What-if, more realistic HMS Nelson 1/700 Tamiya

[Chris Hewitt]

Two weeks ago I pulled out the leftovers from making the cancelled  G3 battlecruiser ,the hull is supplied by IHP and you have to use a donor HMS Nelson or Rodney ,I ended up using both kits plus plenty spares,back to the story,I thought I had all the parts to make leftover Nelson to a more standard lay out.The first picture is as far as I got with what was in the box, so what do you do, buy another Nelson to finish is off.I have bought also wooden deck ,I have spare deck to finish off the stern.Will explain that I will do when the deck arrives, also purchased the White Ensign Models etching set, plus brass barrels for 16in & 6in.The tubs on the main turrets are 3D parts bought from Shapeways.I have replaced the ships boats from combrig. The second  picture she has a funnel from a Furious kit(this kit arrived with 4 funnels)it looks more imposing and it looks right. Third picture plastic card and brass barrels fitted and fourth picture speaks for itself.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Chris Hewitt
add pictures

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday Chris, I've long wanted to do this, make some whiff battleships from Airfix Nelson kits. One would be like yours, with the the three turrets in the more traditional disposition, plus I have another planned with four, USS Montana style. I'll certainly follow this build of yours if I may, and plagiarize steal your ideas gain inspiration from your model. 😀 Mine won't have after-market parts so it won't be as an impressive build like those  in your fourth photo above but I find plausible whiff warships quite interesting. And what you've done already looks good.

     So, I'm looking forward to your next progress report. Regards, Jeff.

[stevehnz]

I do like the look of this Chris, another 80 feet, 40,000 shp, two more shafts & about 8 more knots & you'd really be talking, that's what this one looks like to me anyway. Much better looking too. I went looking for your G3 build but found the photos had disappeared, any chance of replacing them? I'd love to see that again, now you've mentioned it.

Steve.

[Ex-FAAWAFU]

Amazing how much difference a single change to the Furious funnel makes! 

[Chris Hewitt]

That's the new kit arrived, so l can moved forward and also the P.E. arrived so can get going with that also.I got carried away with the bridge.I have drilled out pole holes and added hatches to give more detail.Everything is ready for painting.Started the sea base that all my models finish up with.I have try to put the photos back on for the G3,all l could do was the the introduction,after that its classes me as a guest,so I will put her in the complete section.more photo's .

 

 

 

 

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Chris Hewitt

[mdesaxe]

17 hours ago, stevehnz said:

another 80 feet, 40,000 shp, two more shafts & about 8 more knots & you'd really be talking

When my father was on Victorious, one of his fellow Corsair pilots (an American marine engineering graduate from the Webb Institute) saw Nelson and calculated that she would plane if the designers had managed to add another 55,000 shp. The only problem was where to cram that much more machinery into her.

 

Maurice

[Richard E]

Do you have any more pictures of the two finished ships in your last picture Chris, the tugs and lighters alongside them make them look "just right".

[Chris Hewitt]

As requested photos of the tugs beside correct HMS Nelson and the G3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chris Hewitt]

3 minutes ago, Chris Hewitt said:

As requested photos of the tugs beside correct HMS Nelson and the G3

 

3 minutes ago, Chris Hewitt said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Terry1954]

Great models as ever Chris.

 

Terry

[Chris Hewitt]

Well back to What-if HMS Nelson ,when it bit mad on the bridge,added more details ,because she is a what-if I don't have to build to be exact.

 

Edited July 26, 2020 by Chris Hewitt

[Chris Hewitt]

That's the painted started, looks right so far.

 

[stevehnz]

Liking that Chris, looking at your others we're in for a treat. Speaking of others, whats that behind this one, a prowl through my battleships book doesn't show up a match for it so I'm guessing another whiffer/on the drawing board type.

I'm going to guess a German H class, I've no drawing/picture to work from but it does have a rather bigger Bismarck look to it.

Steve.

[ArnoldAmbrose]

12 hours ago, Chris Hewitt said:

because she is a what-if I don't have to build to be exact.

Gidday, that's the beauty of a whiff, we can indulge ourselves a little (or a lot) and don't have to spend too much time on research getting everything 'just right'. My thoughts, anyway.

30 minutes ago, stevehnz said:

I'm going to guess a German H class,

That would be my guess also. I've seen simple diagrams of the proposed class and they look very similar to the model.

 

HMWhiff Nelson continues to look good. Are you going to give her a fictitious name also? Regards, Jeff.

[stevehnz]

After I'd posted earlier my guess for a German H-class, I went looking for drawings & found that Very Fire do a 1/700 kit of one. Also while snooping, this time in my book I found a drawing of the proposed Lion class battle ship, 2 begun  but obviously none finished, 9 x16" guns on a development of a KGV hull,  a cross kit of the Airfix KGV with their Nelson would be very doable to my mind. It's got me thinking, I've the remains(most) of a Nelson I built squirreled away, betcha KGVs are both unobtainium & unaffordium. In concept they were a lot like Chris's creation, maybe that's why I like the look of it so much.

Steve.

