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I am sure that most modellers of the Royal Navy already know this,but after the tremendous losses to the destroyer flotillas, particularly in the Med in 41/2,almost always to sustained land based air attack, the decision was finally taken to grapple the HA/LA and associated fire control problems,and a class of destroyer capable of shipping the required weapons.

 

Suffice to say that the 1942 Battles were the result. I won't go into the history of these handsome ships-there are a few books out there that cover it adequately,though apart from the old Almark title by Hodges,no other is dedicated to this class. In plastic a similar situation,just the Frog Battle in  1/325 or something. Apparently never built Kriegsmarine is more sexy....

 

Notwithstanding ,I'll be building my own,as usual in my preferred scale of 1/1250,ans entirely scratchbuilt,with my own custom made etch. The usual materials, plastic card, Milliput and Green Stuff and Tamiya Extra Thin-Humbrol no longer make a plastic glue that works,due again to EC regulations.....

 

The basic hull,roughed out.

 

30626433303_3263c53375_b.jpgBattle a by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

30626433253_1ff96c9ee0_b.jpgBattle b by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

mtd

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Hull cleaned up and pretty much ready to build on.I normally use Green Stuff for small filling jobs,though here I used Tamiya- a bit stiffer and slightly harder,but ok for bigger gaps. I usually reach for the Milliput if I'm not fussed about setting time. As I'm investing anything from 70-100 hours,often spread over years,waiting a couple of hours is no big deal.

 

The base superstructure blocks have been added, as well as the basic funnel block. This was carved from 3 pieces,superglued together. This has nothing to do with speed nor strength,but a third attribute of this glue-unlike normal Polystyrene glues it doesn't chemically melt the parts,and therefore the joints won't "work" over time. Often,when laminating plastic the joints can be made invisible with careful filling and sanding-virtually polishing the join line out. Very often,again over a period of time,glue joints assembled with plastic glues reappear-this is extremely rare (in my experience) with good superglues. It is also very dependent on temperature and humidity. Perhaps plastic kits are less prone to this,the plastic is softer and poly cements more aggressive.

 

Apologies for dark photos, had moved on before I saw this,too late to go back.

 

31347783081_008d48890e_b.jpgBattle d by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31347783471_ed3a7702fc_b.jpgBattle c by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

mtd

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Starting to look more like a destroyer,with the bridge roughed out, some detail worked in to the single funnel, and very rough 4.5" DP turrets in place,a design unique to these ships. The quad TTs are just placed and need more work too. Still a long way to go but it is good sometimes to "play" with a model and see how the whole will,eventually look-it gives a boost to what are,for me,very long drawn out projects. 

 

31538619506_7d82ed21a8_b.jpgBattle e by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

30766780773_ba819aa5f7_b.jpgBattle f by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

The Mk6 DCT is shown here in its early stages, with still quite a lot to add to finish.

 

31538619186_3f9459b369_b.jpgBattle g by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

mtd

 

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I tried to think of some way of sexing this up,as,apparently,some might put it-but failed. So,instead,just boring old bits of plastic. Unlike a kit of course,you are on your own,and certain milestones in construction start to make things look,from certain angles, a bit like how the finished thing should look. I am sure there are many,that in the first flush of enthusiasm tear into a project,and then when it starts to grate and seemingly go nowhere,quietly put it  (in my case) in the "drawer of doom".

Finishing the major parts of the screen work is one such milestone, and here is the thing at that stage. The 4.5" (MKIV RP10s) are still very rough,and ended up going through a number of changes and mouldings before I was happy with them. 

 

30931439573_90c9befe1d_b.jpgBattle h by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

Several "Group 1" ships had a 4" MkXXIII fitted in 'Q' position to provide starshell,and this gun deck is now fitted, along with the Bofors gun decks aft. The basic lattice mast is test fitted,though of course this requires much additional top hamper adding. Note that all RN lattice from this period was of the "zig zag" type and not crossed,though it appears crossed when viewed from most angles. It is surprising how many modellers have fallen for this one.....post war a number of stages on certain ships were stiffened due to the increased weight of gear aloft,though this was only done to try and reduce vibration-the addition of cross bracing adds little to the strength of the structure,and in even in 1250 scale these masts are,for their size,incredibly strong. I tip my hat to the boffin that came up with them.

 

31703775936_f164ce13b7_b.jpgBattle i by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

Onwards and sideways

 

mtd

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Using quite a bit of time compression, the detailing continues. The deck furniture has been started,and the 4.5" finished and cast,along with the Hazemeyer MkIV Bofors 40mm mounts-these were quite complex to build,in any scale. As can be seen these repeat parts were cast to save extra work trying to make identical parts. Unfortunately both these weapons were not quite correct,and I ended up,later in the build,modifying the parts and casting them again,in resin,which gave better results. In the early version of the Hazemeyer the 282 radar aerials were cast as part of the mount,solid.i later decided they would be much better etched as separate parts and added after. 

 

31769942591_cc5b34b030_b.jpgBattle j by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31077109233_9479cc1958_b.jpgBattle k by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31769941961_71fc3cd9e3_b.jpgBattle l by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

Starting to look a bit more destroyer like.

 

mtd

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Again using quite a bit of time compression, the model is now nearing completion,at least to the point where I will cast it,as I intend to make several sisters,at various stages in their careers. Having discarded the metal parts I had cast for the repeat items,I went with resin casting them instead-these are the yellowish tinged parts.As there are no commercial parts available in this scale, I have to get on with it and make them myself. Things like gun mounts,boats of various sizes, DC throwers, Carley floats  etc are obvious candidates for this treatment,and the process isn't particularly difficult once the "master"parts are made-that's the difficult bit! 

 

The white plastic is not very user friendly when it comes to photos,I hope to address that next time. 

 

31191891513_2b9153b19f_b.jpgBattle N by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

32001543005_c1f0fff86c_b.jpgBattle M by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

Thanks for the kind remarks. As I have said in previous posts,despite the size (and if you can get your head around that and put it aside) it is just plastic modelling-plastic happens to be a good medium for it,but any material that you feel comfortable with works,especially if it is relatively cheap and available. Time is the thing in short supply! 

 

Happy 2017 to all

 

mtd

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Jumping forwards in time by some months (I build at glacial speed and have far too many on the go at any one time) this is how it looked once cast and blown over with a thin coat of Halfords primer.

 

32001541995_06de00068f_b.jpgBattle O by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31191891033_f88c86144c_b.jpgBattle P by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31884466891_7f55fe1b78_b.jpgBattle Q by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31160994784_1d13e6efbc_b.jpgBattle R by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

And then fitted out with some of the spangly bits (who remembers Spangles?) Those who can will,the rest will have no idea....

 

31242092883_6d24e418b5_b.jpgBattle S by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31676848290_b38f3e6e58_b.jpgBattle T by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31242091263_a0b7a17469_b.jpgBattle U by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31242090383_6f8ff6d2cd_b.jpgBattle V by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31242089473_ec1a21a8a9_b.jpgBattle W by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

31242088663_a9b435537b_b.jpgBattle X by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

And lounging next to another workshop queen,the IBG 1/700 Hunt for size comparison

 

31231206034_12f762371e_b.jpgBattle Y by plastichacker, on Flickr

 

The build being complete,next job is to turn the thing from "a Battle" into a specific ship,or even ships. 

 

mtd

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