Ruben James

Under the category of "it's fun to spend other peoples money"; the hot set up would be either a scratchbuilt or kit model at 1/192, or 1/16" = 1'-0" scale.

A 310 foot ship is a small one, and the model would be these sizes at these scales:

1/700- 5.3 inches

1/400- 9.3 inches

1/350- 10.6 inches

1/256 (3/64 "= 1'- 0")- 14.5 inches

1/192 (1/16" = 1'- 0")- 19.375 inches

A nice scale in plastic could be 1/144, the model measuring 25.83 inches.

These look great in photos in flotillas.

bill

GMorrison

"Reuben James".Trumpeter makes a great little USS England, a Buckley DE.

But that's not the one in the song.

 

Bill

 

The Reuben James of song & story was a Clemson-class four pipe destroyer.  Sunk by a U-boat in the North Atlantic before the US entry into WWII.  

In 'almost 350 scale', Mirage makes some 4 pipe kits in 1:400 scale.  These are nice, but IMO over engineered for the scale.  Many small parts swallowed by the sprue gates

In true 1:350 scale, Iron Shipwrights makes a resin & brass 4 piper.  White Ensign made one too.  Check with Atlantic Models of Englan. Peter Hall, WEM's pattern maker has many of WEMs old kits under his name

I have often thought that mainstream model makers missed out on not making a good plastic 4 pipe kit in polystyrene.  Long history, many variants, colorful options, served with many countries. I've said it could be a license to print money

ikar01

Does anyone make a model of the old Ruben James, prefferably in 1/350t

Obviously a larger scale, but a Clemson conversion of the old Revell 1/240 Wickes class would be fairly straightforward. As many times as it's been re-released (Buchanan, Campbeltown, Ward, etc.) it should be easy enough to source.

Though far from state-of-the-art, it's an OK basic kit in a pleasing size...large enough to pack with detail, but still a modest footprint without having to have its own room.

Was just looking.... Nico has a 1/700 of her in resin, with PE.  (1941) Freetime shows in stock for around $47.

Academy has the OHP version in 1/350.

Both are marketed as RJ's.

"Reuben James".Trumpeter makes a great little USS England, a Buckley DE.

But that's not the one in the song.

Bill

I think there are 1/700 Clemson class kits, there are Buckley class DE's (in 1/350) if you want the second named ship, and the third was FFG-57 (Oliver Hazard Perry class).