1/350 USS Hughes DD 410 (ISW)
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by Fred Branyan |
1/350 USS Hughes DD 410 (ISW)
This is the ISW Russell kit built as the USS Hughes DD 410 at the Battle of Santa Cruz. My thanks to my good friend Gabriel Djinn who made the first camo mask of his new company Precision Model Camouflage for the hull of this model. His product was superior. The masks went on easily with no tearing, came off easily after painting, and were as accurate as possible. His masks dramatically reduced the build time of this model. Thanks also to Rick Davis for his ongoing supply of Sims class detail info, and Al Ozell for his ships bell referrals.
This ship is probably the best photographed Sims class DD. I tried to match the camo patterns as close as possible to the photos by masks on the hull and brush on everything above the main deck. If anyone else is going to do this ship with this kit I will pass on a few errors I made. I forgot to extend the canvas railing cover on the top of the bridge slightly forward at the front end of it, and to end it just short of the rear of the bridge to allow room for a DF antenna. I should have moved the overhead of the aft deck house forward about 1/16 of an inch to make more room for the 4 gun 20 mm battery there with plastic sheet. Live and learn. Aside from these issues I tried to make it as close as possible to the photos of the actual ship. I was considering weathering the hull until I found AP photos of the ship on line taken just after Santa Cruz which show the paint in very good condition. The next one of these models I build I might try to saw slots in the rear bottom of the bridge for the 2 plates that go against the main mast. I broke both off about 10 times each trying to work with the mast and the rigging. Rigging is black nylon thread and white EZ Line for the signal lines. If I can find tube small enough I am going to add the floater nets and scratch build the racks they went into visible in the photos of the ship’s deck.
Due to past issues using Tamiya and Life Color paints on top of each other I tried a different approach with the hull of this model. For the superstructure I used Tamiya XF 19 Sky Grey and my usual Tamiya XD 66 Light Grey for Haze/Ocean Grey. As an experiment I used Life Color Haze Grey and their too dark Ocean Grey lightened 1:1 more or less with Haze Grey. Their colors were used on the 5 inch mounts. As you can see the 2 sets of colors are pretty close and I think pretty accurate.
The flags on the signal lines starboard are the NATX flag hoist radio call sign per Navsource. Those on the port side are the initials of my friend and CV8 crewman picked up by Hughes Charles F. Treder. Charles was the father of Margaret Treder, secretary of the Mustin Hornet Association to which we both belong. As you can see from the nameplate on the base I built this model to honor his memory. His WWII photo is below.
The following detail kits were used:
