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Merit 1/350 Ark Royal


warreni

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Just got my notification that mine is on the way from Hannants, it will probably take a week or so before I can check it out.

Will be watching for the etched set for this baby.

It is cheaper from Hannants than my local Hobby store can sell.

All the way to Toronto Canada, Go figure.

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Just got mine today.

Boy this is big and has several nice etched sheets included.

This will take some time to build and do justice to.

Have to go to my local hobby shop and get some supplies.

Now where did I leave my HMS Ark Royal books?

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  • 2 weeks later...

Currently building this one too. Would be grateful for views on the colour scheme as sunk. Wanted to do a later version so as to include all 3 aircraft types. Having studied photos I am leaning towards blue strip above the boot topping light and dark grey weathered hull above and wait for it.... Olive green deck with single yellow centre stripe. Jury still out on the other markings and in particular the ships boats? All views on this most welcome.

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Actually that blue band on the hull appears to be made up of 5 different shades. There is a convincing photo of her rolled over where the port side displays this. I am only assuming blue from other known camouflage schemes. Interesting that merits big kit makes us research what we thought was just a grey ship and discover something excitingly colourful.

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There are numerous people who want to believe that something was more vivid than it really was, and the 2 tone theory has been bandied about for a long time, often referring to photographs like this:

http://www.wehrmacht-history.com/images/ships/hms-ark-royal-1.jpg

Ark Royal however had an unusually sharp knuckle round much of the hull, easily seen here:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/HMS_Ark_Royal_19sb2j1.jpg

The sharp and defined knuckle explains the appearance and the 2-tone theory collapses when the ship is viewed as a whole:

http://www.ww2ships.com/britain/images/gb-ac-001-p001.jpg

http://www.godfreydykes.info/ark_royal%20with%20plane%20guard.jpg

It's just shadow. It's always been shadow. HMS Ark Royal was painted overall AP 507C Light Grey in 1939. She was painted Home Fleet Grey (507A/B) after this, and when sunk in 1941 the Home Fleet Grey was heavily weathered revealing Light Grey underneath below the knuckle at the bows.

Her steel decks would have been dark grey as per standard RN practise at the time, and her flight deck was very likely AP 631 Bronze Grey which was the only approved aircraft carrier flight deck paint system in the Royal Navy at the time.

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Hi many thanks for your reply and agreed the knuckle that causes the shadow on the Lower hull is at play in a lot of photos. I am still interested in 2 other photos that show what appears to be more than just shadow. I'm new here how can I attach photos to messages to show you.

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Is there an agreed colour on the ships boats and life rafts? Also why do airfiix continue the idea of the green flightdeck in their instructions and box art? Just curious

Liferafts / Carley Floats were generally painted to match the surrounding ship / blend in with the camouflage. Ships boats were often a medium green above the waterline, or sometimes white or even blue. When disruptive schemes were applied mid-war they were often painted to blend in.

The Airfix green is closer than Merit dark grey - AP631 Bronze Grey was made up of a lot of yellow ochre pigment, some zinc white pigment and a little bit of black - it makes for a dirty olive/sea green colour.

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I'd have said that's just the same shadow below the hull knuckle shown in all the other photos. The Home Fleet Grey is heavily weathered but looking amidships, that's all it is.

The disruptive schemes didn't appear until later, and the blue panel on light hull type schemes were 1945 vintage.

It's your model though, so do whatever you like!

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Sounds good. There's enough pe in the kit for my liking but admire those who go to town. So far the fit is excellent and a relief that the aircraft are not clear plastic. Deck markings will be the hot topic for me as they appear to alter especially around and on the lifts over time

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  • 2 months later...

I saw the incredible detail set to be released by Tetra Model at the ModelWorld yesterday.  Beautiful piece of work with a price to match that almost entirely replaces the island structure apart from the funnel..  Very tempted but there was no option for positioned deck elevators, and to be honest I think I'd have little chance of coping with things like the opened canopies on the Fulmars though the wing folds will be very welcome.

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I saw that too and left with some samples of Tetra Modelworks products. We've corresponded with them before about stocking their range but it's nice to meet people in person. Is there an appetite for this set in the UK? I guess it would sell quite well given the popularity of similar products for other British ships.

 

20161112_113827_zps33tkd4bw.jpg

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