Mike@IHP wrote:
chewitt13 wrote:
Hi
I agree, to do any of the refits would need a new tooling ,this is a link to a very good conversions.I have the IHP Malta and I'm upgrading from a 1945 fit to 1980 it will need a lot of work.Here is a link to all the conversions.
Chris, I love what you're doing with the Malta. I've wondered how an injected plastic 1/700 Malta might do. That's one that would go great with the CVA-01.
Mike Bartel
The injection moulded Malta would go very nicely with the CVA-01 and the Colossus for that matter, As designed it woud have entered service in the late 40s and would have been the equivalent to a Essex come Midway in design and size. It would have operated the later war piston engine types including the likes of Sea Fury, Firebrand, Spearfish, Sturgeon, Firefly and Sea Otter and woud go we with the Colossus kits in the 1946/47 guise.
The Malta could then be done in Korean War guise, possibly with Sea Vampire & Meteor.
If going off the Audacious class then they most likely would have been completed in the mid 50's like Eagle and received upgraded Radar attackers etc, still with the axial deck.
Given that they followed the Audacious then its likely they would have been modified before completion to an Angled deck configuration akin to Ark Royal with a reduction of the close range AA guns, better radar, steam catapults and the Sea Hawk, Sea Venom, Wyvern and Skyraider AEW airwing with Gannet ASW aircraft.
All these would be possible with the standard kit with modifications by the modeller to suit and would sit well with the Illustrious, Colossus and Eagle/Ark kits.
Those more adventurous could go down the route of the Victorious/Hermes/Eagle rebuilds with the RN class A fit, with full angled deck, 984 radar, steam catapults, Sea Cat AA missiles, Sea Vixen, Scimitar and Buccaneer and then Phantom.
Those feeling braver could go with the a Midway style conversion, with sponsons on both sides, deck edge lifts etc maybe with the alaskan highway and the parallel flight deck of CVA-01.
A kit would therefore offer a lot of potential for the builder, and there was planned to be three ships so they could mirror the Midways in terms of upgrades and lifespan to the builder
I would certainly buy a few (and i already have your resin Malta.
Cheers
Geoff