March 2016 Newsletter - Northern Virginia IPMS

www.novaipms.org
March 2016 Newsletter
Editor: Tom Henderson
The IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers monthly meeting took place on 3 February 2016 at Fairfax High
School. 68 Members attended the meeting with 32 models entered in the monthly contest. The
chapter welcomed three new members: David Anderson, Chip Bonham and Peter Ansoff.
The key topic during the business meeting was Model Classic. As is the case every year, the success of
Model Classic is in the hands of the membership. The chapter needs help in several areas but in
particular award sponsorships and helping perform the many tasks that need to be done the day
before and on show day. Many thanks to those of you who have already sponsored. If you have not
please consider sponsoring one or more award packages. See Treasurer Mike Neyland at the next
Left: Chapter President Tim Barb addressing the membership. Notice how everyone is hanging on
his every word. Truth be told, Tim had just picked up the mike and had not even uttered two words
when the camera shutter clicked.
Right: Some serious kit talk going on here. One of the many values of an IPMS chapter where we
can gather and share our plastic passion.
meeting. If you would like to sponsor but cannot make the meeting you can mail the award sponsor
form and check to Mike. The form, which has Mike’s address, is on the website at www.novaipms.org.
As for the labor part, important tasks that need help include setup on Friday evening, assisting vendors
move in and out on show day, and tear down at the end of the show. Your E-board members (and me
unfortunately) are not getting younger so we need all the help we can get from the age 50s and below
youngsters in the chapter. Sign up sheets will be at the front table during the April meeting.
Interested in becoming a member of IPMS? Time to renew? For those who do not already know,
the chapter will pay 2/3 of your new or renewed membership . See Mike Neyland at any club
meeting, fill out the form he gives you, and hand him $10 for every year you wish - up to three.
Mike will do the rest with you receiving your membership card a few weeks later.
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
The program for the evening was Rafy Levy’s presentation on his trip to Bulgaria. His talk and photos
touched on the model clubs and contests he visited, and on the museums he toured. We saw photos
of things almost all of us will never get a chance to see in person. Thank you, Rafy.
Left: Rafy Levy delivering a very interesting presentation of his modeling / museum trip to Bulgaria.
Right: Chapter VP Mike Fleckenstein presents a medallion to Rafy as a token of thanks for
volunteering to present at the February program.
That concludes the chapter news for the month. The contest winners section is next, followed by a
piece on the great Richmond show many of us attended. Next up we have some fun reading for you
ship builders; a submarine build article courtesy of Mike Fleckenstein. For newer members who may
not recognize the name outside of our chapters (NoVA and DC), within IPMS Mike is a nationally
recognized figure. He is truly an outstanding modeler with multiple wins at the National level, and he
knows how to write a first class build article. A number of his articles have appeared in the pages of
Fine Scale Modeler and other modeling publications so you are in for a treat.
Speaking of articles, it is important that everyone know articles from all members are more than
welcome. You do not have to be a world class writer. If you would like to share what you learned
from building an especially great (or bad) kit / decal sheet / book / resin set / figure / whatever, please
send it to me. Reviews from the membership would be a great addition to the newsletter. And now,
on to the contest winners.
Contest Winners February 2016
Aircraft 1/72, 1st Place
Pitts S-2A by Michael Johnson
Aircraft 1/72, 2nd Place
F-16B by David Andereson
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Contest Winners February 2016
Aircraft 1/48, 1st Place
Spiteful by Gary Drovbay
Aircraft 1/48, 2nd Place
Bf-110D by Joe Szadvari
Armor 1/35, 1st Place
German Halftrack by Scott Van Etten
Armor 1/35, 2nd Place
Tiger I by Will Chu
Sci-Fi, 1st Place
X-Wing over Death Star by Tim Barb
Sci-Fi, 2nd Place
Poe’s X-Wing by Ricardo Hernandez
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Contest Winners February 2016 (continued)
Ships, 1st Place
USS Hornet by Ricardo Hernandez
Ships, 2nd Place
USS Zumwalt by Frank Collins
Vehicles, 1st Place
Enzo Ferrari by Frank Collins
Master, 1st Place
F-117 by Sunil Gupta
Master, 2nd Place
F-16CJ by Vivian Watts
Special, 1st Place
Mustang III by Chris Nicoll
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Contest Winners February 2016 (continued)
Special, 2nd Place
Gloster Whittle by Dick Hague
I seldom have enough left over space to do this but this issue is an exception. Here are a few other models that
graced the tables at the February meeting, including an in-progress B-29 in 1/48 that is coming along nicely.
Colors
Have a kit where the instruction paint call outs refer to one and only one brand of paint? Of
course, the specified brand does not have that color, the instructions telling you to buy two or
three colors and mix them. Shrug shoulders and head for the hobby shop, and you know what is
coming next - that brand is not available at the shop or the country! What in the heck does stock#
Red 444115y3 mean in Model Master, or Tamiya?
Salvation is at hand thanks to IPMS Stockholm’s color reference charts. They have an extensive
series of color charts that correlate common color names with various paint manufacturers. It is a
little dated - listing a few brands no longer made and it has not been updated to reflect some of
the newer brands on the market. It never the less remains an excellent reference a click away.
There is also a lot of information on colors in and of themselves. The URL is:
http://www.ipmsstockholm.org/colorcharts/colorcharts.asp
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Contest Winners February 2016 (continued)
Best out of the Box
Mustang III by Chris Nicoll
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Contest Winners February 2016 (continued)
Best of Show
“Slave 1” by Andrew Wylie
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
IPMS Richmond Old Dominion Open
Show Review and The NoVA Winners
As is the case every year, IPMS Richmond kicked off the 2016 Region 2 season with a
dynamite show. 783 Models. That is not a typo - 783. What a great turnout of beautifully
built models. Here is a quick critical review of the show. Pros: Lots of models, cool vendors,
catching up with friends not seen since last summer. Con: Chazz did not wear his Irish hat.
Richmond has already posted the list of winners on its website. Here are the IPMS NoVA
members I saw on the list. One unfortunate thing about our wonderful but very large
chapter is I do not know everyone’s name so I may have missed some of you so please
forgive if I did. If you carried a plaque home and do not see your name below, please let me
know and I will recognize you in the next issue. If you would like a photo of you with your
winning entry, or just the model, bring it to the next meeting. Congratulations, guys!
Category
Modeler
Best Diorama
Haagen Klaus, “Contact” KC-10 in Flight
Aircraft 1/73 and Smaller, All Types
Vivian Watts, 3rd Place, Me-262
Aircraft 1:72 to 1:49 single engine prop,
Allied & all other nationalities
Ed Mautner, 2nd Place, F4U-1D Corsair
Aircraft 1:72 to 1:49 multi-engine prop, all
nationalities
Jim Fitzgibbon, 1st Place, He-111P-2
Aircraft 1:72 to 1:49 single engine & multiengine jet, all nationalities
Vivian Watts, 1st Place, English Electric Lightning
Aircraft 1:48 single engine prop,
USAAC/USAF
Scott Bricker, 3rd Place, P-47
Aircraft: 1:32 & larger jets & prop, all
nationalities‘ (excluding rigged)
Vivian Watts, 3rd Place, Super Marine Spit Mk IXc
Figures, Busts
Warren Yaun, 1st Place, Royal Navy Captain 1806
Figures, Sci-Fi and Robots
Tim Stormer, 1st Place, The Spell
Space/Sci-Fi Real Spacecrafts & Vehicles, all
types (including non-tactical missiles &
rockets without prime movers)
Dave Vaughan, 3rd Place, Pegasus Rocket
Diorama, Large Bases up to 3x3
Haagen Klaus, 1st Place, “Contact” KC-10 in Flight
Juniors, All subjects by modelers aged 13 to
17
Andrew Do, Sgt Connor Serpentian Heavy
Infantry
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
IPMS Richmond Old Dominion Open
The Pics
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Taking Her Deep
Into the World of Research
Building the new Riich Models 1/200 scale Late War Gato Class Submarine
by Mike Fleckenstein
Some Background
I've always been deeply (no pun intended) interested in undersea warfare. My interest
includes all the major adversaries of World War Two but are mainly limited to Germany, the
United States and Japan. but In the last 40 years I've probably read most of the classic
histories and novels on the subject including "Clear the Bridge" by Dick O'Kane, "Iron Coffins"
by Herbert Werner, "Silent Victory" by Clay Blair and "Submarine" by Edward Beach. I've also
collected many famous films and TV shows on the subject such as "Run Silent, Run Deep",
"Das Boot" and "Silent Service" Back in 1992 I built the excellent Nichimo German Type IX UBoat in 1/200 scale. The Nichimo kit could probably be called ahead of its time as it was finely
detailed with engraved decking and detailed armament I was fortunate to win Best Ship with
that model at the Seattle National Convention and ever since I have been lusting after a U.S.
