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Dragon's Modern Sea Power Series...

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  • Member since
    May 2016
Dragon's Modern Sea Power Series...
Posted by Revenant on Thursday, June 2, 2016 7:08 PM

...or more specifically, their 1/350th scale destroyer kits...

So several years ago Dragon released their well-received USS Buchanan.  Then they released several minors variants of the same kit.  Then came their  German Z-series of destroyers...then the well went dry.  So where's a British or Japanese destroyer?  Or an Italian versioN?  Where's the Destroyer Escorts?  "The World Wonders..."

Anyone have an intel on whether or not Dragon will continue delivering in this area or is the market not there? I hope so...if any of you own, or have seen these kits, I think you will agree that they are probably the finest of their type in 1/350th scale...

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Saturday, June 4, 2016 3:02 PM

...just sayin...

  • Member since
    June 2014
  • From: New Braunfels , Texas
Posted by Tanker - Builder on Saturday, June 11, 2016 11:06 AM

Hmm:

    Ya know , you are very correct . I have been wondering that too .  T.B.

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Saturday, June 11, 2016 7:00 PM

Tanker - Builder

Hmm:

    Ya know , you are very correct . I have been wondering that too .  T.B.

 

Anyone built any of these destroyers...or what?

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • From: Salem, Oregon
Posted by 1943Mike on Saturday, June 11, 2016 8:38 PM

I built the USS Buchanan as the USS Duncan (DD-485) for a friend of mine whose dad died aboard her in the Battle of Cape Esperance in October, 1942. I gave it to him as a present. I'm convinced I could have done a better job but it was fun and my friend appreciated it.

Mike

"Le temps est un grand maître, mais malheureusement, il tue tous ses élèves."

Hector Berlioz

  • Member since
    July 2013
Posted by steve5 on Saturday, June 11, 2016 9:00 PM

look's pretty damn fine to me mike

 

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Saturday, June 11, 2016 9:23 PM

1943Mike

I built the USS Buchanan as the USS Duncan (DD-485) for a friend of mine whose dad died aboard her in the Battle of Cape Esperance in October, 1942. I gave it to him as a present. I'm convinced I could have done a better job but it was fun and my friend appreciated it.

 

Impresssive...I've been doing a lot of reading on the naval battles of Guadalcanal lately and am convinced the surface engagements were some of the most savage actions of the war, on the ground or in the water...I didn't know the Duncan was a Buchanan class DD but regardless it looks great...how'd you do the water?

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Maryland
Posted by Par429 on Sunday, June 12, 2016 6:21 PM

Hey-

   I'm just finishing building the USS Livermore as the USS Hammann.  Even though the Hammann is a Sims-class DD and the stack and aft deckhouses are Shapeways parts, I can't say enough good stuff about these kits.  The detail is amazing, everything fits and they look great. 

Very, very highly recommended!

 

Phil

 

 

 

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Sunday, June 12, 2016 8:06 PM

Par429

Hey-

   I'm just finishing building the USS Livermore as the USS Hammann.  Even though the Hammann is a Sims-class DD and the stack and aft deckhouses are Shapeways parts, I can't say enough good stuff about these kits.  The detail is amazing, everything fits and they look great. 

Very, very highly recommended!

 

Phil

 

 

 

 

 

 

Very nice...I see you depicted it as a waterline model...Hammann...wasn't that DD at Midway or Santa Cruz?

 ...the names rings a bell For some reason...

  • Member since
    October 2004
  • From: Maryland
Posted by Par429 on Sunday, June 12, 2016 8:19 PM

Hey-

  USS Hammann was at both Coral Sea and Midway.  She was the DD that tied up to Yorktown and was ultimately sunk with her when they were torpedoed by a submarine.

 

Phil

 

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Sunday, June 12, 2016 8:45 PM

Par429

Hey-

  USS Hammann was at both Coral Sea and Midway.  She was the DD that tied up to Yorktown and was ultimately sunk with her when they were torpedoed by a submarine.

 

Phil

 

 

 

Yep, that's right..caught a torpedo while attending to Yorktown...I love the destroyer kits...oh, what I'd do for an early war British DD by Dragon...

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • From: Salem, Oregon
Posted by 1943Mike on Sunday, June 12, 2016 9:31 PM

Revenant,

The Duncan was a Gleaves class destroyer as was the Buchanan. See here:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/485.htm

And here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleaves-class_destroyer

The image I posted of my model is as close as I could get to the last known photograph of the Duncan in October, 1942 as she steamed toward her fate. See here:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0548503.jpg

With regard to how I did the water, it was a first attempt. I tried to follow this guy's method:

http://www.steelnavy.com/Whitewater.htm

I hope that helps.

Mike

"Le temps est un grand maître, mais malheureusement, il tue tous ses élèves."

Hector Berlioz

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Monday, June 13, 2016 4:27 PM

1943Mike

Revenant,

The Duncan was a Gleaves class destroyer as was the Buchanan. See here:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/485.htm

And here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gleaves-class_destroyer

The image I posted of my model is as close as I could get to the last known photograph of the Duncan in October, 1942 as she steamed toward her fate. See here:

http://www.navsource.org/archives/05/0548503.jpg

With regard to how I did the water, it was a first attempt. I tried to follow this guy's method:

http://www.steelnavy.com/Whitewater.htm

I hope that helps.

 

Awesome...thanks!  I'm torn between building the 1942 Laffey, pre-war Benson or the 1942 Buchanan...any input? 

