David Holmes - HMS Gloucester D96

       Part 2      
  Warships at Kingsbury 

This is the 1/96th scale model of HMS Gloucester that I am currently building. The model purchased from Westbourne Models in Bournemouth and is a Simar semi kit with Simar fittings. It was started in October 2005. So far it has taken about 1.5 to 2 hours a day and more at weekends. The model is not yet finished but has sailed well in Basingstoke, Beale Park and Norwich. Control is by Robbe F14. Motors are speed 600s which give it plenty of power. The finished model will have working navigation, anchor and bulkhead lights. All four radars will also rotate at the correct speed. The original ship was photographed from Pride Of Bilbao in June 2005 at Portsmouth. The ship is modelled as at that date with 1008 radar, magazine launched torpedoes instead of STWS and other details taken from the photos.

Because this is my first model of this type I had to learn as I went along. Reading books, magazines and articles on the net helped me a lot. Getting the weight and balance is one of the hardest parts. You have to balance detail against top weight.

Other difficult areas are mounting the motors, finding a way to line them up with the shafts and get the mounting height correct. The model should be finished in about 2 months and then there will be something else to model. Maybe an Arleigh Burke or Type 23. Or maybe I will model the yacht I sail on.
www.dinovolante.com

David Holmes



 

The 1:1 scale version
 


I saw the photos of Phil Applin's Cardif and I thought he would like these. They were taken in Portsmouth in June 2005 from The Pride Of Bilbao. I am building Gloucester to the same scale.- David Holmes

http://www.welshpedia.co.uk/wiki/wales/index.php?title=HMS_Cardiff_(D108)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_Cardiff_(D108)

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