Model Ship Builder ran a 3-part series on building 1:600 scale models of EDINBURGH and BELFAST in May-October 1996, and Model Shipwright number 48 contains an article on scratchbuilding a 32ft:1inch EDINBURGH, in the 1942 configuration.
According to Alan Raven & John Roberts British Cruisers of World War Two (Arms & Armour Press, 1980) EDINBURGH went through various refits: firstly in March - October 1940 at South Shields when RDF (radar) Type 279 was fitted at both mastheads (this may have been when the whaler bays forward of the catapult were plated in), then in July 1941 at Gibraltar when 6 (possibly 5) single 20mm were fitted (2 (possibly only one) on B turret, 2 on B gundeck just forward of the bridge and 2 staggered on the quarterdeck; it's also possibly that the two 0.5” quads were replaced by single 20mm. Her final refit was from January 1942, when RDF Type 273 was fitted on a pylon aft of the forward 6" DCT, RDF Type 284 fitted on the forward 6" DCT and (possibly) 3 sets of RDF Type 285 fitted, one on each HA.DCT. I've seen no indication that she had barrage directors for her 6" guns, with or without RDF Type 283, but she may have had RDF Type 282 fitted to her pom-pom directors as BELFAST did.
She may have had changes to her boat and raft stowages. According to the Model Ship Builder articles, EDINBURGH carried Carley floats as follows:
• Four small ones to starboard of the after HA.DCT at ‘X’ turret level (two stacks of two, flat on the deck – where the Airfix BELFAST has a small director).
• Five small ones to port of the after HA.DCT at ‘X’ turret level (two stacks, flat on the deck, three in after stack).
• Two each side of the after funnel – replacing a boat on the BELFAST kit – again flat on the deck.
• A stack of large ones on the catapult deck just aft of the for’d superstructure at the deck-edge each side (two per stack?).
• One large and one small one each side of the after superstructure – vertical, standing on the rounded ends.
• One small one, flat on the deck above the for’d 4” gun crew shelter on each side.
Note the articles show no floats on or under the paravane decks either side of the bridge superstructure – although there are darker patches on the WASP r/v photo which could well be floats, and I've seen another photo which looks to have a pair of floats there, on the stbd side.
In British Cruisers of World War Two there’s an overhead photo (admittedly captioned May 41) and a broadside shot (captioned late 41) which shows most of these floats. There’s a photo at http http://www.navyphotos.co.uk/Battleships ... hbat4b.jpg which shows the catapult deck floats.
There are a couple of shots showing a fairly small number of scuttles, and one can assume the rest were plated over.
Note also that her mainmast yardarm was lower than BELFAST's, and she had no ladder down from rear 4” position to the quarterdeck.
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But I do rather like them, all the same. Since the sides on Belfast are open, I assume you're building her in wartime configuration, with torpedo tubes?
