HMCS Eyebright - 1/350 Mirage Hobby/White Ensign

[robgizlu]

My old mate Chris says about music that, "It all ends in jazz".  I almost feel the same way about Flower Class Corvettes, "it all ends in corvettes".

For me - 1/350 modelling all started with the Corvette HMS Anchusa

 

So it seemed time to return and attempt HMCS Eyebright that I had originally wanted to do in 1/144.

For an in-depth discussion about the colour scheme - see this thread with enormous and welcome input from @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies

 

More on the scheme later.

 

We are fabulously blessed with a series of high quality photos of Eyebright from approximately late 1941-1942.  I remain grateful to Mr Ron Bell for his gracious permission to publish them here from his website  

 

http://www.forposterityssake.ca/GALLERIES/EYEBRIGHT.htm

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now, how beautiful are they 

 

She appears after her first refit from November 1941 and has a curious mix of features including an "old" Type B bridge with enclosed wheelhouse with mast abaft.  Most noticeably is that she is utterly weather beaten and grungy so if nothing else this is going to be an exercise in weathering.

 

I'll be using the Mirage kit for hull and superstructure and the White Ensign etch set for bridge and fittings together with lots of Micromaster and BlackCat 3D printed goodies, and hopefully lots of Ben Druel's new Royal Navy figures that are winging their way as we speak.

Here are some of the Micromaster pots that I'll be taking from

 

 

It seems odd that with the huge popularity of Flower Class vessels the only decent kit we have in 1/350 is of a short focsle ship from Black Cat.  No doubt one will appear of a later Long focsle the minute I finish this!

 

And if you want to see the later Bridge variant using the Mirage hull and White Ensign PE then here's @Chris Hewitt's excellent HMS Anchusa (in her later appearance)

 

 

I went to Telford last Saturday and it was my pleasure to formally meet @Chris Hewitt together with Ray Nolton on their fabulous "Chris and Ray" stand with some superb ship models on display.  Their stand influenced me enormously when I last attended in 2019.  Kudos fellas   It was also a pleasure to meet up with @Gisbod, @Courageous, and @Terry1954.  As I've already mentioned in Jon's RFI - Guy did extremely well winning at least 2 Golds, 2 silvers and some bronzes for his fabulous aircraft (you lose count )  Sadly his RAF Whaleback in 1/72 didn't place.  There was a very high standard throughout the whole competition and more entries by far than I can recall from previous years.  Some of the ships were just beautfull and I came away with the reminder that - precision counts!

 

So back to the build, I'm using my previous blog as a reminder and I intend to duplicate as little as possible and instead concentrate on the finishing and weathering

 

The basic hull is OK as is the superstructure except for many clunky bits including the troughs that you are invited to place the spare depth charges in

 

 

 

The easiest thing is to remove everything as it will be replaced with detailed Micromaster/Black Cat items

 

Half-way...........

 

 

And here's the whole way.... with the hull halves having had several portholes filled and or added together with Depth Charge ports being drilled aft

 

 

My Go-to filler for small gaps and sink holes is Mr Colour liquid putty - Yuss!  You need some.  and NO you aren't seeing double, there are 2 aft decks.  HMS Jonquil will be following on not far behind 

 

So here's a list of peculiarities or noted points from the original photos above and this will be my aide-memoire

From Bow to stern:

 

1)  2 Ventilators on wood decking at the bow

2)  Pulpit fwd of the 4"

3)  4" rail is low and circular

4)  There is a springing cat or panther on the 4" gun so I'll need to decal that somehow (not done that before)

5)  There is a small lattice gantry holding the HF/DF aft of the 4"

6)  Deck rails come inboard of the deflector plates

7)  She has 4 lattice squares supporting the bridge

😎 Type B bridge with enclosed bridge "house" and a locker too the back

9)  Oerlikons and guardrails on bridge wings

10) Type 272 radar "round"with circular rails 

11) Mast abaft the bridge

12) ?16 ft dinghy (not 14' 6") with netting below

13) Stove pipe up to funnel stbd side

14) Multiple Lifebuoys and a single Dan boy evident

15) Smoke pots and "Clutter" on overhead shelves aft

16) The deck grey comes up to the level of the tops of the depth charges on the aft superstrucutre - now that IS odd

17) Hoists for D/C throwers are relatively far aft

18) Flotanets present bilaterally

19) Ladder to 2 pounder deck is abaft the superstructure

20) D/Cs on the rear deck are transverse

21) Raft on D/C racks

22) There is a boom along the Stbd side rear superstructure (and probaly one alongsdie the 4" gun (no idea what they are)

23) Lookout shelter at back of 2 pounder tub has a frame with a loudspeaker or searchlight above

24) There is a separate ladder up to the 2 pdr tub on the port quarter side

25) The inner cowl vents are dark fwd but light aft

 

More soon and thanks for looking

Rob

 

[socjo1]

Rob, I will be fan of this topic as I love Flowers since I rode 35 years ago "Cruel Sea". So many interesting variants, variations, dramatical stories and camouflages! Jonquil - beautifull camo, one of my favorite! And I will admire your matrclass skill with heavy-weathered "Eybright". Well, I have 3 Mirage - models and 1 Black Cat in my stash and I'm going to do these when I finish 1/72 Ukrainian Mig-29 (kind of tribute for our brave brothers) and my old "Jed". Have a good fun with your Flowers! 

