Decals for DDG 51 Arleigh Burke Destroyers

Modeling Subjects Ships
1

Hi all,

Been a real long time since I posted here, so forgive me.

I recently purchased the Trumpeter 1/350 scale Arleigh Burke class Destroyer (DDG 51) USS Momsen (DDG92). It’s a Flight 2A, Bath built ship.

However, I want to build it as DDG116 USS Thomas J Hudner or DDG 122 John Basilone. I have found and purchased number decals on ebay, but I can’t seem to find any source for DDG 51 names.

Does anyone know where I can source 1/350 US Navy haze grey name decals?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,

Rich

2

Can you make them on xcl or Word and print them?

Otherwise write to the vets of that ship and ask the webmaster.

3

I gather you want the name to look like the real thing, a slightly “lighter shade of pale” grey.

GM’s idea of making your own to print on decal paper will work. Testors clear Decal sheets available at HobbyLinc.

Nino

4

Thanks for the input. Yes, I want it to be the same shade of light grey as the real name.

Is there a specific font for US Navy vessel names? And any idea what size to replicate the full size name?

Thanks in advance!

5

The ’official’ font is called LongBeach USN. Go to Thai.com to see what it looks like, and if your pockets are deep enough download the font for modeling use. Otherwise use one of the generic sans serif fonts available such as Ariel or Tahoma

Oh, and by the way, most grays printed are half tones made by varying the amount of black, unless you have gray ink. Black half tone grays printed in small fonts may end up looking pixelated or spotty

6

Didn’t realize the type was so light until I saw that photo.

Printing a decals would indeed be hard to do. You would want to print it on white decals film, including some small amount of the hull color behind around it. It would take some trial and error.

7

Yeah, I was just thinking the same thing.

8

Thanks for the input.

I just wish someone made a decal sheet with the letters on it. Are there dry transfers with the right color grey or close?

9

There’s a bit of a problem. 1/16" letters are 23" at 1/350 scale. I don’t think the ship name is nearly that large, judging from the photo I would say closer to 16-18". A quick searck of what’s available doesn’t yield anything less than 1/16" or 0.0625"; you are looking for 0.05". the difference would be more than you could live with.

As for color, I would think at that size silver would be fine as a color.

The buzz word for the type of font you want, in this context, is “gothic”. I’d call it sans serif, but the general term is gothic.

I’d be hesitant to try to rub down a copy string that small.

10

Found out today that the lettering on DDG 51s is 12" high. That means at 1/350 scale, I’m looking at a decal that is 0.03429 inches in height. That’s just over 1/32".

I don’t know if a decal would even be legible at that height???

11

Size is not correct, but what do you think of the color combination?

Hudner