New Missouri

Amen Brother!  Like my 1/200 Arizona...I could have spent a few hundred more on aftermarket but why? It would still have all the other errors . You've got to draw the line somewhere.

With holiday sale season in full swing the price has come down quite a lot at some hobby stores.  I would love to have the model, I just wouldn't know where to display it.

A person has to really have one of these 1/200 BBs as their favorite ship or be an RC modeler to get over the sticker shock.

I was lucky to get one of the old Sterling Missouri kits (balsa wood) back in the day.  Too poor as a kid to afford radio, so it was free-flight (free-float?).  Never did get around to putting RC gear in it, but I still have it and keep meaning to.  The model is something between sixty and sixty-five years old. Other than stuff broken off during many moves, it is not falling apart.  Balsa and old time modeling cement made very durable models!

Kinda on the large side, I'd have to say. It is one inch longer than the Revell 1/72 Gato submarine.

Don

I have the old Sterling kit, built in 1957 by my uncle. It still had the Pittman Panther motor in it and the old Babcock R/C gear. He gave the model to me in 1970, I've sailed it at Gitmo, Cuba, Chesapeake Bay, Boston Harbor and Cape Cod Mass (with new Airtronics R/C gear but with the Panther motor.) I rebuilt it in 2007 with a new wood deck, bilge keel, photoetch railings and resin 5" guns. I updated its appearence that the ship had in  Desert Storm. If posting photos on here wasn't such a pain I'd show you what a well traveled 56 year old model can look like!

Mike in RI

ps my father in law in Minnesota phoned to say it's COLD, I guess you folks will have real winter weather for Christmas....

Heck don with any luck you'll printing your own detail parts soon

So far learning 3D CAD is harder than building the printer.  I am not sure doing the CAD design of a part is any faster than building the RTV molds!  Should be cheaper, however, if it is a big part.  At least I can get resin aftermarket parts for the extra five inch turrets I need.

Actually, I am resurrecting the idea of building the Montana.  My local Michaels has one of the old :500 or thereabouts Missouri kits, and a 50% coupon this week.  That puts the price of the kit at only ten bucks!

Don, you're venturing into the ultimate extremes of model building which is exactly where I want to go. I'm not ready to get into CAD yet but I've accumulated some tools and other stuff....such as table top lathe and milling machine, and a kit for making my own PE details....for using in making my own parts. I really want to get into casting my own parts but am unsure about how to start.

Well, my Missouri problem is solved.  Michaels has a 50% coupon this week.  Saw the revell 525th kit on the shelf Thursday for 22 bucks, when I was looking for something else (unsuccessfuly).  Decided to not waste the coupon, so went back yesterday (temp had climbed just above zero in afternoon).  Picked up the Missouri.

The reason I want the Missouri is that I want to model the Montana.  I don't mind carving a new hull.  And I can make an RTV mold and make another turret and three more 16 inch barrels.  Also will make a mould for extra 5 inchers.  I think I can find 1:500 railings and ladders- should be close enough.  Doubt if I can find radar antennas and such.  Don't know yet what I'll do about those.

BTW, was -14 when I went out to get paper this morning.

Hey JimnTenn micro mark sells a few starter kits for rtv mold making ,not too tough to learn.when it comes time to pour resin,just be sure to have plenty of ventilation.nasty stuff

Raualduke, I'm a Micro-Mark regular. I'll have to try one of those kits sometime. Part of my problem with getting started is just being anxious about venturing into a new skill area. I think we all go through that at some point. Thanks for the advice.

After building the Revell Gato I swore never again so big. Wrestling that beast without trying break anything off.....dragging it to work so I could spend time on it during lunch. Now this comes along. Just too cool.

Ron, I had a feeling you were going to come up with a justification to purchase that model from the time I saw your first post.  Good luck with it, I am sure you will do a outstanding job.  Looking forward to your posts.