Regards,

Michal

PS. One awfull place in Mirage's model is big gap between superstructures walls and roof/deck. Needs lot of filling and sanding. On the other side it is very visible place so it really deserves extra care and time.

Edited February 28, 2023 by socjo1

[longshanks]

Now were talking .......

Looking forward to watching this develop 

 

 

Kev

[Faraway]

Ah, a Corvette, now we are talking. 

A real ship, not some bloody great, guns everywhere Battleship.

Jon

[Courageous]

Once again Rob it was great to have a good chat with but I think you really need to get into this 'pensioner' groove and get more building time...

As for this interesting character build, fantastic, with those beautiful close-ups of the real thing I'm sure we're in for a treat.

 

Stuart 

[theskits62]

Thats looking great and those photos are superb !!

[robgizlu]

5 minutes ago, Courageous said:

Once again Rob it was great to have a good chat with but I think you really need to get into this 'pensioner' groove and get more building time...

As for this interesting character build, fantastic, with those beautiful close-ups of the real thing I'm sure we're in for a treat.

 

Stuart 

 - Could you explain that to Mrs M please!  No, in truth you nailed it - I do lots of other things.  Modelling remains the most relaxing "Zen" thing I do.  Let's just hope I do justice to what you quite correctly describe as a "character" vessel.

BTW Stuart - I checked out HMS Glorious - I have assumed that it is the Triumph hobby/Ostrich models kit.  It looks fabulous.  I also checked out HMS Courageous - Fleet Carrier but it was hard to compare the 2 from the pics available.  I see what yuo mean about all the aspects  .  keep me posted.  

And it was great to chat F2F.  You lucky b......s that have clubs near you!

Rob

[Faraway]

32 minutes ago, Courageous said:

'pensioner' groove and get more building time...

Here, here.

Jon

[Faraway]

26 minutes ago, theskits62 said:

Thats looking great and those photos are superb !!

You are right, if all this goes to plan and knowing how good Rob is at weathering, this build will be stunning.

Jon

[robgizlu]

13 minutes ago, Faraway said:

You are right, if all this goes to plan and knowing how good Rob is at weathering, this build will be stunning.

Jon

 

[Iceman 29]

The project has been on your list for some time, Rob?  🤨 

 

Nice!  

 

 

[Gisbod]

Cor, lovely Rob, can’t wait to see how this turns out! I built the old Revell 1/144 corvette, great fun.

 

Guy

[robgizlu]

1 hour ago, Iceman 29 said:

The project has been on your list for some time, Rob?  🤨 

 

Nice!  

 

 

 Only 41/2 years Pascal 

My planning has always exceeded my practical building 

Rob

[JohnWS]

Great to see another corvette build Rob. 

 

I've mentioned in previous threads that these little ships have a strong family connection, as my father served in RCN corvettes on the North Atlantic run. 

 

Can't wait to see your build progress.

 

John

[Modelholic]

My dad's first ship was a Flower (in1943) and I now live 3(ish) miles from Smiths Dock in Middlesbrough  where they were designed.

Tom

[Iceman 29]

My french Oncle Jean ( (FNFL)  was on corvettes Renoncule ( ex HMS Ranunculus K117 )  and Commandant Detroyat ( ex HMS Coriander K183 ). 

 

https://compagnonshavrais-jimdofree-com.translate.goog/biographies-de-ffl-du-havre/saliou-jean-fnfl/?_x_tr_sl=auto&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=fr&_x_tr_pto=wapp

 

https://www.wikiwand.com/fr/Corvettes_françaises_de_classe_Flower

 

HMS Ranunculus K 117 ( Built: W. Simons & Co., Renfrew )

 

 

HMS Coriander (K183) (Built: Hall, Russell & Company (en), Aberdeen):

 

 

 

 

 

 

[beefy66]

Will be following along with this one Rob 👍

 

Stay Safe

beefy

[dickrd]

Hmm. I not sure that I agree with the 1941-42 dating for those photos from Ron Bell.

 

This is Eyebright in 1941. No radar lantern, two masts and tall bridgehouse:

 

 

This is Eyebright in January 1942 after her first refit. Note the mast is still forward of the bridge and the old-style angular-sided lantern for the radar:

 

 

This is Eyebright emerging from her second refit 15 August 1943 with the mast now aft of the bridge and a new-style radar lantern. This is the configuration in Ron Bell's photos. Note the large black pendant numbers:

 

 

I suspect that Ron Bell's photos actually show her sometime much later in 1943 or into 1944 given that the pendant numbers on the hull sides are now smaller sized and light-toned. In this photo (taken on the Foyle) the light-toned overpainting of the previously black stern pendant number appears to be wearing away revealing the original black underneath:

 

 

A late 1943-1944 timeframe probably doesn’t have great implications for the potential colours discussed by @Jamie @ Sovereign Hobbies back in 2018 as the Canadians carried on with their versions of the MS&B series colours after the RN dropped them.  But if any of the paint in the photos is still that applied at Baltimore it does open up additional exciting, if theoretical, possibilities!  

