1/600 HMS INTREPID – from Airfix FEARLESS

[Chewbacca]

INTREPID was the second of the two FEARLESS class Landing Platform Docks (LPDs) ordered by the Royal Navy to provide a heavy lift amphibious capability in the 1960s.  Designed to carry a Royal Marine Commando and all of its equipment and then land it anywhere in the world using her four embarked Landing Craft Utility (LCU) and four Landing Craft Vehicle Personnel (LCVP) together with helicopter support (the helicopters coming from another ship in the Task Group as the LPD's had no hangerage), she and her sister ship offered the RN a unique capability.  A victim of the ill-conceived 1981 Nott Review which threatened to turn the Royal Navy into little more than a coastal defence force, INTREPID was paid off into reserve in November 1981 and was put up for sale or disposal.  Fortunately for both INTREPID and the Royal Navy, a certain gentleman called Leopoldo Galtieri came to power in Argentina and in April 1982 instructed his armed forces to take the Falklands Islands by force.  Admiral of the Fleet Sir Terrence Lewin, the Chief of the Defence Staff, persuaded Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher that not only could we retake the islands but more importantly we must do to save our standing in the world and the rest they say is history.  INTREPID was needed; she was quickly returned to full fighting capability and joined FEARLESS as the spearhead of the amphibious landings in San Carlos Water.

My own association with INTREPID was a year earlier when as a young Midshipman, I joined her in Portsmouth on a cold and wet Saturday afternoon in her role as the Dartmouth Training Ship.  On Monday 6th January 1981, we sailed for the Caribbean.  Some six weeks later, after visiting a number of West Indian ports, we anchored off the island of Bequia and the LCUs/LCVPs put the 150 Officers Under Training (OUTs) ashore for a beach banyan.  A perfect scenario for a model.

The FEARLESS kit was first released by Airfix in 1964 and represents an above average model of the period.  There was some flash and a fair amount of injector moulding pins to remove but overall the basic shape was about right for FEARLESS as she was built.  Unfortunately, ships change in various refits and it is true to say that no two ships of the same class will ever be identical.  Indeed, even FEARLESS and INTREPID were very different at build.  So there were lots of changes required to bring the kit up to 1981 INTREPID standard.  These included extending 03 deck,  extending the bridge rear screen, scratch building the OUTs’ navigation cabin aft of the bridge and correct shape LCVP davits, updating fore and main masts to reflect the correct height and platform configuration to name but a few.

The first task though was to take the kit down to waterline condition as the only time that one sees a ship’s bottom is either in dry dock or through a periscope if one is a submariner trying to find out what the latest Russian’s sonar dome looks like!  So the basic hull and upperdeck were put together then it was out with the trusty Dremel, remembering that of course with the stern ramp flooded, she would ride about 4 degrees bow up.
Then there were the bits which were provided which even for FEARLESS were inaccurate.   Like the Seacat launchers, the shape of which  bore no resemblance whatsoever to the system, or for that matter any other Royal Navy missile launcher!  The two single 40mm Bofors were little more than blobs with a plastic twig on the end, although fortunately, since White Ensign Models no longer stock the resin replacements,  both these and the Seacat would have had had their sea covers on while at anchor, so these could be fashioned with plastic offcuts and tissue paper impregnated with dilute plastic/acetone mix.  I also had an issue with the thickness of the various screens, bulkheads and decks such as for example the bridge wings.  Scaled up from 1/600, these 1mm thick structures were close on 2 foot thick and whilst I am sure that the sailors who faced the Argentine Skyhawks would have welcomed armour plate of that thickness in San Carlos, it would have been so heavy that the ship would turn turtle!  So these were all cut off and replaced with either 10thou plasticard or 100gsm paper.

The kit  life rafts represent the early 1960s floats rather than the 1980s 25man inflatables that were standard by the early 1980s.  The best 1/600 representations of these come in the Airfix AMAZON kit and so taking one of these, I tried to mould some replacements using a plasticine mould.  INTREPID carried over 40 of these and although the half moulds didn’t look too bad, trying to stick them together was impossible and so in the end I cheated and used 1mm plastic rod cut to the right length.  It’s slightly overscale but not by much.

