Consolidated Micronaut wish list 2008-2009

[av8rmongo]

They are new. I included them because three ships from my list have (or will be) satisfied already this year. If you take out those three then HMS Ocean, PLAN Jiangwei and Jianghu would round out my top 10. At the bottom of my top 10 there is a lot of slop actually some days its PLAN stuff other days it could be Indian stuff but like you I suspect I want it all.

Paul

[cbovill]

I must have been on vacation when this thread started because I just realized I never submitted my wish list for this. I've based my selections below on what GHQ has averaged over the last two years (the only years I have data for) for naval production. Based on this, they should be able to produce 14-15 models next year and not take away from any of the other lines.

1/2400 Great War:

Britain - AMC Otranto - she would complete Cradock's squadron at the battle of Coronel, and to me, nothing ranks a ship higher for construction qualification than having been in an actual battle that we would be very likely to be gaming out. I know the other guys build her but good God - they just don't compare to GHQ!

Britain - BB HMS Neptune - the only dreadnought that was at Jutland that is still not produced - 'nuff said!

Britain - CA HMS Defence - The Minotaur class of three armored cruisers were the last laid down by the RN and saw very active service in the war. Present at Jutland - the most holy of holy's! Any Jutland gaps need to have highest priority for filling. Still need CA Duke of Edinburgh, and CA Hampshire for the big ships missing for Jutland.

Britain - CL HMS Southampton - Of the Chatham class of six CL's. Southampton was Commodore Goodenough's flagship for the 2nd Light Cruiser Squadron. Goodenough was renowned throughout the war for his handling of his squadron in many engagements of which Southampton was a part. Hard to over-estimate the importance of this class. ...and yes, present at Jutland.

Britain - DD "L" class - These destroyers outfitted Commodore Tyrwhitt's Harwich force in the first years of the war and saw very active service in many engagements. The trouble with British destroyer classes at this time though is that they had differing numbers of stacks based on who was building them and what engines they used (argh!). So we have a three stacker M class and the two stacker Ferret TBD. I could go for a 2, 3 or 4 stacker L and be happy, or perhaps put the different variants in the same pack - you get four in each pack anyhow.

Germany - CL Weisbaden - Class of light cruisers present and very active in the Battle of Jutland - the holy grail of battles - must be filled.

1/2400 WWII:
Britain - CV HMS Indomitable - "Indom" saw very active service in WWII and is critical for some important engagements in the Med.

Britain - BB Prince of Wales - A short but glorious career, and I am not shaving the degausing cable off of KGV, just give us a proper POW, and I would be satisfied to use her to represent the follow-on KGV's as a compromise.

Britain - CA Devonshire - All important and under-represented County class cruiser. Build her in her early war configuration with all four 8" twin turrets. Can be used to represent sisters HMS Suss*x and HMS Shropshire. High priority!

Britain - DD V&W Classes set of three: LR, SR, and AA escort versions, put one of each in each pack, saw active service all over the world, but most notably in the Battle of the Atlantic.

Germany - CA Deutschland/Lutzow - differs greatly from her sister Graf Spee and saw active service throughout the war.

France - BB Bretagne - she and her sister Provence cannot be represented by their modernized sister Lorraine. Although I consider a French fleet a luxury right now, I do fully intend to build this fleet and this would be a critical addition.

Italy - SS Perla/Adua Classes - Italy simply must have a submarine, they saw very active service in the Med and Italy even based a flottilla in France to help fight the Battle of the Atlantic.

1/2400 Modern:
Britain - County class DDG - Important cold war era and Falklands veteran class of British destroyers (although they were actually used in the cruiser role - don't know why everyone is afraid of the term CG now-a-days anyhow). Doesn't matter that someone else may have built them, its not GHQ quality.

Britain - Leander class FF - Important cold war era and Falklands veteran class of British frigates. Please provide this with an array of options for equipage.

Here's hoping to see some of these next year!
Chris

[av8rmongo]

Chris,

While I totally agree about the quality of GHQ over others it just seems like a waste to field the same thing as the other guys when there is so much fresh material that needs to be covered.

Paul

[LAX_Kev]

I've been mulling over how to submit a "Top 10" list to hopefully provide my little bit of input to GHQ to help shape their selections of projects for future releases. I submitted a Top 10 modern micronaut list back in February, but it appears to me that GHQ is focusing their new micronaut projects on the WW1/WW2 eras.