 

Edited November 18, 2022 by dickrd

[robgizlu]

Hi Dick - Thanks for all that and I agree - the dating as ever is not straight forwards.  The very clear pictures with the white pennant numbers in the very tatty state show her with mast abaft bridge BUT the bridge/Compass house still extant which clearly had disapeared in your last but one photo which shows her with the "Destroyer" style open "C" bridge configuration.  The black pennant number appearance comes after that IMO.

I'm going for RN hull colours White 507A/507C and my only real deliberation is the funnel which to my mind is in an intermediate grey ?MS3/G20 though as youu point out using a US colour would be a possibility.

Rob

[robgizlu]

So a quick word about references.  These are the main ones I use for Corvettes.

 

 

Most of you will appreciate that there were Enormous differences over time and between individual vessels more so it would seem than with many other classes.

The reference pictures help to sort out the individual peculiarities of which Eyebright displays a few though she is remarkably well photographed unlike many.  The single most useful and in some respects the only one you truly need is the cheapest currently at £10 from Seaforth and that's the John Lambert/Les Brown volume bottom right.  I wish the other volumes iin the series were as good.  The mst expensive (at least for me - don't ask) is Raven's Warship Perspectives, now getting very hard to come by and probably not worth what people are asking.  The Ensign 3 has some very nice photos for inspiration but little on the technical side.  The Anatomy of the Ship is heavy on plans and line drawings but mainly relates to short Focsle vessels and contains little extra from the Seaforth book.  Canada's Flowers is mostly pictorial and opens up a host of further Canadian Variations.  IMHO £10 and the Lambert/Brown "Flower Class Corvettes" buys all you need to model most of the vessels.

 

And so to the base which nowadays I complete before or at the start of the build.  I've been in the comfort zone with recent builds depicting calm water (which I actually prefer) but the need is to replicate the the phots of Eyebright so I decided to return to a method that i used for the Anchusa base (my first) and that's heat applied to the Styrofoam surface as suggested by Chris Flodberg.  

 

I use a long heated balde to cut the styrofoam...

 

 

A Matthews Family Christmas tradition is for me to receive a kitchen implement each year.  A couple of years ago I received the blow torch which shameful to say has only had one kitchen outing but has found a far mre imprtant use to heat my long blade cutting knife. 

 

 

I'd previously used a lighter to heat the styrofoam on Anchusa.....

 

 

It was a little too uniform as in respect of the waves and a bit crude but I did like the ripples.

 

This time I experimented with the blow torch which actaully gives a bit more control

 

 

However - one initeresting finding is that this Styrofoam has a "Grain".  In the above pic despite me moving the burner sideways the ripples went at right angles to the direction of the sweep.

I went back tried again and sure enough turning the styrofoam 90 degrees the ripples ended up IN the direction of the sweep, so in effect the ripples sat as they would with the wind blowing over the water in the direction of the waves.

 

I also tried with the denser grey foam whihc does NOT deform in the same manner.

So if you try the heat method

 

1) Use the cream medium density styrofoam

2) Determine which way the "grain" runs on a test piece, so as to ensure the ripples "run" with the direction of the waves

 

Pretty much like this....

 

 

Here's the finished base

 

 

 

Meanwhile work continued on the hull which actually fits together very nicely.  The fitting and bridge superstructure on these models are awful but the hull is very pleasing - it's a little odd

 

 

 

 

As per Anchusa, I added Bulwark supports that really do make a difference

 

 

With the hull completed - I made a new template and cut out a profile in the styrofoam.  I'm trying to get more accurate with this and now deliberately make the profile slightly too small.  It can then be gently filed bigger to allow for as snug a fit as possible

 

 

 

The arrangement of the D/C throwers and placement of refills is different so with carfeul reference to the photos I placed the D/C lifting davits approrpriately.  The raised sidewall supports seemed to be slightly higher on Eyebright so I scratched some

 

 

Next up was to build the wheel house after cutting the windows out and then to begin to build the bridge from the White Ensign etch

 

 

This is where the detail on the Micromaster additions will show

 

 

 

 

The etch builds really nicely - finally beginning to look like a Corvette

More soon 

Thanks for looking

Rob

[Faraway]

Coming on nicely. Interesting tip about the grain flow in the foam.

Jon

[JohnWS]

Another beauty in the making. 

 

John

[longshanks]

Loving the attention to detail.....  

 

Kev

[Courageous]

Nice to see this on the move Rob and as is your way, the detail is there from the start.

 

Stuart

[Terry1954]

It was great to catch up with you at Telford Rob. I managed to hook up with quite a few regular BM'ers but missed a couple. Better luck next year!

 

This looks like another interesting build, so will follow along.

 

Too busy on gliders and drones at the moment, but maybe I'll get my maritime mojo back soon and join you .........🤔

 

Terry