The Ship Model Forum

RVN destroyer escort HQ-1 Tran-Hung-Dao got transferred from the US in 1971. It was an Edsall-class destroyer escort built for the U.S.Navy during World War II, USS Camp (DE-251). Following the fall of RVN in 1975, it was commissioned to the Pilippine Navy as RPS Rajah Lakandula (PS-4).

Since I found that there are similarities between Buckley and Edsall Classes of destroyer; and since it happened that I have a kit of 1/250 USS Buckley from Revell on hand, I decided to make necessary modifications to have an Edsall-classs destroyer while assembling it.

Because I could not find necessary blueprints of Edsall-class destroyers, I relied on a few photos on the net to create the parts which are different from the two classes of destroyer. I made them from styrene and polymer clay (shown in white in one of the pictures).

I tried to keep as much parts as I can from the kit, therefore the model assembled is the closest to represent the real ship at that time.
This is my first attempt to enter the world of ship modelling.

I am now learning how to model water. It will be a challenge for the scale 1/250.
One day, may be, I can have this model in water, instead on a stand.

Nice job and good scratchwork. Those DER conversions are unusual and pretty cool.

Jack

Very nice,It looks great flying those RVN Flags.

Scott

Here she is in the water...

Great work there! Thats my next project in 1/700 scale, PF4 Rajah Lakandula...your work further inspired me!

Great work!!! Are you scratch build the two 3�/50 enclosure gun on this DER or used after market.

As I mentioned in the text, I could not find anything in the scale 1/250, therefore I have to build the parts shown in white in photo HQ_TranHungDao_02. The guns are made from polymer clay and styrene.