Delftship looks very interesting. Haven't really poked around in it yet but it looks to me like the free version is all a modeller would need. I'd definitely be interested in seeing your hull lines when you finish tweaking them.
Alexey, RNfanDan: Thanks for the book recommendation. March ain't cheap but it looks to be essential. I've got the Norman Friedman books that focus on the development of British destroyers. they're lean on drawings but i might be able to find another class with a closely related hull by reading the (very dry) text.
A friend of mine, ex Royal Navy, suggested I contact the shipyard and the Imperial War Museum.
Alexey Loginov wrote:
Have you seen the drawings "Vendetta"? (type V; drawing 1917). But on their basis it is possible to make the model type W. The contours are the same.
For V and W class, the late John Lambert did a couple of sets. I've got a lot of his Flower Class plans and some of his book stuff, he was the best. He did a set of HMS Whitley, focusing on her conversion to an AA destroyer (not quite what I'm looking for, but...) and also a set of HMS Whitehall circa 1924 (without hull lines).
If I opt to build the Walker, Southern Cross have a V/W hull, so hull lines aren't as important.
Bulldog's a few years away, and Hesperus may get ahead of her in the queue for my first scratchbuilt hull. Lambert did a beautiful set of plans of the Harvester, which like the Hesperus was originally intended for Brazil. a true sister ship. Fleetscale have an H Class hull but it's for the Hardy. Hardy was a lengthened flotilla leader, so I have my doubts of their claim that the hull builds any G or H class (at least with satisfactory accuracy).