Then it was time to turn to WEM who though they may not make the Seacat launchers anymore, they do provide some excellent photoetch guardrails, cranes and other bits and pieces.  I hate doing PE guardrails & ladders but it’s what shows off a warship to my mind so is worth doing.  Again though, the WEM kit is designed for FEARLESS as built not INTREPID nearly 20 years later so there was much scratch building and modification.  A good example of this was the 845 Sqn Wessex 5 on the flight deck.  We carried one aircraft which was lashed down on the flight deck at all times when not in use because the LPDs did not have a hangar.  The basic shape of the kit Wessex fuselage was reasonable once the injection holes had been filled and the straight bar that represented the undercarriage cut off.  The tail pylon was cut so that it could be folded and the tail rotor added from the WEM PE.  Similarly, undercarriage came from WEM PE and the main rotor blades were appropriately folded, but the cradle to support the blades was scratch built from 0.1mm Albion Alloys nickel rod.  Aircraft decals, like most of the ship’s decals were hand printed.  The eagle eyed amongst you may have noticed that the flight deck markings were limited; that’s because I had to bastardise the ship decals for this as I don’t have an ALPS printer!

The seascape was almost the easiest yet as it was a millpond off Bequia.  So all it took was a simple plywood base, a thin coating of Plaster of Paris suitably spiked up to represent the wakes of the LCUs and then airbrushed azure blue using a series of thin coats of different shades, dark to light.  Light blue and white was drybrushed around the hull and white was used to highlight the wakes.  And then a couple of coats of matt varnish on the ship with multiple coast of gloss varnish on the sea and it was complete.  It's twice been awarded first prize from different local model clubs' competitions.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Alpha Delta 210]

Quote

Well-deserved awards as the work involved to achieve such a fine result is evident. Thanks for sharing.

 

[stevej60]

Excellent work on her!

[Chewbacca]

Thank you

[Bullbasket]

Ah, the memories come flooding back. I was part of the embarked force that sailed from Singapore to Australia in 1968 to take part in the multi national exercise. I spent many "happy" hours, doing PT, running up and down the ramps.

Very nicely done model and scene, and congratulations on the deserved awards.

 

John.

[phildagreek]

Very smart!

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Stunning (I’d missed this somehow).  I went to war in Fearless, so know the sisters well.  I have the L’Arsenal 1/700 and the same 1/600 vintage Airfix jobs in my stash - and getting higher up the pile.  However - and this has been said elsewhere so I’m not telling tales out of school - the really enticing news is that Peter Hall is planning a 1/350 Atlantic Models FS; I’ve been helping him with some drawings and picking the brains (or what’s left of them) of her 1982 wardroom.  

 

But this is a great piece of work; I know all too well how much needs to be done to get the original kit up to modern standards.

 

BZ, Shippers!

[At Sea]

Superaltive work Crisp.

 

Wouldn't have believed that was 1/600!

[longshanks]

Cracking Job!!

 

Kev

[Terry1954]

Just seen this one. Very impressive build indeed! Superb level of detail and very realistic.

 

Terry

[Kev The Modeller]

Great build mate 

 

I was lucky enough to visit the ship back in the mid 70's, I was a sea cadet and she was our affiliated ship.   

[Chewbacca]

Thanks for all your kind words.  I look forward to seeing the Atlantic Models' offering.  She will have to go on the Christmas wish list!

Edited September 3, 2018 by Chewbacca

[Terry1954]

 

3 hours ago, Chewbacca said:

Thanks for all your kind words.  I look forward to seeing the Atlantic Models' offering.  She will have to go on the Christmas wish list!

Yes the Atlantic Models news is very good news indeed!

 

The world just keeps getting better ............... 😁

 

Terry

[Gimme Shelter]

what an amazing piece of modelling you have produced there - very splendid indeed

[Shar2]

Missed this completely.  A very nice bit of modelling. Intrepid was my first ship spending all of 6 weeks aboard her during a JMC off Cape Wrath and a little cruise about after, when i was with 846 Sqn.

