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Gidday All, well I've started. I guess we of the Antipodean Colonies have a head start over those of you in the Mother Country in that the sun gets to us first.

     Anyway, as the title suggests I'm planning on building the County class destroyer HMS Glamorgan for this group build and will be converting an Airfix HMS Devonshire model from the Airfix  Falklands set to do so. This era of warship is not my forte so please don't expect too much but I'll try to do the best I can.

     Here's the traditional initial photo of box art and kit parts.

GLM10 box art and parts

And I've made a very modest start. I've glued the hull halves together plus reinforced the join and drilled holes for screwing the model to a building block later.

GLM20 hull glued

Included in the photo is my current build of the WW2 destroyer HMS Onslow. I included her here to show just how much bigger these County class destroyers really were.

      Well, that's as far as I've gone, a very modest start. Once Onslow is done (and soon I hope) I'll be able to devote all my modelling attention to Glamorgan. Hopefully I'll have more soon. Thank you for your interest. Stay safe, and regards to all, Jeff.

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A fine subject, and thread I'll be following.

In 1977, I was able to spend a family day aboard Glamorgan, courtesy of an uncle.

Accompanied by another smaller ship, also on a family day, we sailed out from Portsmouth into the Channel.

My uncle was the helicopter controller, so I went with him to the control centre, watching him direct the approach for a flying display.

They fired the 20mm cannon - loud, and transferred some stores to the other ship.

This ship had its B turret removed, replaced by some sort of missile box.  I'd never heard of Exocet then.

A great day, and stark contrast to the news that arrived 5 years later (after my uncle had left the Navy) of Glamorgan being hit by a ground launched Exocet. 

 

I took some photos which have gone missing - but I'll know the album if I find it.

 

 

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An interesting choice Arnold. My brother-in-law served on Antelope as navigator. By the outbreak on the Falklands war, he had been drafted ashore to Northolt. He was sore, that all his training could not be put to use!

 

Colin

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I will enjoy watching your build, Jeff. I served on one of her sister ships, HMS Antrim from 1978 to 1981. They were lovely ships and my action station was in the magazine for the 4.5" turret.

 

Dave

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     Gidday All, sorry about the lack of progress. After completing a model I like to tidy my workbench up a little before commencing the next. But my last four builds overlapped so by the time I'd finished HMS Onslow the job needed doing in a big way. Hence the delay in HMS Glamorgan. Anyway, I sat down at the bench this evening.

     I've heard on the forum comments about the high quality of some kits. I don't think this kit will be receiving those same accolades. The underwater hull at the stern of this kit is a bit rough and the join at the stern is a gap that the Grand Canyon would envy. Oh well, that's what filler is for. I haven't looked at the fitting of the shafts yet. Those square holes for the shaft struts look a bit large to me, as do the tunnels for the shafts themselves.

     But that's not the biggest problem. The fwd superstructure has a rounded face. The sides of this structure are in two pieces and curve at the front to form this round face. But not in this kit. They are poorly formed, melted and decidedly missing. 😲

GLM40 damaged parts

That's them, parts 6 & 7 at the top of the photo. I've said in the past that you get what you pay for but this is a bit much I think. Oh well, I guess I've got some scratch building to do. I bought this kit quite a while ago, I don't even remember where. I'm not going to bother trying to get replacement parts. If I can scratch build an entire ship's superstructure on other models then surely I can do something with this. It may not be completely accurate though. The only other alternative is to bin the model and forget it.      But I can't do that.      I've received so much help and advice for this, plus in a way this is in memory of the casualties suffered by the crew at the Falklands that I feel compelled to try at least to rescue this. (Sorry if I sound a bit maudlin). So please forgive any inaccuracies that may result. This won't be a museum-quality model but I'll do my best. The Glamorous Organ deserves nothing less.

     I did this model way back in my school days (I'm now 65) but I don't recall this kit having Seacat missile launchers. But it does. That's those two small rectangles of plastic with small bumps just to the right of the turrets and above that screw. Instantly recognizable, how could I have missed them? (That was sarcasm BTW 😁) The bedstead (?) radar looks a bit average but as the ship carried a double I was going to scratchbuild a replacement anyway. And the Wessex has quite a sink hole in the side.

