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USS Growler SSG-577 from Mikro-Mir


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Another new arrival on the slips - the 1/350 scale injection-moulded kit of USS Growler from Mikro-Mir......

 

Box art...

 

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History and paint guide......

 

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Instructions for the hull.......

 

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Regulus I Missile and conning tower.....

 

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Final assembly....

 

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Vertically split hull - with excellent engraved detail.....

 

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Conning tower, decking and one half of the missile.....

 

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Minor parts, missile half, decals and etched-brass.....

 

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I already have her sister-boat (USS Grayback) in my collection.......

 

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So this new kit from MikroMir should make for an interesting comparison....

 

Ken

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  • 4 weeks later...

I'm going in.....

 

MikroMir provide a hangar for the Regulus I missile - so I plan to have one side closed with the missile on its launcher, and the other side open. showing the hangar bay...

 

Here are the kit parts.... consisting of a UU shaped 'floor', a rear section, a dividing wall and a 'roof' (which is also the forward decking)....

 

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The instructions would have you fit the UU floor (part 31) and rear section (part 29) into the port hull half ........

 

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... then you fit the dividing wall (part 28), followed by the roof/decking (part 37) - but the location isn't very precise, so I ignored the instructions and made the hangar as a separate sub-assembly...

 

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This sub-assembly is then fitted inside the port hull half - with the upper decking giving a more precise fit...

 

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Some filler needed....

 

Then the starboard hull half is cemented in place....

 

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Once the gaps are filled and cleaned up it should look OK..... (the bow section is not yet cemented together...)

 

Ken

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For a new kit, there is a lot of flash to remove - and the fit of parts isn't brilliant - but if you want a 1/350th USS Growler........

 

I want to display my model with one missle hangar open, the other closed (as she is on display in NY)...

 

The domed covers don't fit very well - they kept 'falling' inside the hangar - so I added a disc of thin plastic card to cover the hole...

 

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....then glued the dome in place...

 

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The port side panel is then fitted (again fit is a bit 'iffy').......

 

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Some filler (and a wash!) needed....

 

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Finally the starboard panel is added...

 

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I'm off now to buy shares in Squadron Signal White Putty.... :whistle:

 

Ken

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On 2/18/2020 at 5:52 PM, Corsairfoxfouruncle said:

One would wonder just how bad this would cavitate under water, right behind the hanger.

I did a bit of on-line research (Googling for images!) - and photos of her sister-boat USS Grayback (SSG 574) - show that she had clamshell fairings over the domed hangar doors.... presumably to 'fix' any cavitating issues ?

 

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The are a couple of B&W photos of Growler with the same fairings - but now missing from her current configuration on display in New York....

 

Grayback was the earlier of the two boats - launched in 1957 - Growler in 1958.......

 

Whether they were removed when she was put on display - or removed when she was still operational - I don't know.

 

But interesting nonetheless...

 

Wiki entries....

 

Grayback :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Grayback_(SSG-574)

Growler   :- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Growler_(SSG-577)

 

Ken

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Progress....

 

The ill-fitting side panels had their gaps filled.........

 

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....followed by sanding and a coat of grey primer.... which revealed the need for more filler/sanding/primer etc....

 

Until I was happy that the join was hidden......

 

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Nine tiny bollards were added and a final primer coat..... happy so far.

 

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MikroMir quote Ocean Grey as the top colour - I'm going with the Halfords Grey Plastic Primer - which looks OK to me...

 

Ken

Edited by Flankerman
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More....

 

MikroMir provide an etched handrail to go around the sail/bridge/conning tower - but the part is tiny and there are no locating holes.

 

Far beyond my capabilities to fit - and anyway, the etched part pinged off into the ether when I attempted for use it.... :wall: - so I used a thin piece of plastic rod instead...

 

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Note the small step cut into the bottom of the sail - this is to get a better fit into the recess in the deck.

 

The missile launch rail is made up from nine parts (two not yet fitted).

 

The Regulus I Cruise Missile comprises five parts - with a mould mis-match on the rocket boosters that needs to be cleaned up.... (they're 7mm long)

 

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The fuselage is just 27mm long - more Micro-surgery than scale modelling !!!! - those wings are wafer-thin and trying to clean up that vertical fin...... (with my fat fingers and failing eyesight)

 

Ken

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  • 1 month later...
On 2/24/2020 at 10:00 AM, Flankerman said:

More....

 

MikroMir provide an etched handrail to go around the sail/bridge/conning tower - but the part is tiny and there are no locating holes.

 

Far beyond my capabilities to fit - and anyway, the etched part pinged off into the ether when I attempted for use it.... :wall: - so I used a thin piece of plastic rod instead...

 

spacer.png

 

Note the small step cut into the bottom of the sail - this is to get a better fit into the recess in the deck.

 

The missile launch rail is made up from nine parts (two not yet fitted).

 

The Regulus I Cruise Missile comprises five parts - with a mould mis-match on the rocket boosters that needs to be cleaned up.... (they're 7mm long)

 

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The fuselage is just 27mm long - more Micro-surgery than scale modelling !!!! - those wings are wafer-thin and trying to clean up that vertical fin...... (with my fat fingers and failing eyesight)

 

Ken




I've drew up some 1/350 scale Regulus Is to go with my USS Tunny kit but I sell a 4-set separately:

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They are available in my usual place...

 

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  • 2 years later...

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