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Lindberg Blue Devel Destroyer U.S.S. MELVIN
Ahoy
this model dont need any introduction because there are thousands upon thousands of these kits were produced and even being produce as I post this this build. I purchased this kit when it was first released in 1963. there was a discount store that sold anything from appliances to plastic models. I went in there one day to see what they have, there to my delight and surprise there was a stock table that must have had atleased a 100 or more of these kits they were sold for $11.95 but the only way the store could sells these they marked them down a little more then half price, the sale tag on the stock table and the kit was $ 4.95 with a steal of a deal I couldn,t refuse. I bought 4 of them for $ 20.00. the kit was a typical gimic model for that day it was designed and ran on 6 D cell flashlight batteries, opperating a cam gear box that opperated the 5 inch closed mount turrets torpedo tubes and the twin screws. Also in the kit you a choice of courses that could be set if desired useing a cam that worked off the gear box. 10 years ago I scuttled the gearbox and modernized it with up to date RC she runs on a 6 volt dumas electric motor with a gear reduxction turning two screws and speed control Boats
this model dont need any introduction because there are thousands upon thousands of these kits were produced and even being produce as I post this this build. I purchased this kit when it was first released in 1963. there was a discount store that sold anything from appliances to plastic models. I went in there one day to see what they have, there to my delight and surprise there was a stock table that must have had atleased a 100 or more of these kits they were sold for $11.95 but the only way the store could sells these they marked them down a little more then half price, the sale tag on the stock table and the kit was $ 4.95 with a steal of a deal I couldn,t refuse. I bought 4 of them for $ 20.00. the kit was a typical gimic model for that day it was designed and ran on 6 D cell flashlight batteries, opperating a cam gear box that opperated the 5 inch closed mount turrets torpedo tubes and the twin screws. Also in the kit you a choice of courses that could be set if desired useing a cam that worked off the gear box. 10 years ago I scuttled the gearbox and modernized it with up to date RC she runs on a 6 volt dumas electric motor with a gear reduxction turning two screws and speed control Boats
Please keep posting pictures of your models. it would be useful if you could also give size details as models to sail need to fit into our cars.
Dave
Thank you for your reply I am honered. The other 3 were given away as Christmas presents. Deals of yesteryear are over with the price of plastic his 10 to 20 times higher then the price I paid back in that day. What once was a retail price of $11.95 is now $100.00 and going up.The details of the kit it is scaled in a odd scale of 1/225 giveing you a model length of 36 inch,s just under a meter. the kit came with a gearbox that opperated the turrets,torpedo tubes and turning the twin screws. in order to sail the selected course, there are 4 cams that ride off the gearbox circle, square figure eight, and straight . this was gimic model there were many in the 1950, through the 1960,s but much seriousness is applied to scale and RC these gimic models are now radio controlled. the insides are quite small to work with. But still large enought to modifiy it to RC opperation. get rid of the relic gearbox and 9.0 electric motor, you need to add a 6 volt motor and gear reduction box. speed controll and a new rudder linkage system. Still today the kit is still worth looking in to. The only modification I made as to the overal perspective of appearence is the Hull I am a retired navy man of 30 years I have a trained eye for destroyers I served on 4 of them. the kits hull from the bridge superstructure to the bow the camber is allwrong useing plastic surgury and sheet plastic that portion of the hull has to be raised up to the proper camber, I also added bilge keels the kit didn,t have them. all kits from the 1950,s throught the 60,s never paid that much attention to scale and detail. not much nit picken in that da neither.
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