Like so many others of us in this hobby, it's awfully difficult to narrow down that huge mental wish list (admittedly, mine's not quite as long as some of Don's lists, but …) to just a few "must-have's". But here's a stab at some "Top 5's", by era:

Modern Micronauts:

1. Gearing FRAM DD: Superior used to make these, and there's a few still out there occasionally on EBay, but I'd really like some made with the GHQ quality and level of detail. Essential for a Cold War fleet.
2. British LEANDER FF: Possibly with one common hull and multiple superstructure pieces to customize between basic/exocet/ikara/seawolf versions. There's been some chat about one being available from a new vendor, but ditto my comments on the FRAM above.
3. USN Carrier aircraft II: Vietnam pack (F4, F8, A3, A4, A7, H3) GHQ doesn't make pre-NIMITZ USN carriers, but I'll bet many of us have a few from a couple of the competitors, and that heavy-Grumman USN airwing GHQ has available just isn't appropriate for the 1960's and most of the 70's
4. A. BURKE Flight IIA DDG (with helo hangers). USN modern mainstay. Should sell well, since there's so many out there.
5. Flight deck and hull number decals for modern ships (since you can hardly find them anywhere except from trusted friends or occasionally on EBay - this is a serious market void that would easily become best-sellers. I do a crummy job of trying to paint that stuff on, so now it's either decals or nothing for me.

Runners Up (in no particular order): There's almost too many to mention, but these frequently come up in my thoughts: British County Class DDG (Falklands / Exocet configuration), HMS FEARLESS British LPD, USS ORISKANY (modernized with angled flight deck), DDG-2 / 14 class (with changeable launcher to reflect the two configurations), DDG-993's, Kynda CG, Long Beach, OK City CG, LPD 17 class, modern JMSDF ships, modern PLA(N) ships (see some of Paul's inputs for these - the modern Chinese Navy could develop into a wide-ranging product line that may prove to be a best-seller, especially in China!!)

WW2 Micronauts:

1. Langley, as sunk in her AV configuration. True, it's available in resin, but GHQ would make a much nicer version. Could possibly include full length flight deck so that a collector could assemble either the AV version or the CV-1 version. Bi-planes for the CV or P-40's as deck cargo for the AV version would be nice accessories/additions for this one as well.
2. Scylla / Charybdis modified Dido CLAAs (Should be an easy remake from UKN-15). Nobody makes these.
3. Coventry / Curlew early "C" class CLAAs, with ten single gun 4" mounts (again, a modification to the existing UKN-11). I have a really horrible casting of this from a long-gone maker, and I really want something better!
4. Shinano. Lots of pewter here - I'll bet this one would cost extra, like the WASP LHD. Although my resin version is sorta OK (thanks to a creative paint job), I'd certainly pay for the GHQ version, if available.
5. Lutzow or Scheer (anything but the Graf Spee!)

Runners Up: BB Malaya, late-war Mississippi class BBs, Mogami (post repair), CV Indomitable, AMCs (both British and German), BB Vanguard, Prince of Wales (or another KGV later in the war without those UPs), Gneisenau (11" or 15")

WW1 Micronauts
1. Keep those USN WW1 BBs coming! These have to be best-sellers
2. Furious - either as early hybrid CV or as 2x18" BC
3. USN Armored Cruiser San Diego (Pennsylvania class) or
4. Ships cancelled because of the Washington Treaty (this could be a year's worth of releases all by itself): Lexington BC, South Dakota BB, N3, G3, Tosa, Kii, Amagi
5. Pre-dreadnaughts (besides KE7 and Pommern): British, USN, French, German, Russian, Japanese …

A bit long-winded, but that's my two cents worth. My ultimate goal is to replace the resin and VF units in my collection of every USN Battleship ever made with GHQ castings. I keep hoping!

Kevin

[sjolly75 H4]

All,

I just wanted to put in my two cents… so here’s my top 10 list. As kind of an overview, I’m picking ships that are used or were used by several fleets.

1. Gearing FRAM DD - I agree with Kevin - a mainstay of the 60’s and 70’s cold war fleets, and used by many different countries

2. MEKO 200 class of FF - Used by Turkey, Greece, South Africa, Australia, and Portugal - have sprues with various weapon components so it can fit all four.

3. French A69 FF - Used by both France and Argentina

4. French Commandant Riviere FF - Used by both France and Uruguay, and similar to Portugese Joao Belo FF

5. French Charles de Gaulle CVN - No one else makes it, why not?

6. French Jeanne d’Arc CVH - I tried converting the old Jean d’Arc into the new one…didn’t work out so well.

7. Netherlands Tromp DDG - lots of other Dutch ships available, this would finish out the major classes

8. PRC Luda DD

9. PRC Jianghu FF

10. Flight deck and hull numbers - I was really upset that Seabat went away, and now there is no source for the flight deck and hull number decals, for either modern or WWII in 2400 scale.

