|
I was a reserve Engineman aboard the USS Dash (MSO-428) from October 1977 until November 1980. During that time, the Dash usually steamed from its homeport of Newport, Rhode Island to Little Creek, Virginia and Charleston, South Carolina.
I built the model from scratch. It is a 1/96 scale model making it about 22 inches long. Pictures that I took while I was in the Navy, along with blue prints that I found online of the USS Esteem (MSO-438), guided me through the construction of the model. It took about three months of on and off spare time to build it.
The hull was constructed by using the "plank on frame" method and waterproofed by applying several coats of fiberglass. The superstructure was made of basswood and filled in with putty.
I am still outfitting the model by adding details as needed. I was surprised just how realistic looking it turned out when I first launched it for its "sea trials and shakedown cruise."
I am happy with the way the model turned out, however, if I were to do it again, I would build a larger scale MSO in order to have the room for working deck gear so the paravanes and mag tail could be deployed.
|