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • From: Salem, Oregon
Posted by 1943Mike on Monday, June 13, 2016 9:10 PM

I'm no expert on ship kits but, from what I've read by way of reviews, the Dragon 1/350 USS Buchanan is one of the finest kits of its kind. I sure found it to be a remarkably good kit. I can't speak for your other choices ... perhaps others will chime in.

Mike

"Le temps est un grand maître, mais malheureusement, il tue tous ses élèves."

Hector Berlioz

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Monday, June 13, 2016 9:23 PM

1943Mike

I'm no expert on ship kits but, from what I've read by way of reviews, the Dragon 1/350 USS Buchanan is one of the finest kits of its kind. I sure found it to be a remarkably good kit. I can't speak for your other choices ... perhaps others will chime in.

 

I agree...but keep in mind all of these choices are Dragon boxings based on the original Buchanan kit...

  • Member since
    December 2010
  • From: Salem, Oregon
Posted by 1943Mike on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 10:56 AM

Revenant,

If that's the case (I didn't realize it was) then, assuming Dragon has put the flat stacks for the Benson class destroyers in with other minor detail changes in the Benson class kits, it would simply be a choice you'd make based on how you feel about the ships.

Mike

"Le temps est un grand maître, mais malheureusement, il tue tous ses élèves."

Hector Berlioz

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Tuesday, June 14, 2016 7:19 PM

I'm a BIG Dragon, destroyer in 1/350th scale, Modern Sea Powers Series Groupie...

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: EG48
Posted by Tracy White on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 3:16 PM

Revenant
Anyone have an intel on whether or not Dragon will continue delivering in this area or is the market not there?

Don't hold your breath. I worked with Dragon on their 350th ship line and no real work has been done for years. I'm not saying it won't happen, just that even if we started up again tomorrow it would take a whilel to get any new product finished and to market.

That said, there is a possibility that I'm not aware of what they're doing at this instant. I keep contact up, but it's more of a "hey, look, cool gallery of one of your kits" than "answer my questions!"

Tracy White Researcher@Large

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Wednesday, June 15, 2016 5:29 PM

Tracy White

 

 
Revenant
Anyone have an intel on whether or not Dragon will continue delivering in this area or is the market not there?

 

Don't hold your breath. I worked with Dragon on their 350th ship line and no real work has been done for years. I'm not saying it won't happen, just that even if we started up again tomorrow it would take a whilel to get any new product finished and to market.

That said, there is a possibility that I'm not aware of what they're doing at this instant. I keep contact up, but it's more of a "hey, look, cool gallery of one of your kits" than "answer my questions!"

 

Hey, Tracy--good to see you back in here with your maritime knowledge.

Bummer...Its a shame cause those kits are cherry...do you know Timothy Dike, the researcher they used for those destroyers?  What is your opinion if the kits? 

  • Member since
    July 2008
Posted by ModelWarships on Thursday, June 16, 2016 8:50 PM

I troll around here from time to time, but live over on the ModelWarships.com forum.

Timothy Dike

Owner and founder

ModelWarships.com

  • Member since
    July 2004
  • From: Sonora Desert
Posted by stikpusher on Friday, June 17, 2016 12:21 PM

Tamiya, Hasegawa, and I believe Fine Molds, all make 1/350 IJN Destroyer kits. With the lingering bad blood between China and Japan and Dragon really not covering many Japanese subjects in any of their kit lines, I would not hold my breath for them to cover that subject area.

Trumpeter has recently released several RN/RCN 1/30 destroyers, so at least they now finally exist in injection plastic. And yes, it would be nice to see any of the mainstream 1/350 kit makers release an Italian Navy WWII Destroyer class or two in injection plastic.

 

F is for FIRE, That burns down the whole town!

U is for URANIUM... BOMBS!

N is for NO SURVIVORS...

       - Plankton

LSM

 

  • Member since
    May 2016
Posted by Revenant on Saturday, June 18, 2016 2:57 PM

stikpusher

Tamiya, Hasegawa, and I believe Fine Molds, all make 1/350 IJN Destroyer kits. With the lingering bad blood between China and Japan and Dragon really not covering many Japanese subjects in any of their kit lines, I would not hold my breath for them to cover that subject area.

Trumpeter has recently released several RN/RCN 1/30 destroyers, so at least they now finally exist in injection plastic. And yes, it would be nice to see any of the mainstream 1/350 kit makers release an Italian Navy WWII Destroyer class or two in injection plastic.

 

Actually the bad blood flows primarily the other way...however, making money trumps all of that (see what I did there?).  I saw the British Tribal line of destroyers by Trump.  Unfortunately the errors in that line are far too much for most serious ship modelers, and most ship modelers are serious... 

  • Member since
    August 2005
  • From: EG48
Posted by Tracy White on Wednesday, June 22, 2016 12:29 PM

Revenant
Bummer...Its a shame cause those kits are cherry...do you know Timothy Dike, the researcher they used for those destroyers?  What is your opinion if the kits?

Tim was much more than a researcher on the Benson/Gleaves destroyers - he did the original CAD at least and a good deal of the follow-on ships (if not all, I can't specifically remember). What was great about the Dragon kits was that there was a whole team of subject matter experts who helped. Some of us were researchers finding materials at archives, others were simply scary smart about a specific type or ship. Tim and I had a falling out about the time that the work started coming to a halt, but I'll give him props for his CAD and hosting a great forum that has attracted a great and knowledgeable community.

I personally think the kits are great. I recognize that the small pieces are difficult for some people and acknowledge that as a drawback, but I also don' thtink that all kits should be focused on the lowest level of skill set. There were some good things happening there that I wish we were able to continue.

Tracy White Researcher@Large

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