     The turrets on the other hand look quite good. And although you can't see it in the photo the decks seem to fit quite well.

 

Well, that's it for now. Sanding tomorrow I think, plus some pondering and maybe some cutting and gluing of plastic. So stay safe and regards to all, Jeff.

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Definitely showing its age Jeff.

 

Yes, the Seacat mountings were easily missed - a few pimples on a blob of plastic a bit like some of Airfix's pom-poms on other ships - they seemed to have problems moulding small detailed parts in those days. Somewhere I may still have an old Airfix mag with an article on converting this kit - I suppose that like most ship classes there were detailed differences between most if not all of the ones built. I presume it was after the Falklands War that some of the class received Exocet launcers to replace one of the gun turrets? When I built this as a lad I remember thinking it looked somewhat underarmed, being the same size as many wartime light cruisers.

 

Pete

Edited by PeterB
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Thanks Dave.

 

So on that basis Glamorgan had B turret replaced by an Exocet launcher before the Falklands War it seems, which I should have picked up from a post earlier in this thread!

 

Pete

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The Batch II County Class Destroyers had the Exocet launchers installed some years before the Falklands War:

 

HMS Norfolk had her Exocets added during her 1973 refit.

HMS Glamorgan had her Exocets added during her 1973/4 refit.

HMS Antrim had her Exocets added during her 1973/4 refit.

HMS Fife had her Exocets added during her 1975/6 refit.

 

Dave

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Thanks Dave,

 

I guess Arnold knows this already even if Airfix seem to have still included both A and B turrets! If not, I guess that is one more thing he is probably going to have to modify.

 

Pete

Edited by PeterB
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Gidday Guys, Many thanks.

      @davecov, I was interested in the name of the author of the third article - Andrew J Ambrose. No relation to me as my modeling name is simply a combination of nicknames I had during my time in the Naval Reserve here.

     @PeterB, I've found that much of Airfix's small stuff molded rather crudely. It's why I make many of my small items now if I can. She was quite large, similar dimensions to the 'Bellona' class of light cruisers of WW2 although not as heavy. I've done a whiff, Alistair Maclean's HMS Ullysses in this scale and I might have her photo-bomb Glamorgan when I have her a bit more advanced. And I found her very under-gunned when I pitted her against my brother's HMS Suffolk when we 'played wars' as kids.

     Again, thanks for you help. Regards, Jeff.

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22 hours ago, PeterB said:

Definitely showing its age Jeff.

Yeah, me too! 😀

 

Earlier I showed that I've glued plastic and applied filler. Well now I've cut plastic, sanded filler and applied paint. But don't get too excited. One of the alterations I have to make to the kit is extending the quarterdeck by cutting away some of the hull sides. This I've now done. First I marked where I have to cut.

GLM50 marking hull cutaway

Firstly, marking the cut. I ran masking tape under and flush with the top edge of the hull at the quarterdeck and extending fwd a little. Then from a drawing I have measured 33mm from the extreme stern. At flightdeck level I marked 42mm from the stern (a block of wood at the stern helps get the ruler in the right spot) then ran more masking tape between the two marks. I'll  cut along the edge of the tape. I've found that pencil marks masking tape better than shiny plastic.

And hacking away.

GLM60 cutting hull sides

The cuts turned out quite neat. I've found that laying the razor saw quite shallow allows the body of the saw to become its own guide so-to-speak, helping to get a nice straight cut. I'm probably teaching many of you what you already know, sorry about that but it might help a newbie. And I don't intend to bombard you all with posts with each and every minor step along the way. 🙂

     You can't see it here but I've sanded the filler you saw in an earlier post. And the paint I've applied - simply a couple of paint trials inside the hull. I told you not to get too excited. 😀

I've looked at the screws, almost no flash which is better than some Airfix kits of this age I've found. But I get two right-turning screws, not one of each. This is an annoying trait of many Airfix ship kits I've found. I'll use them and the rudders but I think I'll make my own shafts and struts. One of them is too short anyway.

