I built this back in 1988 & gave it to my best friend. He was a navy landing craft vet on the first wave at Omaha Beach. His boat was blown out of the water & only he & 2 other sailors got to the beach. He lost all his Army men. His daughter just sent this back up to me as he & his wife are gone. I was really surprised with it.
My brother was also a WW2 battleship sailor on the Indiana in the Pacific. I was surprised how good the Missouri looked, although I had made a case for it.
My brother flew off the Indiana in the Swordfish’s. Well I finally got back on this great Forum & I am anxious to start building again. I didn’t know I would be gone so long. I even got a little 1/225 Ertl Santa Maria. It’s not like I needed it as I have a bunch to build. I will be back on the Royal Louis pretty quick.
Stik, Thanks & the family are our friends too & the husband is a world class model builder & lawyer in his spare time. I got him started in model building nearly 40 years ago. He is way, way better than me.
Tank, This return really made me feel good because you only have one pair of friends like these two , husband & wife, in a lifetime. We traveled & camped all over the US & Canada many times. I asked him one time if he ever had battle fatigue from it & he said no, but I wa plenty scared when I was there. He stayed with the Army 3 months. Then was headed for Bastogne on the Muese River with supplies. Patton beat them . He was on the New Jersy in Korea when it was hit too. He ended up an engineer on Jet & rocket engines. That’s why I gave him the Missouri. My brother was with it in Tokyo Bay at the surrender
My brother was in the signal division & watched the surrender thru a long glass. He said they flew everything over the ships at a low altitude…
I wanted to post a new thread on my 1/72 Golden Hind, but I can’t find how to get on. I have done it lots, but seem to have trouble now. I have more Missouri pictures & my little Santa Maria & some of my partialy finished Golden Hind. I will put them on here.
I am having trouble this morning & can’t get pictures to post right.
I drilled all the windows out & put the brass grill behind them. Looks like my shaky hands need a lot of touch up. I can’t see that till I enlarge it. It is on a temporary base while building. I drill my spars & mount them to the mast with a wire thru both. Works great, because I can put the sail on & finish it before mounting to the mast.
I have temporary standing rigging ready to put the shrouds on & then tighten them up.
Pat, thank you. I noticed this time when I am building the Golden Hind, age has really caught me. I have a bad shaky right hand. But, it is still fun. Even if they aren’t so pretty, it is still fun to do. I remember going to hobby shops with my big brother & him getting a 10cent balsa WW1 fighter. They were the F 16’s of the day. P 40’s & Spitfires were just coming in.
The wife had a great uncle who was a survivor of the USS Indy. I built my father-in-law a 1/700 version (couldn’t afford the 1/350 at the time) in his honor. He was quite the man although would not get in any body of water.
Juan, When we heard that the Indianpolis was sunk, we were worried sick because we thought it said the Indiana. I have the 1/350 Indianapolis started with all the photoetch but have not got back on it. I also have a 1/350 kit of the Jap sub that sunk it. Maybe I will get on it again, but I was just starting Imai’s big Mayflower.
