I want to build a set of ships my father sailed with on the Fletcher Class USS Brown DD-546 during the Korean War but I haven’t found many kits for them. Does anyone have kit suggestions for:
USS Titania AKA-13, Attack Cargo Ship
USS Passupsic AO-107, Fleet Oiler
USS Aludra AF-55, Stores Ship
USS Paricutin AE-18, Munitions Ship
USS Bryce Canyon AD-36, Destroyer Tender
USS Osprey AMS-28, Minesweeper
USS Jason ARH-1, Repair Ship
Any thoughts or feedback much appreciated.
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My father was on AKA-91 USS Whitley
No luck with that either
what scale? how good are you in scratch building but not whole ships just parts?
USS Titania (AKA-13) Attack Cargo Ship
USS Passumpsic (AO-107) Fleet Oiler (AO) Photo Index
USS Aludra (AF-55) Stores Ship Photo Index
USS Paricutin (AE-18) Ammunition Ship Photo Index
USS Bryce Canyon (AD-36) Destroyer Tender Photo Index (AD)
USS Osprey (AMS 28) Osprey (MSC[O] 28)
USS Jason (ARH-1) Repair Ship Photo Index (AR)
I started out practicing on 1:700 Fletchers and Gearings with an Iowa Class BB and Baltimore Class CA left to build. I have a few 1:350 kits and one 1:144 kit but I’m leaving the Blue Jacket wood kit of the Fletcher for when my modeling skills are a lot better.
so 1/350 scale? what material, plastic, resin or 3d printed?
Revell, in their old “flat bottom” series of kits, aproximately 1/350-400 Has Hawaiian Pilot, which has been boxed as an APA USS Haskell, and a C-2 (I think) Oiler. These could be kitbashed into an AKA and an AO.
I do not believe any AF kit exists. Ditto the AE.
The Dixie Class AD should have a kit, but do not.
Lindberg boxed a 1/125-ish “Minesweeper” but it may actually be a “River” version of a YMS, rather than an AMS.
Repair ships, AR or ARH, would likely require 100% scratchbuilding.
This is the complicated world of the scale ship modeler. We want things, all manner of things, ships for which plans do not exist or are unavailable. It’s our lot.
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Thank you very much! The quest begins!!
That kind of stuff is waaaay beyond my abilities,thanks
My father was a plankowner of the Oberon (AKA-14) during WWII. From contact with the Oberon’s veterans group, by Korea the boat group had been landed and she was serving more in an AK/AE role. The Oberon was a C2-F hull, the F indicating Federal SB builders yard. There may be some post war/Korea photos I obtained and sent to NAVSOURCE for publication
Nothing in 350 scale, and not much in 700; Battlefleet Models did make a C2 AKA in resin & brass (now OOP).. The masts & booms are totally wrong for the Oberon. Before finding the Battlefleet kit I did scratch convert the Trumpeter Liberty ship (a generic C2) into my version of the Oberon using photos in the War Diary. I cobbled together some LCMs and cast sufficient copies for the boat group. Last I saw the model is was being sent to Corpus Cristi for display in the Lexington
If you can manage 1/1200 (yes, very small) there are multiple sources. There are some on Etsy, and other around the interwebs.
If it needs to be bigger, I’ll see what is out there; I used to manage an online list of ship models, in time I may be able to revive it in a more utile format.
With the advent of 3d printing many makers are now creating STLs for the less commonly models ships, since they don’t need to actually make them until ordered. One fellow who might have some of those in larger scales is here: Bill's 3D Models - Home I’ve ordered from him, and they’re a good start, needing detailing and sometime correcting.
The Osprey was an older World War II wooden YMS minesweeper. Niko has one in 1/350 scale that looks to be available. Cousteau’s Calypso was a modified YMS. The old Revell model (1/125) can be reworked into a YMS with a lot of scratch building.
Aren’t those Revell Calypso kits getting “Big Bucks” on Ebay? Did Revell ever reissue this kit under a generic title?
Revell re-released it as the Ocean Exploration Vessel a few years ago due to marketing rights issues with the Cousteau/Calypso Society. Quick internet search found some available.