Kinda sad tonight...

so we're both tainted I guess haha... I dont know.. my dad did 9 yrs in the Corps before crossing over to Navy so I'm not sure what blood I have

I too have "snipe blood"...my Dad was an EM1.

yeah that was only in school... after we got out of our basic schools (HM, HT, EW etc... ) we all forgot about that... My dad was a HTC when he was in... so I come from Snipe blood...

Never heard that from my son, know he worked with Doc's when there was a medical emergency. He served on the Prize(DC3 on the fire department). Had a couple called on him following some asthma attacks caused by exposure during a hazmat spill. Said they treated him good, of course Army Doc's treated me good too after I was hurt.
John
Helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission

QUOTE: Originally posted by grandadjohn Have them give it a try, can't hurt, I'll work on my "snipe" son. John

::rolling eyes:: not a SNIPE!!! haha I havent heard that term for many a year... I remember in Corps school the warning not to go near "snipes castle" in Great Lakes... ends up we made friends with a few of thm at the bowling alley one night and the other "snipes" didnt like it when we came to get them to go back partying with us... something about we were supposed to be natural enemies or something haha...

oh well...


Thanks!!!!

Have them give it a try, can't hurt, I'll work on my "snipe" son.
John

I just remembered that when Jeff replied too John.. Revell at some part of the 70's had a model of the Guadalcanal... which with a little fitting for the different radars on the two could become the Guam for me...

Yeah and thought I don't totally trust Jackson (sneaky snake that he is haha) he might be our only way to get it moving... if not now then later with enough people asking about it... I still keep contact with some buddies from different amphibs... Saipan, Iwo Jima etc... and even though they aren't modellers I bet I can get them to email... especially if they are drunk when I call them hahaha

Again, thanks to all I appreciate the positive responses!!!

Doc
Monogram bougth out Aurora, but the mold question is not so easy to answer. During shipment there was a train wreck and some molds where distroyed, some were lost over time and some were junked due to damage while in storage, and they have released a few kits from those molds. What remains Revell-Monogram won't disclose although from time to time something pops up.
Best bet is to watch at swap meets and vender tables at shows. Sometimes estate sales will bring stuff out.
Let's not give up yet, since some kits were made so there has to be some interset. The fact the we got some response from Trumpeter is better then most model companies give.
Remembered that Revell had a kit out years ago, might watch for that, may have also been re-released by Revell-Germany.
John
Helicopter don't fly, they beat the air into submission

Thanks Jeff, it's worth a try... the only thing that might save this is there is one, possibly two styrene molds done already for the LPH... if they happen to be in posession of one or be inclined to get them it might work...

By the way... does anyone know who bought out Aurora? or did it just close? they have one of the old kits in question...

the only reason I am asking for 1/350 is to maybe get it in at over 1/700 scale... even 1/600 is a start...

Guys,

Don't get your hopes up...this is coming from someone who's given them alot of intel on WW2 ship subjects, plans, books photos, etc., some of which have been produced, most of which have not.

In the end, it'll all come down to money...how much money will an LPH make for them, instead of yet another carrier or a battleship? Probably not as much. I don't want to shatter anyone's hopes or efforts, but if I can't get a 1/350 Gearing or Sumner, or Atlanta CL, or even Graf Spee, I seriously doubt they'll consider doing an LPH.

By the way, Taubman's Plan Service carries a set of LPH drawings, LPH2-12, plan number 52X, for $8.00.

I hope you guys can get through to them...all I know is, they're not listening to those of us who gave them most of their latest subjects, the Essex Class CVs, the Liberty Ship, Nimitz, etc. Maybe you can get through to them.

Best,

Jeff Herne

This Jackson guy is the one who helped me get a replacement cowling for my Trumpeter 1/32 F4F-4. He was very helpful and got me taken care of. But he's only one guy in the whole company. I'm sure there's only so much he can do.

