USS Sims class destroyers by Lou Coaney

[LouCoatney]

As some here know, I'm both a military/naval history boardgame player and ergo (for miniatures games) a cardstock model ship builder ... and designer.

In the 1970s, German military miniature manufacturer Wiking did some plastic 1:1250 model ships, as well as their usual metal/lead ones, and plastics are MUCH easier to carry or ship, since being so light they don't weigh so much and so easily break their bonds to get loose and destroy each other.

I have just scored BIG on eBay and gotten a slew of Wiking plastic battleships and cruisers, some Americans, Italians, and British, as well as German. I already have plenty of the Wiking prreWW2 Galster class destroyers, but Wiking's Italian Navigatori class destroyers are virtually museum pieces and WAY beyond anyone's price limit.

And the price of 3-D-printed 1:1200-1250 destroyers is too high too.

So I have again tried to fill the void, first with the American Sims class destroyers. Someone remarked under the thread about the F3F Wildcat being built, that CV-2 Lexington has just been found at the bottom of the Coral Sea. (I have Lexington and Yorktown paired together on a unit in my free print-and-play boardgame Pacific War Naval Chess Game.)

Anyway, here are 8 of the *un-test-built* Sims at 1:1200 (letter paper sheet size) or 1:1250 (A4/international size). (I've already done the ModelCAD testbuild at 1:700, and it was perfect. I'm working on the .png/.jpg now.)

They *can* be built, if your eyes are as good as mine are at 71.

[LouCoatney]

The Benson/Gleaves class at the same style bridge, and here is a photo of my now-long-ago completed 1:700 USS Macomb (Gleaves class).

Hmm ... I've left off the shell casings chutes at the rear of the turrets.

I *am* working on custom camouflage for the USS Wainwright - my test-build subject at a full sheet-size 1:392 scale - when she was with USS Washington for the disastrous (albeit not to them) Convoy PQ 17. Trouble is, camouflage in 1942 was a virtually do-it-yourself sort of thing, so this *is* tailor-made.

/BenBowFl.jpg

[Don Boose]

Many thanks, Lou.

Sixty years ago, inspired by Cranwell and Smiley's 1947 U.S. Navy Waterline Models and How To Build Them, I built 1/1200 ships out of balsa and basswood. Don't think I can do it in paper now, but hope to try my hand at your 1/600 models.

Between you and Wayne McCullough, we have a nice selection of pre-war U.S. Navy destroyer models.

Don

[LouCoatney]

Thanks, Don. I'll try to finish Wainwright('s camouflage) soon. Still haven't finished Hardy.

I wore out the Rock Island (Illinois) Public Library's copies of Gilmore's How to Build a Model Navy and Cranwell and Smiley ... and now proudly have them in my personal library.

So much to do, so little time left - I'm 71 now, with my obstreperous heart - to do them.

I still proudly have my 1:1200 balsa Rodney and Nelson, which I made in the 1980s while living in Alaska.

[RyanShort1]

I have a nearly pristine copy of that book that I hope my 2 year old son uses someday. Thanks for the post Lou!

[wireandpaper]

Thank you very much for sharing.
Looking forward for your war wining LST's!

[wireandpaper]

Los buques de la Guerra de Secesion estan listos para ser armados!





The ships of the War of Secession are ready to be armed!
Thank you Lou.
ps small coloring and I will look for some simple poles and boats for the Virginia, and some appropriate flags

[wireandpaper]

At a constant scale of 1/400

[wireandpaper]

Here it is "out-of-the-box" the CSS Virginia. Simple build and simple recolor while waiting for the electrician to do some fixings at home. The only "fancy thing" was to open the gun ports and add the gun barrels made of wrapping aluminum foil. BTY the simple model is a gift for all of us from Lou.

[georgerutherford1861]

Thanks, Lou. As always, appreciate all of your work on these ships. Is the book project still in the works?

Doug