[Chris Hewitt]

Well spotted ,I like putting someone usually behind to see anyone spots it.Yes they would have been massive ships ,they did lay the keel for Hutton,but scrapped when the war started,I have an excellent book called Battleships Axis and Neutral Battleships in WW ll by William H.Garzke and Robert O. Dulin ,if into Axis navies,a must to have in your book collect. first photo is Hutton beside a Hipper cruiser and Graf Spee,the second is Hutton have way through build beside HMS Renown and the last one,I pinched from another build because I don't a Bismarck or Tirpitz kit   

 

 

 

[Chris Hewitt]

Been away  for a couple of days and while I was away, the wooden deck had arrived,I realised I could use more of the wooden deck, so having spare hulls ,I have modify the next hull to accommodate the changes I wanted to make.Also cut A turret ring out for X turret from the first hull.I have painted the spare parts of the wooden deck and it works,so I can match then when applying the deck to the ship.The wooden deck is just sitting on the deck ,still to be painted.

 

[OutcastJoel]

Moving C turret makes it into a very attractive ship!

I am enjoying this build and the miscellany which slips its way in from time to time! 

[Courageous]

On 7/27/2020 at 4:04 PM, Chris Hewitt said:

I like putting someone usually behind to see anyone spots it.

Intriguing but

 

what is the tracked interloper?

 

Stuart

[Chris Hewitt]

Airfix Scorpion 1/72 ,keep getting out to finish it.need to scratch build the bins on the hull,no two were the same,we used the Chieftain bins that were along the engine deck,we used then because they were better (waterproof)than bins they came with from the factory.Why I'm building,use to crew one ,in a tank Chieftain regiment,it had one reconnaissance troop(called Recce or has the rest the regiment call us (Dinky troop) of 8 CVR Scorpions  ,great vehicles,fast, reliable,go anywhere,no weight restrictions.Bit of history,my Regiment 4RTR was amalgamated with 1RTR in 1992 and on 2 August 2014, 1RTR and 2RTR amalgamated.The new regiment is titled the Royal Tank Regiment.I'm glad I left in 1989 ,folk I know said the regiment was never the same after the amalgamated.My regiment 4th Royal tank Regiment, recruited in Scotland so we a Pipe band ,the famous Chinese eyes on all the fighting vehicles,also all the AFV had a name starting with "D" ,painted on the side on the hull,were 1RTR started with A and so on,some regiments were linked to ships in the R.N.,because we were Scottish we were link to HMS Fife and we spent 10 days on her,great visit.

        Any way back to Nelson,been busy with the wooden deck,got the deck to match up paint wise,but the pattern is off ,so I have ordered  another  generic  wooden deck,hopefully this will match better if not ,will cover it with a large awning around X turret.I have finished 4 pompoms and started 40 bofors. The last picture my friend suggested I should do this diorama. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited August 6, 2020 by Chris Hewitt

[Courageous]

Cheers for the background Chris. I am a little surprised that an armour dude has a 'ships crew' photo for his avatar, is their a story there too?

10 hours ago, Chris Hewitt said:

should do this diorama. 

...and your friend is correct . And as for those pom-poms .

 

Stuart

[Chris Hewitt]

12 hours ago, Courageous said:

Cheers for the background Chris. I am a little surprised that an armour dude has a 'ships crew' photo for his avatar, is their a story there too?

...and your friend is correct . And as for those pom-poms .

 

Stuart

Hi Stuart 

                 Very True, yes there is a story ,its a photo of my Dad standing on HMS Diana in the late 60's ,he is the furthest person on the right.He was away for 18 months in the Far east ,when this photo was taken,no internet in those days,just letters.Even my "friend" is Ex RN ,32 yrs service.

                 Must add this, over the last 6 yrs we have been going to model shows and displaying our ships .the show are mostly are in Scotland because we live there,and have gone to all the shows in Scotland,well last year we did and the last 3 yrs we have being going to Newcastle and in 2019 we  managed to go to Telford ,so here is some photos.first photo all the models out ,we take the covers off on Sat morning.I'm the tall fat one.                                            We call our display the “Chris and Ray Maritime Roadshow” come and say hi ,we love to chat about ships.We are booked for Telford this year ,I can't see it happening,but you never know! 

 

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Edited August 7, 2020 by Chris Hewitt

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday Chris, you have quite a collection of ships there. I'd love to be able to see them in the flesh (so to speak) but I'm on the wrong side of the planet.    Regards, Jeff.

[Courageous]

A fantastic display there Chris, it looks like SMW at Telford to my eyes, the setup does look familiar from last year. Like you, I'll be surprised if SMW at Telford goes ahead, all to uncertain.

Now, less of the welcome chit-chat and back to Nelson.

 

Stuart

[stevehnz]

5 hours ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Gidday Chris, you have quite a collection of ships there. I'd love to be able to see them in the flesh (so to speak) but I'm on the wrong side of the planet.    Regards, Jeff.

You & me both when it comes to this sort of display. Those look like a superb line up of vessels Chris, not many I can identify though.  I thought I was in with a chance of the battleship third row down beside you in the 4th photo with neutrality stripes on its B turret but its got me stumped. I initially thought Barham but the tripod mast seems to be the wrong way around for her.

Steve.