Thanks again John... when I get the response back from the Navy and if I can find a microfilm reader (hopefully my library still has theirs) I can print out the plans and mail them... hopefully the Navy will sell them to me!

will do, Doc
agree Jackson is a wierd name for someone from China.
Again I urge all others to e-mail Jackson using the link above
John
Helicopters don't fly, the beat the air into submission

ok!!!! (teletype sound, circa Saturday Night Live "The Evening News") just got an email back from Jackson... if that IS his name...

Tom:

Well! That sounds a good idea you would send me the data.
Anyway we would consider to do it as large scale as possible, as you
know
we are doing very well in large scale even the ships.

Thank you very much for your attention at this!!

Best regards
Jackson Xiao


ok sounds like a buncha crap but lets see!! yall email him you are looking for the prints too.,.. (I will get them if they are public domain now, should be as it is stricken from the Naval Register) just to keep the pressure up hahah... I didnt say anything about scale so obviously you all's emails got to him too... if it is a "he" and not a generic mailbox name... we should go for a 1/24 model of the Guam haha... (thiking if my neighbors would mind me taking up their lawns...) of course I do live on the lake so if I sealed it I could register it as a boat here...

wow... this has been an eventful night... just found smeone who has the 1/600 model of the USS Guadalcanal (same class as the Guam, different radar) only prob is it is 150.00 but I am still thinking of buying it... I guess it will be my Christmas present from my wife (already told her that's what I want)

I am going to still press Trumpeter for a 1/400 or better build... hopefully the nameless who see this thread might ask for a model of an amphibious assault ship as well. Landing Platform, Helicopter to be exact... (LPH) ... I might buy the old skool Auroroa kit from the 60's just the same.. even though it is not accurate according to the forum I read... it still expresses the shape and size (i.e. massive) of the LPH they said...

again, thaks to Carl and John and whoever else is helping in this quest to get an entire class of ships recognized... the only amphibs I know of are the LHD class and they are kind of boring to me... untried except in Somalia and there was no competiion there... sure they look good and carry the LCAC's but that's it... no history... no war wounds...

1/700 = about 4 inches in the LPD class, about 5 inches in the LPH class... thats sad...

Doc
Glad the link helped. Hoped it would. Got an answer to my e-mail today, same respond you got, but it will show them people are interested. I incourage all others to e-mail them also, the more the merrier.
John
Helicopter's don't fly, they beat the air intp submission

Thanks John!

That is definitely I was looking for! Gonne zip them off a letter tonight...

For anyone else looking for plans for a scratchbuild or something like I am doing, here is the link:

http://history.navy.mil/faqs/faq26-1.htm

they also have a list of commerical sources for plans there too...

Doc
I was surfing thru
www.navy.mil
on one of the heading's i found "frequently asked questions" and clicked on it and found a listing for ship plans. They do sell them, but thought you might want to check it out. Hope my directions will help you find the site. If not let me know and I'll try to be more specific.
John
Helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission

yeah, with the blue side they always called me by my name... with the green machine they mostly called me doc except some of the Sgt and up... if we knew each other and hung out together they called me Tom... but called me Doc on duty...

I appreciate y'alls help John and Carl... It is actually kind of exciting to think of a styrene version of an LPH coming out. I just found out Aurora did a 1/600 version some time back (prior to my modelling years.. even the early ones when I was a teen I am afraid) And if I remember it was mentioned that it was rather uncommon to rare to find one... maybe I can find some info on it..

The hard part is I am not having luck on finding plans for the Guam... at least yet. I am contacting this company in MD and see if they have any or could get them from the Nat'l Register or something... I am sure they will cost a decent amount but who knows? just for deck and superstructure plans might not be TOO much!

E-mail has been sent, asked for 1-350 scale, couldn't get it out last night, so I sent it today. Hope it helps.