     I think however the next job I'll tackle is the fwd superstructure. But not tonight. It's nearly midnight here, not that the time matters to me much now. I'm currently on leave.

So goodnight all. Stay safe and regards, Jeff.

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Gidday Ant, thanks for that. I've just had a quick perusal of it and it has already answered some questions for me. As this era of warship is not my forte some of the terminology I'm unfamiliar with. It'll be very useful. Regards, Jeff.

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     Gidday All, I've decided to give HMS Glamorgan a complete scratch built fwd superstructure and not use the kit parts. Besides the damaged parts I think there are errors with it, particularly towards the rear end of it. Also I think it is too wide by about 2mm.

     While I was contemplating how I'm going to make it and get the rounded front face correct I decided to remove the barbette of 'B' turret. That was rather straight forward, a chisel and file job. I was about to do the same with the molded guides for the fwd superstructure when I had a flash of brilliance. Well, a bit of an idea anyway. I checked the width of them and YES, they will match the actual width of the structure I want to make. So if I make pieces that will fit snug INSIDE them - my new guide pieces, and with the correct curve of the front face. And so here they are.

GLM80 fwd structure levels

     The base piece 01 will be glued to the deck, 02 will be glued on top of a 2mm high spacer, 03 on another spacer 2.5mm high. The whole lot will have sides 1mm thick all the way round. I'll probably do that in two stages of 0.5mm to make the curves easier to do. 03 and 03A need to have the corners removed for the bridge wings (please correct me if I've named them incorrectly) and both 03 and 03A still have to be cut to length. And I know that the whole assembly will be positioned further fwd, about where that small pencil mark is. I've got to give this a bit more thought but I think I now have a working plan.

     Anyway, that's it for tonight, it's gone midnight here. Stay safe and regards to all, Jeff.

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Gidday All, there's a lot more to this conversion to HMS Glamorgan than simply replacing 'B' turret with four Exocet launchers. As far as I know HMS Devonshire was completed and joined the fleet in 1962. This kit was produced in 1963 so is obviously represents the ship as built, or Airfix's interpretation of it anyway.

     Here's where I'm up to:-

GLM90 progress 1

     The quarterdeck is glued in but the upper deck is dry fitted at present. I'm slowly building up layers of the forward superstructure. Level 01 (they're read upside down) is in position, simply held there by a couple of styrene pins at present. 02 and 03 will obviously stack on top, and 03A too but that needs to be shortened first. Then the sides will be added, before attaching the whole lot to the deck.

     The quarterdeck needed (and has been) extended fwd a little. This has a flow-on effect to just about everything else, right up to the fwd superstructure. As you can see the flight deck now overhangs the quarterdeck. Instead of shortening it then having to reshape the rear edge I plan to cut out a strip in the middle instead. Hopefully this will save me a bit of work. The bit I'm planning on removing is that shaded bit about 1/3 way along. This will put the cut/join under the Seacat director platform which will hopefully help to hide it. I haven't decided yet though. 'B' turret barbette and the molded-on guides for the two superstructures have now been removed.

     All those white dots are holes I've plugged - the SeaSlug launcher on the quarterdeck, the two Seacat launchers and all the boat davits. They all have to be moved fwd too. The holes for the boat davits didn't look too large from the top but underneath they were the shape (and size) of an inverted volcano crater. They needed plugs 2mm in diameter. Easier to do them now while the deck was clean and detachable - I've learned that from experience. And something else I've just noticed is the size of 'A' turret barbette. I think it's far too big. Some photos of the ship show a ring around the turret but not raised like it is here. I'll have to chisel and file it down too and then make a new barbette.

     The quarterdeck has been extended fwd, you can make out the strip of white styrene. As I said, the Seaslug launcher has to be moved further fwd. I've cleared off nearly everything else from the quarterdeck too. After seeing some photos of the ship from a private collection I decided to completely redo everything on it.

     Well that's it for now. Slow progress is better than no progress. Stay safe and regards to all, Jeff.

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Gidday All, time for another update on HMS Glamorgan. I've cleaned up the quarterdeck, fixed the bulkhead containing the Seaslug loading hatches and glued in the hull decks.

