Queen Mary 2 models

[Bob Godfrey]

Ah, nostalgia! Jon, I remember building the George Washington model (with full interior detail) when it first came out. I seem to recall that two of the missile tubes were spring loaded so the missiles inside could be 'launched', which meant they soon got lost. Hopefully the real sub had a more effective means of delivering its hardware, and the secret the US Navy was keen to protect was not the existence of giant coil springs in the silos! That must have been over 40 years ago. Certainly I was still at school at the time, and had to save my pocket money for a long while to get that one. I think it was the most expensive kit I had ever bought - 18 shillings or therebouts if memory serves.

But I go back further to the first Airfix kits in 1952/3, which cost two shillings and were packed in small plastic bags rather than boxes. One day my dad brought home two of their earliest efforts - the Spitfire and the Golden Hind. Neither he nor any of us kids had ever seen a plastic kit before, and we hadn't heard of polystyrene, let alone polystyrene cement, so we gave up in disgust when we found that none of the usual household glues would hold the parts together!

Here's a link to the past:
http://www.steelnavy.com/revell%20GW.htm

 

[Jon Hollis]

> [Bob what a great story of the "Good Olde Days" Another thing about the George Washington that gave the Navy a twist in their knickers was the fact that the decal sheet of the instrument panel was actually a reduced photograph of the real control panel. Also in Revell kits all the human little figures were reduced cast mouldings of real persons via photo magic and great tool makers. I remember going back to that HO Farmouse Set that one of the office big wigs heated one of the figures so he could bend him in a sitting position painted hime up with trousers at half mast and placed him on the seat in the Out-House and left the door open.Everyone who came into to see Larry's HO layout always seemed to spot it. That was a fun job all those monster machines and getting paid to keep an eye on them and the kits that they spit out so fast, plus building them to test for fit missing pasrts and all kinds of QC. We had en akk, Ships, Planes, Trucks, Cars, Hot Rods, Trains, even Horse Drawn Royal Coaches. IT WAS FUN Hey thanks again and thanks for the link. Great pics could almost smell the glue. Cheers Jon ]

 

[Jon Hollis]

Bob Thanks to you here TIZ

 

[Jon Hollis]

GW Engine Room and this was before computers did all the drawings and mold etching Other Pics ?? go to that link Bob mentioned even more details

 

[Michael H. Standart]

>>Hopefully the real sub had a more effective means of delivering its hardware,<<

It did. They used steam generators which expelled the missile at great force from the tube. If I recall correctly, this generator used a small rocket motor of some kind to do the job.

 

[Bob Godfrey]

Mike, for 40 years we were able to sleep safe in our beds because the Soviet Georgi Washingtov Class nuclear submarines used the Revell coil-spring missile launch system. But now you've given the game away!

 

[Michael H. Standart]

Well, I could have said something about the huge rubber bands used for the catapults on our aircraft carriers, but that one's in a folder marked "SUICIDE BEFOR READING"

Markings like that discourage interest real quick for some reason.

 

[Simon Edkins]

I am planning to make a 3D computer model of the QM2. Does anyone have any suggestions about how to get a set of scaled plans? The people who have created the models (Revell, Airfix, etc.) must have gotten them from somewhere.

Thanks for any help,

SImon Edkins

 

[Joe Russo]

I just purchased the Revell model and noticed that the stern deck 6 all around the Minnows Pool has instructions to paint the decking a different color than the other wood decks. Has anyone been on the QM2 that knows why? Is this not actually teak decking on this last deck? See the pictures.

 

[Joe Russo]

Here is photo of the actual QM2 and you can see a different deck material around the kids pool.

 

[Kyle Johnstone]

No, it's not teak.
I don't know what it is called, but it is that rubberized-like material.

 

[Joe Russo]

For the kids I guess. Thanks!

 

[Peter Spielvogel]

I realize that this thread has been idle for quite some time, but I'm wondering if anyone's tried to float a 1:400 scale Revell QM2 model? I have an urge to modify one with the guts from a remote control speedboat to make a working QM2 model, but she looks like she'd be too top-heavy. Has anyone taken her for a swim?

 

[trevor william sturdy]

Hi Peter, I am sure with some ballast added she will sit upright.. I have built a 1/350 Bismarck & a 1/350 Yamato, these came with electric motors incase you wanted to motorize them, I did not. I still have the motors somewhere at home and u are welcome to them if u wish, i will never use them.

 

[Peter Spielvogel]

That sounds interesting. What are the specs on those engines and how much would you want for them if I decided to take you up on that? If it's not practical to send them here to the U.S. then I have my little speedboat engine and an idea to try something with an old 12-volt drill. I'm sure spectacular failure enters the equation there, so that's only for use if I can't make anything else work.