HMS Sheffield C42 cruiser - 1:350 kits or detailed plans?

[bootneck]

White Ensign once produced a resin kit of this wartime cruiser to 1:350 scale but it has been out of production for a very long time, has anyone else produced a kit of this ship in anything larger than 1:700 scale?  If not, does anyone know of a plans supplier of this ship?  I believe Jecobin has retired and closed down.

 

Mike

[Adm Lord De Univers]

According to scalemates iron shipwrights do a version. Otherwise you might be able to modify the Trumpy Belfast one? I see WEM have pe for both the Belfast (instructions on their website) and Sheffield (without instructions apparently) so the latter kit may help you get close.

 

David

[bootneck]

Hi David,

I've just checked Iron Shipwrights and they are also out of production, with no backorder allocated to it.  The price is over $200, plus international shipping from the U.S. and taxes etc., that's a price I cannot afford.   If anyone knows of any detailed plans available then I would appreciate hearing about them.  I don't mind having a go at scratchbuilding a model of the ship, then get the p.e. for it as you mention.

 

cheers,
Mike

[Modelholic]

Some time ago andrewa scratched a, Sheffield and Jamaica  in 1/350.

Perhaps you could email him for ideas.

Tom

[Francis Macnaughton]

Mike,

 

Had you considered using a card model such as the 1/200th Polish Modelik one which can be obtained via GPM?

 

https://sklep.gpm.pl/en/modele-kartonowe/okrety/1/200/sheffield

 

[bootneck]

11 hours ago, Modelholic said:

Some time ago andrewa scratched a, Sheffield and Jamaica  in 1/350.  Perhaps you could email him for ideas.

Hi Tom,

Andrew's Sheffield was a White Ensign resin kit and not a scratchbuild.

 

10 hours ago, Francis Macnaughton said:

Had you considered using a card model such as the 1/200th Polish Modelik one which can be obtained via GPM?

Hello Francis,

yes, it looks as if that might be the only way to progress with my quest to build a model of the Sheffield.

 

cheers,
Mike

[Chewbacca]

If you do that Mike I shall follow with interest as having converted the Airfix BELFAST to GLASGOW, I would like to do GLASGOW in the larger scale.

[bootneck]

I'm still doing the research Ralph and hope to get something started ready for a winter months project.

cheers,
Mike

[Chewbacca]

👍

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday Mike, I'm afraid I can't help you as yet although I'd like to be able to. I wish to do a conversion of an Airfix Belfast in 1/600 into HMS Sheffield one day and am on the lookout for plans of the ship too. At the smaller size I probably wouldn't need them as detailed as you but If I find something I'll let you know. Sorry I can't be of any more help just now. Regards, Jeff.

[Francis Macnaughton]

Hi Mike,

 

I see that the WAK website offers several useful pix of the Modelik Sheffield which will give a better feel for what you would be getting  They handled an order for me last year very well but I don't know how they would work out for overall costs now, post Brexit implementation.

 

https://www.wak.pl/hms-sheffield-p-2259.html

 

Francis

[bootneck]

Hi Francis,

I sourced a 1:400 scale copy here in the UK and bought it and should arrive soon.  Thanks for the link, those images will be very useful indeed and at least I now know how the model 'should' look like when finished!

 

cheers

Mike

[Francis Macnaughton]

Further thought is possibly this book if Birmingham is not too different from Sheffield:

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cruiser-Birmingham-Detailed-Original-Builders/dp/1526724979/ref=sr_1_14?crid=3K5790JMKJDOY&dchild=1&keywords=hms+birmingham&qid=1631702226&sprefix=hms+bi%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-14

 

I also see that the equivalent book that covers most RN WW2 types/classes has several drawings of Manchester but the text on some of the drawings is not fully legible- I can send a scan to give an idea.

[bootneck]

Hello Francis,

Both Birmingham and Sheffield were Southampton class 1st group vessels; therefore, the hull will be the same as will most of the upperworks.  I think the only superstructure difference is the Bridge deck.   Both ships had different light armaments, or the same but in different locations etc.  Sheffield was also the first to get British radar, with the type  79Y in 1938.  Obviously, as the war progressed and technology advanced,  all ships underwent changes, upgrades or repairs to their original fits.

 

Thanks for the link and I have ordered the book.  Any additional information and/or images would be appreciated, thank you.

 

cheers,
Mike

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Gidday, there is a slight difference between Birmingham and Sheffield - the bow. Sheffield had the knuckle as did nearly all RN WW2 cruisers but Birmingham was unique of that vintage cruiser in that it didn't, instead having a flared bow like a destroyer instead. That shouldn't affect deck plans though. Regards, Jeff.

[Graham Boak]

Birmingham was the only Town class cruiser to have a flared bow: all the others were like Southampton in having a knuckled bow.

 

For a reference see British Town Class Cruisers by Conrad Waters.

[bootneck]

Thanks for that update,  I hadn't seen anything in my copy of "Cruisers of World War Two [M.J. Whitley] referring to that.  It shouldn't be a problem adding the knuckles.

 

cheers,
Mike

[Circloy]

On 12/09/2021 at 07:13, ArnoldAmbrose said:

Gidday Mike, I'm afraid I can't help you as yet although I'd like to be able to. I wish to do a conversion of an Airfix Belfast in 1/600 into HMS Sheffield one day and am on the lookout for plans of the ship too. At the smaller size I probably wouldn't need them as detailed as you but If I find something I'll let you know. Sorry I can't be of any more help just now. Regards, Jeff.

There was an article in the Airfix magazine that covered just such a conversion I can't off the top of my head remember which edition though.

 

February 1977

 

Thought I'd posted the information earlier so checked & found this !

 

 

 

Edited September 15, 2021 by Circloy
Details already in older thread