GLM100 quarterdeck 2

     The bulkhead mentioned, between the quarterdeck and flight deck gave me a bit of a challenge. The kit part was meant to be glued in vertical but this is incorrect, it had to be sloped fwd. This meant it's height was wrong. I found that trying to hold three separate pieces simultaneously while I worked out the alterations/additions I had to make very awkward so I glued it in at the angle I thought it had to be then started to build up the height around the curved top edge of it at the aft edge of the flight deck. I also cut the upper deck into two pieces at this stage, to remove the excess length and to make fitting easier. The flight deck glues INTO this piece, not on top of it, just to be difficult. And the fit wasn't too good either, so out with the filler. Again. (How did we get by without it?) Anyway, I think that's as good as I can get it.

     Behind the hull is the fwd superstructure I've been working on. It's turned around in this photo. Still much to do with it but I think I got the size right, and the rounded curve of the fwd face of it. That fwd face also slopes back just a little, just to complicate things a little. The broad curve in the middle of the face, the tighter curves at the corners plus the slope backwards made it a bit complex to make. The curved front face is of two layers of 0.5mm thick card whereas the straight sides and rear are of a single 1.0mm thickness. There's a bit of filler at the join of the two. I'm not sure of the aft end of the superstructure. All drawings and photos of that part of it are obscured by ship's boats. I've tried to interpret the drawings as best I can but I've probably made some errors. Those of you who are ex-crew members I beg your forgiveness.

     In the foreground is the aft superstructure. I think it's reasonably accurate size-wise, and I hope so detail-wise also although I haven't looked into that yet. I don't want to have to alter it too much but if there're any glaring errors I'll try to fix them. I know there's a small addition I have to add for the stbd of the two rear door hatches. You can just make them out.

     What is not visible in the photo is my work on the foc'sle. I've removed the barbette of 'A' turret, and the breakwater also. The barbette was too wide and the breakwater too insubstantial.

 

Well, that's it for now. Thank you for the references, your help and interest. Stay safe and regards to all, Jeff.

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Coming along nicely Jeff.

 

Ships can be  a real pain as the various members of any class are finished with a gap between them and tend to incorporate "improvements" as they go, so very often no two are exactly alike. The same happens with refits.

 

Pete

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Gidday All, I was wondering, are there ANY parts of this kit I can use without modifying them? 😯

     I've done some more on the forward superstructure block, mainly sanding it. I've also made the bridge wings, the kit wings were rather chunky. I'll leave these off for a while, they might be easier to paint before attaching.

GLM110 progress 2

     The forward funnel is dry fitted. You can't see it in the photo but it's a bit too pointy at the rear base, according to diagrams anyway, but I'm going to leave it. I don't think I can do much with it without altering the profile which I don't want to do.

     That structure just forward of the funnel I think is the GDP - the Gun Direction Platform. Again, I've made my own. Included in the photo is the kit part. The overall height of the kit part is about right but the balustrading at the top is too shallow (and the wrong shape at the front) and the deckhouse below is too high. The large hole in the top is for the small locating pin at the base of the foremast, also in the photo. Again, I think that needs work on it too.

      And the shafts. One is bent but that's no problem. One however is too short. Plus the struts (legs) leave much to be desired. That's them indicated by the red arrow. Just HOW are they to be fitted to the shafts, without taking great chunks out of them? So - I'm making my own. The struts still have to be cut to the correct length. Those two bits of MDF are my guides for the angle between the struts. I don't know what the correct angle is, I originally made them for my build of HMS Jamaica I think, about 18 months ago. I've also filled in the holes for the kit struts to go into. They're probably wrong anyway. Plus I've drilled holes in the hull where the shafts enter. This way I don't have to worry about the shafts being the correct length - a bit of excess can slide into the holes.

     Well, that's it for now. Thank you for your interest. Stay safe and regards to all, Jeff.

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Gidday Guys, thanks for your comments and responses. HMS Glamorgan now has her shafts, bearings and struts.