Always called them Doc or by their name
John
Helicopters don't fly, they beat hte air into submission

QUOTE: Originally posted by grandadjohn Never called a Doc a name

At least not a bad one John..

---Tom---

They already emailed back!! wow wasn't expecting that... of course he thnks 1/700 is big enough... (grumble grumble...'tiny little things'...grumble)
He wants specs though so I guess I have to start digging... I'll have to call his bluff and actually produce some plans or something...

here it is:

Dear Sir

Thank you very much for your suggestion for the ships. Yes, we have a
possibility to release the kits but first we must research much more
data and i think 1/700 would be fine, any questions please advise!

Do you have any data for them?

Best regards
Jackson

Doc,

Email has been launched.

Carl

Roger that, Doc
1/350 sound's good
Never called a Doc a name
Out
John

Helicopter's don't fly, they beat the air into submission

no I sent it to this one Carl...

88wxl@trumpeter-china.com

thats the design and technology dept. I guess one to marketing wouldnt hurt either... I got it off here: http://www.gzysd.com/war513/resume/en_callme.asp

Doc...which department did you send your email to? Was it the U.S. Sales Dept...Stevens Int'l?

Carl

ok.. all of us squids, jarheads, and dogfaces that remember what it feels like to love a piece of metal... and even those who just like ships period... lets go to the trumpeter site and say something.. ok we're only 10 or so people but let's make a stand... nothing will happen I am sure.. but let's at least say something for a class of icons, our ships... that we served on.. loved, or felt the same about another craft (Huey etc..) about and understand...

Ask for an LPH or an LPD... 1/400 or better...

Well said grandad... not to associate us with that TV show... but we are all a band of brothers... for all the competitiveness while in service we are all one now... (.ie.e the names we had for each other like squid, puddle pirate (USCG), jar head etc...)

It would be hard for someone else to understand the feelings I get when I see a CH-46 fly over, or I am sure you get when you see a Huey... it's almost like seeing a best friend you haven't had contact with in years... but they were always inside you...

Thanks for your feedback, it feels good to be part of this....

History is more than what it did, where it went and what FS color it was painted... it is about the men who flew her, served on her, loved her...

Don't feel bad. I think what you started was needed and it has been an eye opener for me too.

I think that we all had similar feelings about our ship's or aircraft. They were all that you said and I might add each had its own personality. A trip down memory lane? Maybe. But this is also part of our hobby, to help preserve history, be it a ship, or aircraft or tank. This is for our childern and our grandchildern. Since we can't preserve them all, models take their place. Having fun trying to teach my grandson to say "HUEY" and " big iron bird" when an airplane flies over and listening to my granddaughter saying "this will be the horse we ride" from WE Were Soldiers clips on TV when the HUEY flew by the hanger.

I have enjoyed reading this topic and have found that regardless of which branch we served (I have had friends that served in all branchs) in our feelings are the same.

From Shakespere:
"From this day to the ending of the world,
But we it it shall be rememer'd;
We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;
For he today sheds his blood with me shall be my brother."

John
Helicopters don't fly, they beat the air into submission

P.S. try
www.trumpeter-china.com
they seem to listen to what we want

I'd like to interject another comment, and I feel kind of bad for starting this in the ships forum because it is a bit off topic, somewhat on topic as it deals with ships, and a lot of ship data has been presented in it... but we stray now and then and stroll down military memory lane..

no one's expressed offense so I guess they either ignore it or join in... I just felt if anyone understood what I was feeling, someone in here would... and maybe it's shown some model ship builder some more of what the real ships were constructed of.. and Hueys etc.. etc.. etc.. it seems no matter what military branch, our tools are our life... and we come to love them. Not as tools of destruction, or bringers of death, but as well maintained, almost living things that become part of us, part of our unit... or maybe it is us that becomes part of them...

of course there are those that never felt the way we do that served, and thier opinion is thiers and I respect that... but so far it is eye opening to see the similarity in all of what we worked with, served on etc...