Gato class World War Two sub in the same scale as a companion piece. Unfortunately, most
Gatos that have been released since then are in other scales or badly detailed.
Worth Waiting For
A year or so ago, Riich Models of China released a new 1/200 scale early war (1941) Gato
(kit# 20001). The online reviews gave it high marks but, unfortunately, the early war
configuration did not provide the open late war conning tower shears around the periscopes
that I wanted. I could have done some major surgery and gotten the result I wanted but I
decided to wait to see if Riich eventually did a late war version. In my years of modeling I have
learned, painfully, that jumping on board early in the game is not advisable because,
invariably, the correct kit comes along. Finally, about 6 months ago the model I was waiting
for came available. The kit (kit# 20002) represents the late war (1944) conning tower
described above and, while some minor alterations would still be required, it appeared that
my wait was over. The Riich Models kit is beautifully molded in medium grey and clear plastic
and contains approximately 100 parts on 5 sprues. The kit has a multipart hull split vertically
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Taking Her Deep (continued from previous page)
in halves and at the waterline, open limber holes and exhaust ports, fine deck plank
engraving, pivoting rudder, movable bow planes, conning tower with multiple platform
levels, lowered configuration fairwater and shears, fine individual deck fittings, hollow
middle bow torpedo tubes, optional open middle bow tube outer doors, 21" torpedoes,
well represented 3" and 4" deck guns, 20mm anti-aircraft guns, filigree propeller guards,
display stand and photo-etch parts representing the deck and conning tower railings,
torpedo tube inner doors and stand nameplate).
The completed model is approximately 18.7" long which scales out correctly to the 311 ft.
length of the actual sub. A quick check of my existing Nichimo Type IX also checked out to be
in scale at 15" representing 251 ft. Compared to the Ballistic Missile submarines of today both
these boats are small but side by side the Gato and the Type IX show a significant difference in
size which, of course, translated into much more comfortable conditions for the crew.
A 1/200 scale Kingfisher float plane is also
provided which is clear-molded with fine
engraved detail and separate floats, propeller
and under wing bombs. The instructions are
clearly written and a color painting guide
depicts 2-view sub in overall black scheme
and 4-view of the Kingfisher in intermediate
blue over light gray Decals represent hull
numbers, ensign, jack and aircraft insignia
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Taking Her Deep (continued from previous page)
including rudder stripes and draft markings. There is even a 3 piece stand included which is
molded in black. While there are many Gato type boats I could have modeled, the choice
came down to U.S.S GATO (SS-212) because the kit provides a nice brass photo- etch
nameplate which I would have had to had made if I chose any other subject.
