WELCOME !
TO THE NEWSLETTER OF THE
SMALL WARSHIP
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP
INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC
MODELLERS SOCIETY (UK)
TO THE NEWSLETTER OF THE
SMALL WARSHIP
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUP
INTERNATIONAL PLASTIC
MODELLERS SOCIETY (UK)
ESCORT
ISSUE 88, June 2010
CONTENTS:
- H.M.A.S. VAMPIRE - Model by Niigel Denchfield with additional research and drawing by Peter French
- H.M.S. MONTGOMERY - a comparison of the Airfix plastic kit at 1:400 scale and the WEM resin kit at 1:350 scale
- THE CAREERS OF R. N. DESTROYERS DESIGNED AND BUILT BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARS . (Part Six - Conclusion)
If you would like to look at the index of previous issues, please visit the list on this website -
If you are a member of this group visiting this site and it has changed without you receiving notification from me, could this be because you have changed your e-mail address? - or maybe, I have just mislaid yours? Whatever the case, please contact me to let me know.
Thanks
Les Brown
Les Brown
Well, my appeal in the last issue did not result in a deluge of articles – but thanks to Nigel Denchfield, ably assisted by Peter French, for his contribution. I quite enjoy writing articles but I would really like to spend more time doing some actual modelling. I dare say you all feel the same – most modellers think that modelling is more fun and more interesting than writing but if everybody produced just one article a year, we would have more than enough to fill each issue – and nobody would lose too much modelling time. Please think about it! – if I don’t get more responses this time, there is the possibility that the frequency of issues will drop further (remember we started monthly, although they were smaller), or even close altogether!
Those who have a particular interest in “today’s” (or should that be “tomorrow’s”) Royal Navy will have been glad to hear that a contract was awarded in March for the Assessment Phase of the design for the Type 26 Combat Ship, a vessel to replace the present Type 22 and Type 23 frigates. Not that anything will appear soon! – this contract lasts until the second half of 2013 when a ‘Demonstration and Manufacture’ contract will be awarded, finally leading to the first vessel entering service in late 2021! If any of us are still modelling then, the artist’s impressions of the ‘Concept Baseline’ indicate that it should be a good looking vessel (far better than the current Type 22 frigates) which will surely make a good model.
In May, the Royal Canadian Navy celebrated its Centennial. Although not exclusively a ‘small ship navy’, the RCN have manned aircraft carriers and cruisers in the past and today operate submarines, the majority of their ships have been destroyers, frigates, corvettes and minesweepers – frequently ex-R.N. or based on R.N. designs. The centennial is celebrated in Volume 47, Issue 1 of Warship International which includes three superb large colour photographs of the RCN’s latest ‘Halifax’ class frigates – well worth a look if you have the opportunity.
This issue sees the final part of my operational history of R.N. destroyers between the two world Wars - covering the Tribal class. May also saw White Ensign Models release their 1:350 scale kit of a WWII Tribal Class destroyer, H.M.S. Eskimo. More on this kit in the next issue (hopefully).
A follow on to the feature on accessories for S-boat kits in the last issue – the American firm of G-Factor Models have released a set of brass propellers for the 1:35 scale Italeri kit (see right, available in the U.K. from White Ensign Models). These do look much better than painted plastic and I think they are a worthy replacement. G-Factor also produces similar parts for the Italeri PT boat at the same scale – of course you do need plenty of space to display these models!
I look forward to all those articles for the next issue – three months away!
Regards
Les
