Sorry about that, not having much luck with the old image linking. If it doesn;'t work, it's the image of INVINCIBLEs 2 halves sticking out of the sea at Jutland.
If you could find the image of NEPTUNE, I'll look in in a few days, cheers.
Yes, I too am leaning towards a 'solid' frame.
Where ships built per-war built with it? I think I can prove the negative. The paravanes needed the chains, right? They went through the 'stem plate' and they also had a 'fairlead' type fitting just aft of the jackstaff that carried the chains. Pre-war LION photos don't have this fairlead, but war-time shots of her show it, with or without the chains going through it.
Therefore, I think when they fitted the stem frame, they also fitted the fairleads. But if this 'frame' is a war-time addition, why put the solid centre in it? Surely a solid (read:strong) frame would be better than having the same frame but with the area enclosed where wave pressure has more area to stress against? It seems to me that if you have 2 of the same frames, 1 'open', the other 'enclosed', that the open one would have any wave pressure to deal with.
Something elsethat struck me, it's only 'Ram Bow' ships that need this frame. (like duh!)
Niall, I had pretty good success with casting my radial davits... at least I'm happy with them. The davits concerned have a left and right versionm What I did was make 1 but put both sides pulley wheel on and I'll just remove 1 side. But they all came out great... I even got very decent casts of very small pulley wheels. I found the secret is to pour into the mould above them so they get the hottest metal.... and I'm also filling the 'well' up more than I was (after your reminding me of its importance, I tended to not give this bit due prominence but these last castings have been really successful). I had a image lined up but I've got gremlins (in more than one sense ;-))
I'll keep the vertical drill thing in mind.