and adds atmosphere to my library. My scratch built models are a different matter. In each case I have the satisfaction of knowing the research that went into the model as well as the decisions that I made when reaching the limits of known facts. I hope that you will enjoy this aspect of scratch building too. Also keep in mind that there is an enormous body of knowledge on this forum. When you have finalized your ideas about future projects, if you share your ideas, you will find people here to help you headin the right direction. Roger

I made this up from a pair of parallel jaw pliers for crimping metal bands around deadeyes but by moving the hole close to the end of the jaws this might work for you. Roger

I have a copper medallion sold by the Constellation restoration people back in the 60’s. It is supposedly cast from copper salvaged from the ship. Later, I began to buy and read Howard Chapelle’s books. In my opinion Chapelle makes an open and shut case, later confirmed by Dana Wagner in Fouled Anchors. The last book on the subject that I acquired is The Constellation Question that publishes differing opinions from Chapelle and Leon Pollard who apparently led those arguing for the “Original Navy” origin of the ship. The book includes papers presented by both sides to the Chesapeake Bay Section of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers back in the 50’s. The “last word” on the subject was a book written by Gerald Footner who makes a convoluted argument that the ship is really the 1799 version because the 1850’s era corvette incorporates timbers salvaged from it. I didn’t waste my money on it. Neophite modelers would be advised to read one of Chapelle’s books or Dana Wagner’s report, which was free when it was published, before spending money on a kit. Roger

Thanks, Valeriy

Valeriy, You must have a draw plate that converts round wire to that with a D shaped cross section. What is it called? Roger

Ok, someone buys a kit of a famous ship with the intension of building a museum quality model that will become a family heirloom. They spend a lot of money for the kit. After assembling most of the kit theydecide to ask for help to make things authentic. What they don’t understand, is that the kit itself may be based on unsound research. Such is the case with the USF Constellation. While accurate models have been made of the original frigate, and Jerry Todd is building one of the Civil War era corvette, the kit produces Jackalope, a ship that never sailed. How to salvage things? Rig it in accordance with practice of the time and move on. Contemporary references like Steele provide masting and rigging data. Roger

I have a set of plans for the “Tree Class” Buoy Tenders built in Duluth, MN during World War II. They are official USCG drawings and include a Booklet of General Plans and Lines and Mold Loft Offsets. I will never use them and intended to give them to a local University Library’s maritime collection once they reopen. Instead, if anyone would like to have them for the cost of shipping, it’s a big roll, send me a PM. I particularly like the motor lifeboat model. Roger

If you are going to add sails, spend a little time with and $$ on a Seamanship book. The master of a square rigged sailing vessel could set an infinite combination of sails to suit weather conditions, the way his ship handled, and the course that he was sailing relative to wind direction. In my opinion, maritime artists notwithstanding, it would have been unusual for every sail to have been set. Even sailing downwind in a moderate breeze some sails were often brailed up to avoid blanketing other ones. Roger

Allen, I’m also an old balsa and silkspan model airplane builder. I still have a Curtis Jenny kit in my stash that I inherited from my father. As a teenager, my father worked for a Warren, Ohio barnstormer who flew one in exchange for getting to fly. When they put me in an old folks home, I’ll build it. I used silkspan for the furled sails of my longboat model. I didn’t have David’s book, so I don’t know what he recommends. I rolled a coat of acrylic paint on, drew seams on with a pencil, and glued on bolt ropes and reinforcing points. The sails bundled up nicely and Iwas pleased with the results. Roger

Allan, Wooden mast hoops- I hesitate giving advice to a professional, BUT: I made wooden mast hoops for a model longboat model that I built by soaking very thin strips of pear that had been soaked in water around a dowel. The result was a collection of scale thickness mast hoops. That had to be slipped over the mast prior to rigging as they would then be trapped by the shrouds and stays. When I added furled sails, the tension of the thread between the hoops and the sail bolt rope caused some of them to break. Fortunately, I was able to salvage enough of them to at least give the illusion that I wanted. Moral of of the story, test before use. Roger

Bob, that’s a fascinating site that you posted. It’s very tempting to head down that that rabbit hole. Roger

Sticking 100’s?, 1000’s? of these tiny copper discs on with CA glue is a nasty job. I just recovered from several days of plugged up sinuses after using CA glue to assemble some metal military miniature figures. As an ENT Dr. You probably know the precautions to take. Roger