Chewbacca

Well the good news is that I managed to recover the lost work...but only after I'd spent about 3 hours yesterday trying to recreate it. So this is what she now looks like: The plan is to build in 1/350 and I've got a couple of options. I can either print the whole hull in 5 main sections - my printer can't cope with any more than that - or just print the fore and aft ends which are for me at least the hardest parts to build from styrene sheet but scratch build the centre section. I have got copies of Profile 23 and 24 which @S-boat 55 kindly sent me last year. I'm acutely aware that this is taking over the ARK ROYAL thread so perhaps I should start a separate 3D-build WIP thread? I was loathe to do so just yet because this is a long term project and the frequency of updates will be sparse!

Fascinating thread this. Thanks to all contributors. Just a thought. Notwithstanding the fact that the Admiralty may have mandated something on 30 May, 701 Sqn were IIRC ashore in Norway and from what I have read about the Norwegian campaign stores support ashore was sparse so I would put money on a bet that paint supplies were not amongst their spares and I would suspect there is every possibility that they may have been unable to comply with the directive by the time they embarked. I'm sure that ARK would have had the paint on board but would the tempo of operations have permitted the repainting? I don't know. I'd be interested in any information that you did have pertaining to FURIOUS in 1939/1940. In the assumption that there were no suitable kits that could be converted, I have started drawing her in CAD and plan at some point in the future to 3D print her but owing to paucity of information it is proceeding somewhat slowly. This is a render of progress to date although somewhat annoyingly we had a power cut about a week or so ago and my PC crashed. Even though I know I had saved it, Fusion 360 seems to have gone back to a much earlier version of this. I had also drawn all of the supports for the 8 barrelled pom-poms, opened up the covered fo'c'sle, added the hawse pipes and whole raft more. No idea what's happened to them. I will be starting a WIP thread at some point to chart progress on this but it is a long term project.

Thanks. They're definitely worth it.

Superb work as ever Rob. I note your point about rigging the foremast before you fit it. I will give that a try on my next one. I find rigging so frustrating!

I'm sure you'll be fine. These Atlantic Modles kit go together pretty well out of the box and you should be able to get something that looks accurate without the extra stuff I went into for PUMA. Don't forget though that if your dad was on board '59-'63, it will be before the solid mainmast and type 965 radar was fitted so you will need to revert back to the early configuration. The PE in this kit does include a lattice mainmast but without checking my references I'm not sure what other changes were made when they were modified. Do let us know how you get on. We need more modellers building these cold war icons.

That's a great rendition of a ship that is often overlooked but paid such a critical role in safeguarding Malta. I've studied Op Pedestal in the past as part of an analysis between that convoy and the disaster that was PQ-17 so it was fascinating to read your grandfather's words - thank you. You must be very proud of him. With regards to the weathering, when I looked at the model, it didn't look overdone at all - it looks like a well used WW2 convoy escort! It was only when I then looked at the first photo of the ship herself in the Clyde that I saw what you meant in that actually BRAMHAM was very clean by comparison. But it's certainly not excessive. @ArnoldAmbrose's comment about the guardrails is unfortunately, something I think about all 1/700 scale ships. Not that we shouldn't use PE guardrails but that they always look overscale. And I think the issue is simply that PE technology can only go so far. A realistic scale guardrail stanchion in 1/700 is 0.04 mm diameter; the wire rope connecting the stanchions about 0.01 mm. I'm not sure my eyesight is even up to seeing that without an optivisor let alone trying to attach them to a model. But I would still encourage the use of guardrails even if they are overscale. It's remarkable how the colour perception in a BW phot can distort the eye. Looking at the photo of BRAMHAM in the Clyde, I would have sworn that the block of WA light blue that comes up from the stem to just under the bridge and the inverted triangles underneath the seaboat/cutter were the same colour as the WA green used elsewhere. Great build - you just need to scratch build Ohio to go with her.

Aren't we all

That's a cracking job. You should be very proud of her.

That looks really nice. I'm with you on the no weathering if she's on a stand.

BRAVE's boot topping was a slightly darker grey than weatherwork grey when she commissioned in 86. By the time I joined her in late 1990 she'd reverted to black over I think dark red

Fortunately it was never something that I had to get hands on with. I always had a good team of communicators and it just happened!

Stunning.

Thanks for the explanation - now you explain it like that it makes perfect sense and would explain why the spigots I printed to join HECLA's two hull halves together failed

Well the tactical comms branch were known as "bunting tossers" (hopefully that won't get me a black mark for bad language!)

Thanks everyone. It was interesting talking to other club members on Wednesday (one of whom is a professional CAD engineer) how I might improve the hull lines to get the proper double curvatures particularly around the bow. Fortunately with HECLA its not too pronounced but I think my next 3D printed effort (not next model I stress!) will be FURIOUS set in 1942 and she will definitely need me to sort out the shape of the bow. Still haven't decided what to start next from the stash. SWMBO has invited me to do some DIY first...

Thanks everyone for your kind words

Thanks everyone for your kind words. That's the whole point of dress ship in that the flags are chosen to be in an order that they very specifically do not say anything. There is a mandated order which starts at the Jack Staff up to the foremast, then from the foremast to mainmast and finally Ensign Staff up to main mast. IIRC, I published the link to the online Book of Reference (BR) in the build log.

Thanks for our kind words

Your skills continue to amaze/inspire me. That's really interesting. I must confess I haven't noticed any oversize printing on an Elegoo Mars. I will have to get the micrometer out and measure some of the parts.

Thanks for your kind words. You are indeed correct that I used 624 and 625 though as @Francis Macnaughton has pointed out, Peter now does a dedicated set which provides far more than you get in those 2 sets for less than half the price and without any risk of import tax thrown on top. Good luck with your build. If I can help in any way please let me know though it was a long time ago that I was on board and I was only there for 2 months!

Thanks everyone for your kind words. My challenge now though is what next. So much in the stash to choose from.

Well despite the fact that I finished PUMA 4 months ago, I never actually found time to get the studio set up the studio to take the RFI photos. There was a more pressing need to do so to photograph HECLA before the Falklands 40 GB gallery closed yesterday so with everything set up, i thought that was a good time to bring PUMA in as well. RFI photos can be found here:

Better late than never I suppose. I actually finished this model back in April but never managed to get the studio set up to take the RFI photos. Prompted by the fact that I finished HECLA yesterday and had to post the photos for that today before the Falklands 40 GB closed, I thought it was as good as time as any to take PUMA's RFI photos as well. WIP can be found here:

Thanks Stuart. I think you're right about the length of time. The last GB I participated in was the Pacific War GB and IIRC it took me 15 months to complete BULOLO instead of the 3 months prescribed!

This build started here in maritime until someone pointed out that there was a Falklands 40 GB and there were very few maritime subjects being built. So I'd only just started it and was allowed to transfer to the GB. WIP can be found here: There are some photos in the GB gallery here: And here are some more: I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting in the GB gallery and here, but I have a feeling there aren't as many maritime modellers looking at the GB thread as there are here. I dont think any of the images are duplicated. If I have broken the rules if a Mod could let me know I'll take them down from here.