By the way, what vendor supplies the Fearless LPD in 1:2400? I haven’t seen it yet.

Thanks!

Steve

[av8rmongo]

Steve,

The Fearless as well as Bristol will be available about mid month from a new start-up that goes by the name of Sea Wulf (a Google search will get youthere). They've made a number of Leanders and the County class already this year and I'm in the process of writing up a short review of the product line to date. I've started a Yahoo Group called Tow Tank where I will be posting the reviews. All are welcome to register although there is nothing posted there yet. I expect to have the first review - Leander Batch 1- ready by the weekend.

LAX_Kev I still have your Superior County class and I promise I'll post the review and get it back to you soon! Thanks for the loaner.

Paul

[sjolly75 H4]

Paul,

Thanks for the reply. I have seen the Sea Wulf line on their website, mighty tempting. I'm looking forward to the review! Do you know if they are coming out with anything else in that line? Thanks!

Steve

[av8rmongo]

He got into this to make the RN ships for the Falklands that no one else makes. With Fearless and Bristol almost out the door he was looking for suggestions. I think he'll probably cover the RFA ships and assorted landing craft but that's about 50% supposition on my part. I've suggested to him he should do the PLAN but that might be wishful thinking on my part. His intent is to do a ship or two a month, if he can maintain anything like that pace we should see some good variety in the modern 1/2400 range.

Paul

[cbovill]

Paul,

I looked at the models by that company you mentioned above. It is hard to tell from the poor quality pictures they have posted, but the ships do not look impressive. I'd rather wait for GHQ to produce their own, of course I have that luxury because I don't plan on building moderns in the near term. But you are building now, so I understand your argument to have GHQ build what no one has built. It's just that I have so little respect for what the other companies put out. I'm a firm believer in do it right, or just don't do it.

Chris

[av8rmongo]

Chris,

Again, totally agree on the quality front. I've just finished the first review which I will post tonight. But as you point out GHQ doesn't seem to care about their modern range despite the passage of several important anniversaries that could have been capitalized on. When was the last GHQ modern ship released? Nothing in '06, '07 or '08 (so far). LHD-1 Wasp was the last one I believe and it was soooo long ago that I don't even remember. My sons will inherit my collection before GHQ makes some of the things in the other lines. There are some product lines that are absolutely horrible and there are others that are almost as good as GHQ. With so few moderns being made by GHQ I just hope they won't duplicate what is already out there.

Paul

[av8rmongo]

I don't mean to belat this horse any more but I just got my ebay win LHD in the mail and if I interpret the copyright date correctly, "2K GHQ" means 2000! The last new modern ship GHQ added to the line was released in 2000. Seven, no eigt years (considering there is nothing on the list through June 2008) is a long time to go between releases. I guess I'm just not as patient as some.

Paul

[cbovill]

That is a looooooooong time to wait! I remember when the Great War line came out in the 90's, they built ships like crazy and I got really excited and bought them all up. Then almost nothing for a long time, and now they are back building again. So while the focus is on, I'm lobbying to get the ships I've been waiting many, many years for.

I am hoping that with all the lobbying we have been doing this year that they will put more attention into the biggest gaps. USN and IJN both have gaps but I think they have reached a level of saturation and playability that can only be dreamed of in the other lines, including modern.

I think a big opportunity was missed with the modern line when the 25th anniversary of the Falklands War came and went with no moderns being released. It now seems inevitable that there will be naval conflict in the future involving China, India, the Koreas and Japan. These guys are building blue water ships and most importantly aircraft carriers, sure they may not be allowed to call them that but that's what they are. It's only a matter of time before all of the disputes and the forces backing those disputes come to blows. It would be nice if GHQ can build the ships from the Falklands and then start cracking on the newest ships in the Asia/Pacific arena.

But you know I want my cake and I want to eat it too! So don't forget to fill in the gaps in the Jutland, Battle of the Atlantic and Mediterranean line-ups either.

Chris

[dragon6]

... but I just got my ebay win LHD in the mail

Paul

And what aircraft came with it?

[av8rmongo]

Ray,

I responded on the Micronaut Only thread to allow this one to get back on topic.

Paul

[Mikee]

Howdy:

I'm Mikee (named by my ladyfriend's granddaughter). I'm a "Big Gun" man, but like CVs also for their neat camouflage patterns. Back in the 70s I palyed in a couple of naval war games in the S.F. Bay Area, & ran one game for awhile. We had a few really memorable games, including the Battle of Oran (the Mers-El-Kebir action, but the French came out to play). The best part came when HMS Hood "t-boned the "Resolution" at 32 knots. Then the French DDs came in to torpedo the wreckage. Another game was the battle of the "Axis Insurance Company," but that's a story for another day. These days I mostly paint ships.

