Looking for a new warship subject to build I decided to construct a model of my namesake USS McNair a Fletcher Class Destroyer which had taken part in The Battle Of Leyte Gulf as part of DESRON 54 that stopped the Japanese Fleet attacking the US Landing Force via Surigao Strait in October 1944 , I wanted to build the model to represent the ship as she would have appeared at this time in her career . I chose Deans Marine USS Kidd as a basis for the model but needed to carry out research on the internet and various publications to make the model as accurate as possible as there were differences from the USS Kidd . The camouflage pattern for the ship was 31/Measure3/3D which I obtained from the US Navy website , colours being Deck blue and Ocean Grey and the hull/superstructure Dull Black/Haze Grey and Ocean Blue . Construction took some 7 months and was completed early in June , after ballasting in the domestic test tank(bath) I took the model to our club lake at Setley Pond in The New Forest where unfortunately she sank in about 12 feet of water after being hit by a freak gust of wind whilst turning. I was unable to locate the model and had to leave her in the lake whilst trying to get a diver to help find the wreck, after some three weeks I managed to contact The Calshot Sub Aqua Club who were very keen to help me and some four days later found the model after a 25 minute finger search of the lake bottom (visibility is zero) . the only damage caused was loss of a depth charge rail and a gun turret but mainly all the paintwork was blistered and bubbled possibly due to the acid content of the silt at the bottom of the lake caused by the effect of ponies and cattle using the lake . I had to remove as many fittings and parts as possible , strip off all paint , rebuild and reassemble the model , I purchased a new set of etched brass depth charge rails and fortunately had moulded an extra gun turret during the initial build . The model is now completed and after a couple of sessions setting up new ballast etc now sails well and really looks the part on the water. I am a member of The Surface Warship Association and will be exhibiting the USS McNair at our next event at Explosions Museum in Gosport at the end of August .
Sorry but I have tried to add photos to this post but will not work so could not add them !