South Coast Modellers
USS Latimer
USS Latimer was a Haskell Class Attack Transport Launched in 1944, The Ship was built using the Victory or C2 hull, Victories were the follow on to the famous Liberty Ships but larger and importantly faster. The Latimer took part in landing operations at Leyte Golf and was in the first wave of landings on Okinawa where she landed the US 96th infantry division. During the battle the Latimer was singled out by the Japanese air force but she successfully repelled the attack and continued landing operations. It was mentioned by an on looker that the AA fire coming from the Latimer would of pleased any destroyer captain! After the war the Latimer took part in the magic carpet operations bringing US servicemen home before going in to reserve. The Latimer was then re-commissioned and took part in the Korean conflict before going back in to reserve until being scraped in the early 1990s.
The Haskell Class up until the late 1960s made over 55% of the US Navies attack transport tonnage and many others became everything from civilian cargo ships to hospital ships some of which have only recently gone out of service.
I have always wanted to build this ship ever since going to pictures and seeing Away All Boats which was a story about the attack transport Belinda and the ship used in the film was the USS Haskell, so any one that has seen the film the captains sail boat will be put on the model!
The model its self is built on a MTB company hull and I have so far put a plywood deck on with plastic sheet covering, and the superstructure plastic card.
by Tony Leighton
HMS Berwick
(1) Building the Scalewarship Semi Kit Type 12 frigate HMS Berwick in 1/96 scale First stage of the build is to clean up the GRP hull as required , make and fit bilge keels ,stabilisers, fit shafts and A frames and make and fit rudders, ( NB As this is a to be a static model no motors or radio gear will be fitted ).
(2)The lower hull has been given two coats of red primer to simulate anti fouling paint . I have cut out deck panels , fitted the cross beams and have now glued the decks onto the hull , as the deck has moulded in round downs the decks have to allow for this , the bridge deck is glued but waiting cutting to size . I will then use filler to correct any gaps and I can then clean up the hull ready for
portholes to be drilled out and etched brass ones fitted. (3) Cross Beams and decks fitted and hull ready for portholes.
(4) All main decks fitted and cleaned up , etched brass portholes and eyebrows fitted, spurn waters fitted around forecastle deck . I have now started making up the fittings using the Scalewarship etched brass items and some scratch building items , once they are made up I can start fixing them all in place, I will then move on to fitting out the quarterdeck. The build of my 1/96 HMS Berwick is now getting well ahead , painting is well advanced as is fitting out of the superstructure , the Scalewarship etched brass bridge ,turret , Corvus launchers, gunnery director and emergency steering platforms have gone together well . Boats Dalits and boats still to be made up and fitted, guardrails,anchor chains, helicopter and mast still to be made up and fitted .Hopefully all will be completed for handover to the new owner in November
by David McNair Taylor
USS Roosevelt
.My current build which is entering its second year, is a 1/96 scale Arleigh Burke class destroyer USS Roosevelt DDG 80 as she is as in 2020. The model is based on Scale Warship hull and several of the working functions will use Forge Electronics units, such as 12v distribution board, 8 way switch unit, servo slow and sound board. This build has stretched my casting skills and making of the master fittings.
The model running gear is all self made, shafts are 6mm 316 stainless steel, stern tube is brass tube will brass machined bearings, props however are supplied by Keith Bender from the USA. The power is via two 540 brushed motors, Battery power is taken from two 12v Nimh battery packs, these feed the Forge distribution board. The Rudders were made using Plastic card sandwich and sanded to shape, then these were used as the masters for moulding and casting. The deck is made from 3mm plastic card mounted on wooded framing. The superstructure is also made using 3mm card.
A more comprehensive report of this build can be found on Model Boat Mayhem. The latest photos show some fittings which have been made in the last few weeks. The RAS posts were cast from masters as were the Mark 59 Decoys.
by Dave Reith
RMS Titanic
The RMS Titanic is built from a Trumpeter 1-200 scale plastic kit. An aftermarket upgrade kit from Pontos is beinng added as well as the conversion to Radio Control. It will also have a smoke unit fitted with sound provided from a Scale Warship sound module. RMS Titanic is an Olympic class liner famous for sinking on here maiden voyage across the Atlantic. All up sailing weight is about 4.5 kg