I joined the forum to add my two cents to the '08 - '09 want list. I only want one thing - EVERYTHING! However, you probably want this trimmed down a bit. SO . . .

A. Keep up the WWI ships. For '08 - '09 what I'd most like to see would be:

1. BB South Carolina (2 ships). The first U.S. dreadnoughts.

2. BB Nevada or Pennsylvania (2 ships each). These 2 classes are close enough that you could substitute one for the other - for a SHORT while - by getting some extra main gun turrets to convert. (The other class would be on my '09 - '10 list.)

3. BB New Mexico (3 ships) - The last "WWI" class. An alternative might be the Tennessee/Maryland classes (6 ships, including the unfinished Washington). If I understand it right, the only big difference would be the main battery guns. Could GHQ produce two classes for the cost of only one master model?

4. German S13 class TBD (2x1-3.4" guns). This class sould also be used for the 12 V1 - G12 TBDs, most of which were at Jutland. With this class GHQ would have all the "important" gun types for Ge DDs. Incidentally, although I'd like to see more Ge WWI CLs, I have to admit that GHQs four CL classes have covered the three different most important gun arrangements for CLs.

B. WWI - We need more French warships. How can the "Only Civilized Nation in the World" defend itself against the "Pernicious Rosbifs" and the "Barbaric Huns," let alone the "Pasta Eaters" and "Uncultured Money grubbers" without its whole fleet? We need:

5. CA Duquense (2 ships)

6. CL Duguay-Trouin (3 ships)

7. BB Bretagne/ Lorraine (2 ships)

Also of major interest:

8. CA Pola - only 1 ship, but popular in the Forum, and I'd love to have it too.

9. CA Hipper - a popular ship. I started Kit-bashing a Prinz E.; the bow looks good, but I'm only started on the midships aircraft arrangements. Filed down the old hanger (and - sob! - a bit ot the AA guns), but haven't yet tried to fabricate the new hanger and catapult out of plastic.

10. AC Scheer or Lutzow (1 ship each). I want 'em both but will only list one for this year. (I had to cut something, but the other's on several of my '09 - '10 lists.)

11. UK CA Australia/Canberra/Kent (3 ships). The Rosbifs have too many cruiser classes, but I wish I had 'em all. This model would cover three ships, I think. Don't know if it would cover any of the second group of CAs.

12. UK CL Sheffield (5 ships) - The Manchesters are too different to use for the first five Cities. This would give us two Ships, and the third, aft HACS could be trimmed off to prodice the first three Cities (I think).

HONORABLE MENTIONS (but not part of my '08 - '09 list):

Soviet Maxim Gorky CAs (4 ships) and Type 7U DDs (too mane to count); I'm not a fan of the Russian ships (but have brought a bunch of 'em), but it looks like the Maxes and 7Us would really fill out the Soviet WWII fleet. I think the Kirov could be easily modified to the Max by modelling a new bridge (wonder if an Italian CL bridge coul be kit-bashed).

HMS Vanguard: A lovely ship, but I'd like to see an HMS Malaya first.

HMS Duke of York or Prince of W. - Saw one of these listed. Unfortunately, I've already trimmed off the degaussing cables on three KGVs (so far) - not to mention cutting the heck out of one of my fingers. I'm gonna kit bash the Anson, Howe, and KGV by removing the UP thingees and adding 2 pom pom guns (cut out of a platform from one of the BB kits) and 10 single little AA guns (I found 'em in the CB Alaska kits) to each ship, based on some plan sketches I have.

WWI HMSJ Defense - saw that elsewhere in this forum. Yes, I'd like to have that one, but I had to cut something out of my list.

UK War Emergency DDs - Another company has released several classes. They aren't as good as GHQ's work, but are pretty fair to these old eyes (I need two magnifying glasses when painting some of these ships). There's lots of other things I'd prefer to see first. (On the other hand, I generally buy six pkgs. of each GHQ DD, so I can have two squadrons of each type. Pretty nutty, huh?)

Japanese carriers - the Shinano, or some of the CVs that had those great green patterns. I've got patterns around here somewhere for (I think) Chitose and Unryu class CVs, & would love to paint them. Don't remember where i got 'em, but probably copied them out of some old book.

I started my working life back in 1960, when a slide rule was the apex of calculations. This computer world is complicated, & I don't know if this E-mail will end up where I think it's going. (Incidentally, are PCs an evil alien life form dedicated to conquering the world by driving us batty? Is Bill Gates their Hive Mother? Just asking.)

Take Care; Mikee