A Bit of History
There were 73 boats in the Gato class of Fleet Submarines numbered SS 212-284. All were
built in one of four shipyards: Electric Boat in Groton, CT; Manitowac in WI, Portsmouth in
NH or Mare Island in CA. United States Ship GATO (SS 212), the first ship to bear the name,
was designed and built by the Electric Boat Company of Groton, Connecticut. She was the
first ship of her class and the prototype for the major portion of the submarines constructed
by the United States for service in World War II. GATO was christened on 21 August 1941 by
Mrs. Royal E. Ingersoll, wife of then Rear Admiral Royal Ingersoll who was Assistant Chief of
Naval Operations. GATO commissioned in Groton on 31 December 1941 and shortly
thereafter left for service with the Pacific Fleet.
SS 212 side, front and rear quarter views
From April 1942 until June 1943 GATO saw continuous service in the Pacific Theater. During
this period she conducted five war patrols ranging from the Kuriles and Aleutian Islands in
the Northern Pacific, duty in the screening force during the Battle of Midway in the Central
Pacific, and finally to patrols around Truk and the Solomon Islands in the Southwest Pacific.
During these later patrols, GATO supported Australian coast watchers and intelligence
services, making several landings to deliver supplies and personnel to isolated posts in the
rear of Japanese held areas. During these operations GATO sunk five enemy ships totaling
41,000 tons. Following an overhaul in Mare Island Naval Shipyard GATO returned to the
Southwest Pacific where she conducted three more war patrols in 1943 and 1944. During
one of these patrols, GATO took a prisoner of war from a life raft off the Admiralty Islands.
Two weeks later, after sinking the cargo ship TSUNESHIMA MARU, the GATO was subjected
to a severe depth charging by several escort vessels. Following the depth charge attack,
GATO surfaced and found an unexploded depth charge lodged in the rudder. With the help of
the Japanese prisoner, the ship's Gunnery Officer dislodged the charge and lashed it to a
rubber raft which was set adrift with a slow leak. Additional war patrols of GATO were made
in the Western Pacific during 1945. Departing from Pearl Harbor in January 1945, she
conducted operations in the Yellow Sea sinking two ships including one destroyer escort.
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Taking Her Deep (continued from previous page)
In addition, she patrolled off the coast of Japan as a lifeguard in support for air operations
over those islands. During this duty ten U.S. Army aviators were rescued from the waters of
the Pacific. At the end of her last patrol GATO anchored in Tokyo Bay to witness the signing of
the documents aboard USS MISSOURI, marking the end of World War II. During the war,
GATO was credited with destruction of 13 enemy ships totaling 69,400 tons. Following the
war, GATO served as a Naval Reserve Training Ship at New York, New York and Baltimore,
Maryland. She was stricken from the lists, sold and broken up in 1961.GATO earned thirteen
Battle Stars and five Presidential Unit Citations. She participated in the Midway Operations,
the Capture and Defense of Guadalcanal, the Asiatic-Pacific Raids of 1944, the Marianas
Operation, the Western Caroline Islands Operation, the Iwo Jima Operation, the OkinawaGunto Assault and Occupation, and the Third Fleet Operations Against Japan.
The Build
Determining the correct configuration for submarines of this era is difficult. Each time the
boats underwent a refit after a series of war patrols, they were reconfigured differently. If
you are planning an accurate representation of a particular boat, at a specific time point,
good reference photos are essential. In addition to various Internet sources and books (listed
below), a fellow modeler gave me a large set of high resolution files of most of the Gato
boats at various stages of their wartime service. Most of these images were made at Mare
Island, CA and are very high quality. Because I wanted to depict the boat as she appeared
following her November 1944 refit at Mare Is. many modifications, primarily to the conning
tower, were required. These are outlined below.
