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1/350 HMS Ark Royal, 1987 - sailing back from the Shelf of Doom


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I've always anted to come. Almost made it in Ark in 1988, when we were supposed to be the first ship back after the Mintoff era of cozying up to Libya. The election had been 6 months before, but clearly the tug drivers' union didn't agree; they parked a tanker across the mouth of Grand Harbour. We anchored off St Paul's Bay, and the ship's company were told not to go to Valetta & risk inflaming the politics. So this is one of my bucket list trips. Even after 2 days, I've seen enough to be pretty sure we'll come back!

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  • 4 weeks later...

I am away from home (work stuff)m and have been for a few weeks on and off, so stalled at present - but NOT forgotten. I'll get back to it as soon as I can, I promise!

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Well I did finally get some time at my bench today. Hoorah!

It took me a good 15 minutes of faffing to work out where I'd got to and what to do next. Then I spent 40-odd minutes doing some ludicrously tiny filing of the top 2 layers of UAA1 aerials (see above for details), as well as tapering a section of rod in the Dremel to act as the spacer between them.

Almost done, so pick up the larger (but still about 2mm across) aerial in tweezers for a final dry fit.

You all know what happened next: PING! Carpet monster time.

No biggie; I'll just have to do another one. But annoying on my first day back!

No pictures til this damn UAA1 is done!

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You have my sympathy! I have managed to loose the anchor from my build, which happens to be PE and about 1mm square. Frustration isn't quite up to describing how I feel :boom: .

I am thinking of building myself a special sealed cabinet like they have in the nuclear industry so that I can at least contain all errant parts.

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Oh the pain of it, its a shame they can't make etch brass magnetic (I know laws of physics and all that) then finding all those suckers would be much easier! Looking forward to seeing some more progress :thumbsup:

Bob

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Try this: before starting, post the entire kit to someone in that now quiet little town near Chernobyl (with s.a.e.) and get someone to send it straight back to you, then just get yourself a Geiger counter (or at night time just switch the lights off) - the pieces swallowed by the c.m. should instantly reveal themselves! :banghead:

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Try this: before starting, post the entire kit to someone in that now quiet little town near Chernobyl (with s.a.e.) and get someone to send it straight back to you, then just get yourself a Geiger counter (or at night time just switch the lights off) - the pieces swallowed by the c.m. should instantly reveal themselves! :banghead:

The Carpet Monster might even die of radiation sickness if you are lucky! Bugger! so might you! Hard luck Rob, another cunning plan goes up in smoke.

Martin

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  • 2 weeks later...

Oh yes - ARK ROYAL not INVINCIBLE. No wonder I couldn't locate this. I tried "Ready for Inspection" then "Ready for Coercion" then "Ready for Encouragement". No luck in "Ready for Sarcasm" or "Ready for Plausible Excuses".

But now were here (in the greenhouse), please can we have some more of the evolution of this masterpiece? I mean, Steve managed an update and he's building 2. Just saying.

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But now were here (in the greenhouse), please can we have some more of the evolution of this masterpiece? I mean, Steve managed an update and he's building 2. Just saying.

I did indeed :) But the pedantic lawyer in me feels honour-bound to admit that I'd actually only done any work on 1 of the 2........

Nonetheless I second Kirk's request!

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M'lud, I was merely suggesting that there were 2 comparable masterpieces being built, not commenting directly on the rate of progress. Lest the conversation strays anywhere near my own "achievements", any inference that Mr. Ex-FAAWAFU was being a feckless doom-shelf-beckoning slacker is absolutely unintentional.

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