Scratchbuilt 1/700 HMS Exeter

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Wed Nov 08, 2006 6:45 am

Hi,
while I was looking for some docs about my next progect, Italian light cruiser Duca Degli Abruzzi ( ...with no results ...

), I found a nice russian pubblication about the York class. I decided to test my modeling skills and I begun to scratcbuild the HMS Exeter in 1/700 as she was during the Rio De La Plata Battle.

I saw Laurence post about cruisers references and I'm wondering where I could buy online this title :

Warship Profile 13 : HMS Exeter Heavy Cruiser 1929-1941 By Randall A. R. Tonks.

Any help will be apreciated!

I have some nice drawings B/N and in color ( the one in color isn't so accurate, but it's of some help ), but I still look for more documentation, and I'm available to share mine.

Thank you in advance for any help.

Regards

Dino

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 4:52 pm

...another week of work ...

First hull has been dismantled, and I'm using a new one made in balsa, a bit more accurate ... next week ... I'll start the catapults ... I'm a bit scared ...

mike mccabe · Post by **mike mccabe** » Sat Nov 25, 2006 8:00 pm

Dino
She's look ing really good. Whether a kit comes out or not, and whatever quality it might be (and that is always uncertain), you always have the satiscfaction of knowing that the model you have built is yours and unique. I am trying to use as much as I can of the matchbox kit, which admittedly isn't all that much. However I will use what I can and make improvements where they need to be made but the heart of my model will still be the old 1970's kit. If it wasn't for the angled superstructure sides I would use a lot more of it!

Mike

Filipe Ramires · Post by **Filipe Ramires** » Sun Nov 26, 2006 3:48 pm

Nice model, Dino!!! I have Exeter from Matchbox myself also but somehow her box doesn't want to get from the stash to the workbench!!!!!

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Sat Dec 02, 2006 4:38 pm

...a little update just to keep "hot" the post, catapults WIP in rest position.

Willie · Post by **Willie** » Sun Dec 03, 2006 10:05 am

Dino, excellent solution for the catapults. PE�s are not a must in any case --stretched sprue can a good solution as well.
Best regards,

Willie.

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 5:26 am

...last update of 2006 and last dry assembly before to start the paint work... she still miss the aft HACS and the aft director hood, I'll add them later.

Now I'm calling the RN experts, I think looking at photos that the Exeter was in AP507C before the Rio de la Plata battle and there were the aerial markings "EX" on her towers, is this true?

Filipe Ramires · Post by **Filipe Ramires** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 8:03 pm

Looking very good Dino! Exeter did have the EX letters on top of B turret (black lettering). At least one photo shows her with the battle damage she suffered in the battle and you can see the letters on the turret.

RNfanDan · Post by **RNfanDan** » Tue Jan 02, 2007 12:25 pm

Dino--I truly appreciate your work, it is looking great so far! No kit-build can quite approach the reward and satisfaction of making a model from scratch!

mike mccabe wrote:It seems there is a bit of interest in this class just now, Felipe is building York and myself, Michel and Dino Exeter. Is anyone else doing one just now? mike

I have it on my scratchbuild list, but I have no less than NINE projects ahead of it:

*Vittorio Veneto
*Gneisenau
*HMS Renown (not shown)
*USS Independence
*HMS Liverpool
*Dido-class
*Arethusa-class
*J-K class destroyer
*Hunt Type 2

>image no longer available, link snipped by mod<

I might just "bump" one of these in favor of a York or Exeter, but until I get at least half-way thru my current bench jam, I cannot seriously entertain the notion of starting either build.

I also have slated builds of HM ships Malaya and London, USS Yorktown (CV5--as if I'd model any other

), and several British A-I class destroyers (some of which have been started).

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:05 am

A small update before the final rush! ( when a modeler is happy needs to share!

)

Filipe Ramires · Post by **Filipe Ramires** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:34 am

Very nice, Dino. Good weathering!!!

MichelB · Post by **MichelB** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 6:58 am

Indeed, that is a very pretty Exeter! And scratchbuilt too! Amazing, my compliments.

(staring at my Alanger re-issue with dread and dispair).

Laurence Batchelor · Post by **Laurence Batchelor** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 7:29 am

Wonderful Dino, just wonderful!

Found this yesterday also:-

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Fri Feb 02, 2007 8:18 am

...thank you for your positive comments guys! in this stage of building this is really important.

I just added the four Hotchiss ( ? not sure about the spelling

) "salute" guns using some modified spare PE Breda 20 mm from Regia Marina. This time they looks nice, those I built for Hood were a bit oversized.

@ Laurence: I'm without words .... time for rigging and you come out with this awesome picture ... many thanks!!!

Dino

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Sat Feb 03, 2007 5:57 am

This for better comparing the model and the real ship. Probably I made something wrong due to the small scale or due to some guessing caused by poor drawings.

Dino Carancini · Post by **Dino Carancini** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 1:03 pm

@ Mr wr, I just received your post mail, thank you very much for your efforts, now I understand the correct shape and, of course, my mistakes, by the way now it's a bit too late, as you can see in the attached photo.

To modify the model now would mean to destroy it, I'll keep it as it is, but this, that I call my Exeter adventure will not end with this small 1/700 model.

Your comments and drawings are encouraging me to get a copy of the as fitted plans, I wrote a first e-mail, rejected by their mail server, soon I'll contact them by fax, and if necessary I'll call them, uhm better not me but someone who speak English a bit better

....
By the way many thanks again for your hand drawings.

@ Tim about catapults, there is a photo in the warship profile that seems to show the catapults fitted one a bit aft than the other. In my opinion, but I'm just guessing, this is an optical effect 'cause the catapults when not used were folded. In the case of the photo maybe that one was folded and the other not. I hope to be able to get my copy of the as fitted plans to get an answer to this and more other obsucure points of the HMS Exeter.

This is the result with all its limits and mistakes, more photos will come when I'll finish the Carleys, a lot of Carleys ...

Dino

mike mccabe · Post by **mike mccabe** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 1:40 pm

Dino
100% accurate or not, that's still a very fine model.

Mike

Ship Model Gallery · Post by **MartinJQuinn** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:23 pm

Outstanding work, Dino!

Filipe Ramires · Post by **Filipe Ramires** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 5:24 pm

mike mccabe wrote:Dino
100% accurate or not, that's still a very fine model.

Mike

I couldn't agree more!!! A very good looking model you've got there Dino!!! Now I'll have to finish York soon!!

Jefgte · Post by **Jefgte** » Mon Feb 12, 2007 6:00 pm

EX......ellent work

What a fine model!!!

Bravo l'Artist

Jef