[Chewbacca]

Thank you. 

[FIGHTS ON]

just seen - cracking build. This was my 1st ship back in '89 and I thought then that she felt "old"........ Amazing to read just how many Britmodellers have some form of association with the old girl. Fond memories of runs in the Caribbean with numerous ship's boats, lovingly maintained as opposed to my current Type 45's plastic boats all locked up behind their unreliable garage doors!

 

Just how you have the skill to get the upper deck guard rails in amazes me ! presumably all us ex-Intrepids can judge the date of the model or picture by the number of rust stains on it

[Chewbacca]

1 hour ago, FIGHTS ON said:

just seen - cracking build. This was my 1st ship back in '89 and I thought then that she felt "old"........ Amazing to read just how many Britmodellers have some form of association with the old girl. Fond memories of runs in the Caribbean with numerous ship's boats, lovingly maintained as opposed to my current Type 45's plastic boats all locked up behind their unreliable garage doors!

 

Just how you have the skill to get the upper deck guard rails in amazes me ! presumably all us ex-Intrepids can judge the date of the model or picture by the number of rust stains on it

With hindsight, she was old and rusty when I was onboard in 1981!  But as a first ship you didn't really have anything to compare it to.

 

Guardrails are not easy, but WEM PE makes them possible.  I remember as a teenager trying to add them from stretched sprue without any great success

[Wafu]

Great model of a ship of memories, you’ve done a nice job of the old Airfix pot mess. 

 

Brought back thoughts of my young Tiff SMR puking in a bucket in the ACR, sitting down in the JR’s galley and watching the sea rise and fall out of the port and starboard windows (now that wrong on Her Magisties war canoe) and sharing a mess with a bunch of Royal Marines who cleaned and qued for a pastime. 

 

Thanks for for starting my day thinking of these things😂

[Chewbacca]

Thank you - my pleasure!

[Johnson]

Hi Chewy, @Chewbacca

 

Now look what you've done! (with your excellent HMS HECLA as inspiration).

 

Airfix have re-released HMS Fearless and I've tracked down your build!

 

Though whether I can match your superb model is highly doubtful.

 

If you read this (my post here is a bit 'after the event'), can you recall which WEP kits you used? I think I need one PE 624 and one PE 625.

 

A superb build, I love the gentle setting with the other small ships in attendance, and the craft on the back of the flight deck.

 

Best regards,

[Francis Macnaughton]

2 hours ago, Johnson said:

can you recall which WEP kits you used? I think I need one PE 624 and one PE 625.

In fact Peter Hall did a dedicated Fearless/Intrepid 1/600th PE set under the Atlantic Models brand later on in 2018 

 

https://www.atlanticmodels.net/onewebmedia/Instructions Files/Fearless600.pdf

[Johnson]

6 hours ago, Francis Macnaughton said:

In fact Peter Hall did a dedicated Fearless/Intrepid 1/600th PE set under the Atlantic Models brand later on in 2018 

Thank you Francis - ordered! 

[Chewbacca]

On 10/08/2022 at 10:46, Johnson said:

Hi Chewy, @Chewbacca

 

Now look what you've done! (with your excellent HMS HECLA as inspiration).

 

Airfix have re-released HMS Fearless and I've tracked down your build!

 

Though whether I can match your superb model is highly doubtful.

 

If you read this (my post here is a bit 'after the event'), can you recall which WEP kits you used? I think I need one PE 624 and one PE 625.

 

A superb build, I love the gentle setting with the other small ships in attendance, and the craft on the back of the flight deck.

 

Best regards,

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!

 

Edited August 12, 2022 by Chewbacca

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday @Chewbacca, I don't know a lot about these ships and your build was before I joined Britmodeller, but as you probably know by now I enjoy seeing alterations to convert one ship into another. I think your model here is first class. And of course, done in the one true ship-modeling scale (said with tongue firmly in cheek). 😁   Regards, Jeff.