The main deck is the same on both the early and late war Gatos. I did make some
modifications to improve accuracy:
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Replace deck stanchions with wire
Add JP sonar (T-shaped, port deck fwd. of 4"/50)
Accurize aft torpedo reloading access, add hatch
Scribe additional deck hatches (aft of tower & aft deck)
Add antenna mast & antennas from aft
Add Ammo passing tube (on deck aft of tower)
Add aft deck edge extensions (20mm gun)
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Taking Her Deep (continued from previous page)
The conning tower required the most modification to achieve the required configuration. I
added items or modified the kit parts as follows:
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Scratch build 40mm Bofors for aft cigarette deck•
Add Photo etch rails (aft cigarette deck)
Detail kit 20mm and 4"/50 guns (fwd. cigarette and main decks)
Add navigation lights (side of tower & front of shears)
Cut down tower plating to expose shear supports
Add APR antenna (fwd. of shears)
Add ladder rungs on tower sides
Add perforated lookout deck
Conning tower basic construction
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Detailed or scratchbuilt armament
Move late SJ radar between periscope shears & fabricate braces
Add ammo passing chutes (front of tower behind 20mm )
Add dry ammunition (tower below 20mm)
Add aft TBT & support (aft. cigarette deck)
Relocate Searchlight (behind shears)
Add late SD radar and mast (aft. cigarette deck)
Relocated DF loop antenna between periscope shears
Add bridge fittings (compass, fwd.TBT, annunciator)
Add flag mast (aft cigarette deck)
Add access (front of tower behind 20mm )
Add horn (below fwd. cigarette deck)
Colors and Markings
Do not rely on color profiles as these are subject to the interpretation of the artist. The task
is made more difficult because most photos of the day were in black and white. Subtle
differences in color are difficult to discern. I located a table on the Internet
(www.shipcamouflage.com) which lists a timeline of color schemes for almost all Gato class
boats beginning in 1940.
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Taking Her Deep (continued from previous page)
differences in color are difficult to discern. I located a table on the Internet
(www.shipcamouflage.com) which lists a timeline of color schemes for almost all Gato class
boats beginning in 1940.
Hull Number
Name
1941
1942
1943
212
GATO
MS 9
MS 9
MS 9
1944
1945
Notes
MS 32/9SS-B MS 32/9SS-B
In this entry from the table, we see that from launch until sometime in 1944 (presumably
the November refit) she was painted in Measure 9 which was completely black overall. After
that date until decommissioning, she was painted in measure 32/9SS-B.
Measure 32/9SS-B specified that #17 Ocean Gray was used on the vertical surfaces. Just
before the forward deck gun, the #17 Ocean Gray was blended into #11 Outside Gray. Aft of
the conning tower the #11 Outside Gray was blended into #7 Navy Gray, and this was
blended into BK Dull Black C02 at the stern. The forward, rounded portion of the conning
tower and periscope shears were painted #17 Ocean Gray. The deck guns were painted BK
Dull Black C02 on the upper half of the barrels and #46 Outside Gray on the lower half of
the barrels. Both the forward and aft rounded ends of the conning tower were painted #7
Navy Gray, blended into #17 Ocean Gray on the conning tower sides. Other than crew
applied artwork, very few if any markings were in evidence on the hull. Draft marks were
usually in place at launch, but quickly wore away and were not replaced at refit.
(www.whiteensignmodels.com)
Completed forward and after decks
The Navy designations must be matched to available hobby paints or custom mixed. I was
fortunate to find a cross reference online which listed the Navy color along with FS and
Tamiya equivalents. (www.cybermodeler.com/color/usn)
Outside Grey
Ocean Grey
Outside Grey
Navy Grey
BK Dull Black
#46
#17
#11
#7
C02
FS-36622
FS-36231
FS-36118
FS-36081
FS 37030
Tamiya XF-20
Tamiya XF-53
Tamiya XF-24
Tamiya XF-63
Tamiya XF-69
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Taking Her Deep (continued from previous page)
The model was weathered with artist oil pin washes and pastel chalks. The flag is a decal
which was coated with white glue and then bent into a flowing shape. It is then lightly
moistened with water to allow it to stay fixed in shape. There were no other markings
evident in the reference photos. When launched, these boats typically carried draft markings
and hull numbers but these quickly wore off and were not replaced at refit.
