Calling all Illustrious-class & Implacable-class (WW2) fans

[pascalemod]

Looking forward to the correct deck pics to emulate it using styrene or putty.

[pascalemod]

Today I got the correct deck, just to update this thread on Flyhawks 1941 1/700 kit of HMS Formidable.

They decks identical sans the catapult as pointed out above.

So Flyhawk is well aware of this issue, the seller in China has been quick to remedy the mistake, sent the part free of charge from Flyhawk.


Now, if this is wrong in shape or something, in small detail, this is fine for me. The big issue is fixed as you can compare to the other old deck.

Both have 2020 stamp on the back btw.

[dick]

Pavel has kindly sent me additional photos of the new 'correct' deck. I fear that the simplistic plan view green ink amendment made on Formidable's As Fitteds has misled the designer and has resulted in moulded vertical edges to the forward faces of the flared extensions either side of the original raised decking housing the catapult. In practice these forward edges sloped gently down (and the sides of the forward protrusion gently down outwards). It will perhaps be impractical to sand back into the moulding sufficiently to achieve their true profile but some filler can perhaps be used to at least eliminate the step effects.

[maurice de saxe]

I am largely scratch-building Implacable when serving with the British Pacific Fleet. I have all the drawings from Greenwich and a mass of photographs but none of this provides the information I need to locate the light anti-aircraft armament.

From what I've determined, Implacable carried five 8-barreled pom-poms, three 4-barreled pom-poms,, four single 40mm, seventeen twin 20mm, and seventeen single 20mm. I know the locations of the pom-poms, but cannot find out how all the other guns were disposed. I have identified a platform on each side at 'gallery deck' level beneath the foremost pom-pom each for a single 40mm. There also seem to be four single 20mm in the platform beneath the round-down and two more in each of the flatforms at the extreme bow and stern (total of 12 guns). There is also a platform outboard of the island but I have yet to find a clear shot that tells me how many guns it carried.

The other puzzle is the type of 20mm twins. One view I've found seems to feature two power-operated twin mounts abaft the funnel and on the inboard side of the island, so I wonder if all the other twins were power-operated too and where they were sited.

Any assistance will be much appreciated.

Thank you in advance,
Maurice

[dick]

Here are my suggestions for the location of the 17 x single 20mm:

I suspect that on Implacable's arrival in Australia, and before her actual service with the BPF, many, maybe all, the twin powered 20mm were converted to single 40mm boffins.

Careful study of photos would be needed to determine this, but if you have the As Fitted plans from Greenwich they should show all the original twin 20mm locations.

I can see the two original single 40mm mountings you mention. I think they might have been Mk III Mountings:

I'm finding it hard to see where the other two originals were. Surely the As Fitted's show them also?

[maurice de saxe]

Dick,

Thank you for your help. Your supposition about twin 20mm power mounts possibly being converted to Boffins also seems quite likely since I since found another image that shows at least the two I noted on top of the island were so converted. I am re-examining the as-fitted drawings and matching the various positions against photographs to see if that produces the answers.

Thanks again,
Maurice

[gscott]

Hi all. Just wondering if anyone had a resource that shows the different camo schemes for each ship in the class throughout their careers?

[SovereignHobbies]

Hi all. Just wondering if anyone had a resource that shows the different camo schemes for each ship in the class throughout their careers?

To do that correctly is a very big job. The only person who's casually done that is Mal Wright, who characteristically made a total mess of it.

This single example took dick and I months to do.

Mal


Reality


As you can see, he got almost every conceivable aspect wrong, which is what happens when you just guess and "fill in the blanks" as you go. The point I wanted to make is that the scope of the resource you're asking for is really a significant research project. Each ship and each scheme is a big job in its own right.

[gscott]

Thanks, James.

[Captain Morgan]

Right now I’m building all four Illustrious class carriers, Illustrious, Victorious, Formidable, and Indomitable. The Indomitable is a 3d printed kit but with the exception of the flight deck surface seems quite nice. The short comings of the flight deck is there’s a weird lattice pattern of the deck along with no elevator positions marked. I know the forward elevator which only serviced the upper hanger was 45 x 33 ft in sixe (approximately 1/3 larger). The aft has the standard 45 x 22 ft elevators like the original three had. These carry over to the Implacable model I have from the same vendor.

My copy of plans for indomitable show a raised catapult coming the same shape as Formidable. The implacable plans show its catapult looks more like Victorious.

I will try to post pictures of what I mean later.

My question is the indomitable kit is late war with quad Pom poms replacing the octuple Pom poms she had when commissioned. I’m trying to find verification of this.

[tjstoneman]

I fear the kit is incorrect; as late as 1953, when an internal fire and explosion effectively ended her career, Indomitable retained her octuple 2pdr pompom mountings. A photo https://www.maritimequest.com/warship_d ... ndom_a.jpg shows her port side in March 1953, octuple mountings are visible.

[Captain Morgan]

Thank you. I agree 1944 photos show her with octuple 2 pdr’s also.