Calling all HMS Neptune and Colossus Class fans

[PetrolGator]

Given Combrig's recent release of these three vessels, I figured it was time to start a CASF thread to collect any information we have on them. I've created one thread as the vessels share many similarities.

HMS Neptune: Commissioned in January of 1911. Underwent substantial modification before and during the war that radically changed her appearance. The Combrig kit appears to model this vessel as commissioned. I'm unsure if Burt or any other authors have published detailed plans of the ship (though I plan to purchase his book in the near future).

HMS Colossus: Commissioned in April of 1911. Of the three, she's likely the least altered of the three, though still received searchlight platforms around her funnel, new rangefinders, secondary guns, and deletion of her torpedo net booms. The Combrig kit appears to be a decent starting point for many of her fits, with varying but not terribly difficult scratch building.

HMS Hercules: Commissioned July of 1911. She had secondary guns encased in casemates in 1914, which are well-represented by the Combrig kit. Aside from adding a rangefinder to her compass platform and deletion of her aft (odd) aerial boat cradles. I believe the Combrig kit would be easily modified into anything post 1914.

Above information is just my layperson's cursory research. Any better information on fits, history, or sources for information would be appreciated. I'll post pictures of the kits soon.

AVAILABLE KITS:
1/700
Combrig Neptune
Combrig Colossus

GALLERY ENTRIES:

[SeanF]

Nice to see these join Combrig's fleet! My Neptune and Hercules arrived a couple days ago from Freetime. Beautiful work as always!

I do have one problem, though - my Colossus came without instructions! Might someone be willing to scan theirs for me?

- Sean F.

[mikasa]

All I have is Oscar Parkes British Battleships and it sounds like you may have more info than what is in there already. There are some pics and a couple of drawings, but probably not enough for modeling purposes.

[tjstoneman]

R A Burt British Battleships of World War One ((Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing, 2nd Edition 2012) contains:
NEPTUNE: outboard plan and profile dated 1911, an inboard plan with the same date, outboard profile dated 1918.
HERCULES: outboard profile and plan dated 1913, outboard proflie dated 1918.
COLOSSUS: no drawings.

Norman Friedman The British Battleship1906-1946 (Barnsley: Seaforth Publishing, 2015) contains:
NEPTUNE: outboard plan and profile as built.
HERCULES: no drawings.
COLOSSUS: outboard plan and profile dated September 1911.

[mikasa]

I'd love to see a build log on one of these. Just sayin'....

[PetrolGator]

Sounds like Burt is my best bet. Build log wise? I'm almost ready to paint my 1933 Nagato. I'll be working on Hiei after that and could start Hercules as well...

[PetrolGator]

I got Burt's book for my birthday!

Pros? Brilliant book with lots of useful drawings.

Cons? I have no idea how any of these vessels looked at Jutland from above. Hercules had a rangefinder fitted aft of her navigation bridge with what I think was a circular platform, but I can't be sure without a plan view of her superstructure. Most of the other detail can be worked out via photos and profile drawings.

Does anyone know/have schematics and/or pictures of Hercules' bridge from the 1916/1917 era that would shed more light on the shape of this structure?

Edit: It appears to be a circular platform on top of a square structure?

[mikasa]

Does anyone make turned metal barrels for these?

-m