Completed forward hull and conning tower
Base
Rather than use the plastic kit base, I cut my own from a piece of 3/8"DIY store Oak and
used a router to finish the edge. I then notched 1/4"oak dowels to fit the shape of the hull at
the keel and fixed these to the base with carpenter's glue. I also glued steel pins into each
dowel to fit holes I had drilled on the center line of the keel. The entire base was then given
a coat of satin finish lacquer before attaching the finished model with epoxy.
Reference Sources
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Gato Submarines, Squadron Pub., Warships #28
Fleet Submarines of WW2, Floating Drydock
Various Internet Sources (Noted)
Collection of Gato class images via David Powell
US Subs in Action, Squadron Pub. ,Warships #2
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Taking Her Deep (continued from previous page)
U.S.S Gato (SS-212) Specifications
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Builder: Electric Boat Company, Groton, Connecticut
Sponsor: Mrs. R.E. Ingersoll
Laid down: 5 October 1940
Launched: 1 August 1941
Commissioned: 31 December 1941
Decommissioned: 16 March 1946
Struck: March 1960
Fate: Sold for scrap, 25 July 1960[2]
Class & type:Gato-class diesel-electric submarine
Displacement: 1,525 tons surfaced, 2,424 tons submerged
Length: 311 ft 9 in (95.02 m
Beam: 27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)
Draft: 17 ft 0 in (5.18 m) maximum
Propulsion:4 × General Motors Model 16-248 V16 diesel engines driving electrical
generators,
2 × 126-cell Sargo batteries, 4 × high-speed General Electric electric motors with
reduction gears, two propellers
5,400 shp surfaced, 2,740 shp submerged
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h) surfaced, 9 knots (17 km/h) submerged
Range: 11,000 nm (20,000 km) surfaced at 10 knots (19 km/h)
Endurance: 48 hours at 2 knots (4 km/h) submerged, 75 days on patrol
Test depth: 300 ft (90 m)
Complement: 6 officers, 54 enlisted[4]
Armament:(as of 11/44 refit) 10 × 21-inch (533 mm) torpedo tubes (six forward, four
aft), 24 torpedoes
1 × 4-inch (102 mm) / 50 caliber deck gun, 1 x Bofors 40 mm and 2 x Oerlikon 20 mm
cannon
Conclusion
I thoroughly enjoyed this build and thoroughly recommend the kit. The only fiddly bit was
the installation of the photo etch rails and the antenna wiring. I am now 2/3 of the way
toward having a collection of World War two subs. I would really enjoy seeing a model of a
1/200 scale Japanese I type boat but the only one available is an old Nichimo kit which,
unfortunately, is very poor quality. This is a bit surprising since the Nichimo German Type IX
kit referenced in the opening lines of this article is really beautifully done.
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
March Meeting Program and Contest Theme
Program: Steven Suddaby - Airpower in the Great War
Contest: Time Machine - Any vehicle produced before 1970 built to today's
standards
Visit the club website at www.novaipms.org and join the club Yahoo group at
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/novaipms
Both locations will allow you to access the monthly Contest/Program Schedule as well
as information about IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers.
We’re also on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Northern-Virginia-IPMS
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers
Chapter Officers
Chapter Volunteers
President:
Tim Barb
Vice President
Mike Fleckenstein
Contest:
Walter Schlueter
Treasurer:
Mike Neyland
Secretary/Historian:
Mike Larson
Webmaster:
Sunil Gupta
Join IPMS/USA: www.ipmsusa.org
Chapter Contact:
Tom Henderson
tomhenderson51@verizon.net
Raffle Coordinator:
Mike Poreda
Make & Take Coordinator:
John Figueroa
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016
Upcoming Events in our Area
April 30, 2016
Northern Virginia Modelers - Model Classic 2016
Fairfax HS, 3501 Rebel Run, Fairfax, VA
August 3-6, 2016
IPMS National Convention
Columbia Metropolitan Convention Center
Columbia, South Carolina
IPMS Northern Virginia Modelers - March 2016