GLM120 shafts and struts

     I scratch built them, plus re-inforced the glued joins with 5-minute Araldyte epoxy glue as there wasn't a lot of contact area for the styrene cement to work on. The shafts are of 0.8mm styrene rod, the struts (legs) are 0.4x1.5mm styrene strip. The end bearings are 1.6mm rod and those midway along are from 1.2mm rod. Drilling a 0.9mm hole down the centre of a 1.2mm rod by hand was fun. Since the photo was taken I've also added the rudders. The screws I'll leave until later, probably towards the end of the build.

     Today I also made some anchors. I plan to fit them tomorrow then I can start slopping paint on the hull. The kit anchors were OK but I think the wrong style. They'll be handy as spares for another model someday.

 

     Well, that's it. Stay safe, and regards to all, Jeff.

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Gidday All, just a quick update on HMS Glamorgan. When I build a model ship I usually consider the first milestone to be the hull painted and the model screwed to a building block, as I call them. I usually mask and paint the boot topping after I've done the upper and lower hull. Well, I did the boot topping this morning. Last night I was ready to put an axe through this, try as I might I couldn't get the masking tape on straight. I only have two hands, not the five I needed. It was time to down tools and walk away, which I did. And picked it up again this morning.

     This build is becoming more complex than I'd thought and hoped, and I've had a bit of a tussle with mojo. Hopefully this milestone will give me a bit of a mojo boost. I don't want to put this up on the shelf in case I never take it down again.    Anyway, here's where we're up to.

GLM130 hull painted

     The upper hull colour is not quite what I intended, it looked a bit different in the tin. I wanted a very light grey and this seemed OK. It's Hu147 which I had two tins of. The underwater hull (anti fouling) is Hu73. The decks are natural plastic, unpainted at this point.

     The bulkhead under the Exocet deck ('B' turret deck) is sloped and I think it should be vertical but I didn't think I could rectify that. I've busied it up a little with two door hatches (not very visible here) and some air inlets or outlets. I've also attached my scratchbuilt anchors. The kit anchors were OK but the wrong style I think. These seem to match those in photos a little more.

     I've done some more work on the forward superstructure but I'll leave that to another post.

So thank you for your interest. Stay safe and regards to all, Jeff.

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Gidday All, thank you for your responses and interest. I've been working on HMS Glamorgan's superstructures today.

GLM140 superstructures 1

     All the stuff on the forward superstructure is dry fitted at present, except the bridge. That's glued on but it still needs it's roof. I've drilled the scuttles and added some of the door hatches to it. There's some sort of deckhouse behind the forward funnel, that still needs cleaning up. That area between the funnel and GDP (gun direction platform) lifts off at present. Rather than try to glue those two curved balustrades direct to the deck I shaped a piece of 0.25mm styrene sheet and glued the balustrades to it. It needs more added to it. Does anyone know what that area is called? I've also added the small platforms abreast the forward funnel for the Corvus chaff chuckers.

     The aft funnel needs raising by about 1.5mm so it's currently being glued to a bit of styrene. It'll get trimmed and sanded tomorrow. About the only bits of grey plastic I've used so far without having to modify/replace are the rudders and the forward funnel. The aft superstructure I can use but it needs modifying too. (Surprise surprise!)

     Those bits of white styrene glued to the hull deck are positioning guides for the aft superstructure. The forward superstructure will be positioned using 1.6mm styrene pins, hence all those holes in the deck. Probably more than I need but it was better to drill more while I had the chance to do them accurately.

     Well that's it for now. Stay safe and regards to all, Jeff.

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  • 1 month later...

     Gidday All, it was forty years ago today, 12th June 1982 that HMS Glamorgan was hit by the Exocet fired from an improvised trailer on shore. As far as I know she was the first ship to be hit by an Exocet fired in anger and survive. RIP those of the crew that didn't make it.

     I hope to get back to this build soon. It sort of got put on hold while I'm doing my HMS Minotaur. I have trouble working on two models at a time as it breaks my concentration on what I'm doing. Minotaur is part of a GB on the ATF and their time frames (usually two months) are tighter than here.

     Regards, Jeff.

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