The Ship Model Forum

Another minor point on the Trumpeter kit: the 8" turrets are apparently correct in outline (even better then those in the Exeter kit), but are lacking most external details.

Please see what modest details I added to make it look better. Note also the two PE doors added on the octagonal superstructure for the X turret: these are shown in the kit instructions, but are missing in the kit! I added these from WEM standard PE, to remain in line with the rest of the kit.

My next issue with the Trumpeter kit: the portholes (scuttles) in the hull. It seems the designer had no idea about the frame locations, only the five most forward scuttles behind the anchor hawse pipes happen to be correct, the rest is useless. I had to fill them all and drill new ones, port and starboard are different as with most ships. Note in particular the series of small scuttles on port, where the seamans' heads are located.

Also the lower row of scuttles with blanking plates sit incorrectly, and the plates are too large and too thick, so I replaced them all with discs of 1.2 mm diameter. A few will need to be opened up again though, based on photos.

To get everything right for the Suffolk I used the inboard profile plan from 'Man o' War 1 - County class cruisers' as a basis, rescaled it to 1:350, and checking carefully with photos. This layout differs slightly from ship to ship, but is generally usable for the Kents. The Londons and Norfolks are again different though.

After further looking at many photos I think I found another inaccuracy in the kit: the aircraft catapult deck does not sit on two closed superstructures, but only the rear one is closed from the sides. The forward one is supported by pillars with diagonal braces to prevent the deck from swaying. However, in case of the Cornwall, I think also the rear one is an open structure...

To make it look better I decided to cut the deck up just behind the aft funnel, and left and right from the catapult track. As you also get some inside view on the catapult itself (ok, it is obscured by the deck) I decided to detail the catapult itself too, with some guessing what it might look like. The ample planked deck area from the kit proved to be a blessing in disguise! I worked also further on the shelter deck (also called superstructure deck). I decided to re-use the planked areas around the 4" gun mounts from the kit, transferred to their new positions. I also have revised the gun crew shelters, taking all the notes into account.

Conversion of the new Trumpeter Cornwall kit to HMS Suffolk May 1941. My build is really beginning to look like the real thing. For earlier posts on this build look on the Trumpeter Cornwall posts on the Main Forum.

Looking nice and neat

Cheers. Jabb

Great Effort! Thank you.
John

Thanks, Jabb and John!

Well done Maarten--looks like sharp work

JIM B

Thank you, Jim!

It is really an enjoyable build because... the Trumpeter kit is basically sound! This makes the conversion straightforward.

If the basic kit would be off in many places, you would run into these all the time, making the conversion a drag, while correcting the basic errors - if possible. In fact my correction of the hull scuttles was the largest correction I made, but that affected hardly any of the modifications.

So, hooray for Trumpeter, for getting us this time a better kit!

More update photos. Biggest remark is that the PE deck supports appeared too tall, needed to be reduced by 1mm from the top! All cable reels and ventilators were added next.

I added the ship's boats: the two 32 ft cutters below the superstructure deck were ok for me, there is not much to be seen from them anyway. The larger boat on port near the crane is another matter: it should be a 36 ft launch, but it measures out to be 40 ft. I took out one thwart amidships reducing the length by 3.5mm, now it looks fine.

Ahead of it lays a 16 ft dinghy, not visible on all photos. It is from Admiralty Model Works, and so are the 30 ft gig on the superstructure deck, and the two 35 ft fast motor boats on starboard. I painted these AP507B, as these seem different in tone than the colours on the hull. Paint needs still some touching up of course.

I also altered the 'Cornwall' nameplate into 'Suffolk', by scraping and sanding the letters away, and cutting new letters from .005 inch Evergreen sheet. I think I will add a ship's crest too from scratch.
Now on to detailing of the bridge and the aircraft hangar!

Brilliant!