Converting Tamiya's 1/350 HMS King George V, 1945 to HMS Duke of York, 1945.Base kit: 1/350 Tamiya
HMS King George V, 78010, initially released in 1985.
Resin quad and octuple PomPoms: L'Arsenal
Photoetch: White Ensign Models
Deck: Evergreen V-groove sheet styrene
Thanks to the following modelers for some specific British warship inspiration:
EJ Foeth's 1/350
HMS Hood:
http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=59&t=104121Chris Flodberg's 1/350
HMS Howe (1944):
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/bb/hms/Howe-350-cf/index.htmKostas Kotseas' 1/350
HMS Warspite:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/bb/hms/warspite-350-kk/kk-index.htmlDino Carancini's 1/350
HMS Warspite:
http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/bb/hms/Warspite-350-dc/index.htmThe ships of the UK's World War II-era
King George V class are handsome ships with terrific service records. Like many warships, each is slightly different in appearance.
HMS Duke of York is best remembered for her part in the sinking of the German battleship
DKM Scharnhorst.
Inspired by
Kjetil Lindahl's superb 1/350 scale late-war King George V, I had nearly completed Tamiya's excellent 1/350 scale
HMS King George V kit but then decided it would make a great
conversion project to create HMS Duke of York as she appeared in late 1945.
The most significant differences between
DoY and
KGV include an enlarged signal deck on the bridge superstructure, different directors for her secondary armament, an enlarged aft stack platform, six additional quadruple PomPom mounts, and a different 20mm Oerlikon fit. [edit: this structure has since been replaced with one of more accurate "pointy" shape.]
Armed with good photos and plans, many of which were provided by modelers on this website (thanks, gentlemen!), I created a master for the new signal deck, directors and PomPoms from Evergreen styrene. I then cast copies from resin.
I felt that the Tamiya kit's deck fittings were simplified and detracted from the appearance of the model.
Duke of York's deck was a menagerie of fittings, elevated vents and intakes that really would be fun to try to replicate. I also wanted to lay down scribed V-groove styrene deck for a good planked effect and to rid the kit from the ugly seams between the three kit deck sections.
Attachments: |
Badge DoY.jpg [ 22.39 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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File comment: Note 1) the enlarged signal deck with a "wing" carrying a quad PomPom under a tarp 2) the two powered twin Oerlikons on a slightly enlarged platform aft of the stack 3) the boxy Mk V HACS Directors
DoY 1946.12 Replacement placement doybridge1946.jpg [ 180.72 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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DoY IM001455.jpg [ 59.54 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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DoY IM001564.jpg [ 110.89 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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DoY IM001565.jpg [ 139.98 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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File comment: Note: replace the two 20mm single Oerlikons seen here with one Twin 20mm Oerlikon for Duke of York. The change will come later.
DoY IM001566a.jpg [ 193.78 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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File comment: I also made styrene masters for Mk VI HACS Directors and cast copies for some resin customers converting their Tamiya King George V kit to sister HMS Anson.
Anson im001537.jpg [ 76.63 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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File comment: I also made styrene masters for resin customers converting their Tamiya King George V kit to sister HMS Howe.
Howe im001560.jpg [ 69.61 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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DoY IM001562a.jpg [ 196.56 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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DoY IM001563a.jpg [ 195.74 KiB | Viewed 14115 times ]
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