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[barefootgoth]

My name is Robert and I'm from Bristol.  I found this forum by accident while looking for parts and ideas for a new project I'm considering.

I used to race radio controlled cars when I was younger and always wanted a boat as well.  I did start a Flower Class corvette once but between youthful exuberance and lack of understanding it never got into the water.

While watching 'the life of Ronnie Barker' on the TV earlier this week I was reminded of a radio series we used to listen to on holiday (from tape recordings) and thought up an interesting scheme.  To maintain inspiration I have just bought a copy of all the surviving episodes of that radio series from ebay for less than £3!

If you haven't guessed already I'm talking about 'The Navy Lark' and HMS Troutbridge, though I'm not planning on letting Sub Lieutenant Phillips steer!

From the internet I have found that she was based on HMS Troubridge, a Type 15 frigate.  I have ordered plans of HMS Rapid already, being the only Type 15 I could find plans for, and made a small collection of photos of HMS Troubridge to play spot the differences with.  The Type 15s were all converted from R, T, U, V, W, and Z Class destroyers which all appear to me to have a shared hull design, so I believe that Deans Marine appear to be my best bet for a hull with HMS Grenville a U Class destroyer, although I will have to copy the Navy by converting her to a Type 15.

At the moment I'm still waiting for the plans, and after the summer I will start saving money up for further supplies, so don't expect to see Troutbridge in the pond any time soon!  But the good thing about my financial situation is that I have more time for careful preparation before trying to build her.

Any comments, hints, tips, corrections are welcome!  I'd much rather be found wrong and corrected now, than find I'm badly wrong after completion!

[pugwash]

Hi robert just read your post - welcome to the forum. There are some significant differences between Troubridge and Rapid
especially round the bridge. will contact you later when I have had a chance to go though my books.
Off to watch leicester Tigers V Newcastle Falcons so haven't got time now.

Geoff

[barefootgoth]

I found this in Janes 1964 which has highlighted a few things, but there is not a lot of detail on it.

[pugwash]

Hi Robert I knew Troubridge rang a bell - I posted the only two photos I had of her back in September

please follow the link

Geoff

http://www.modelboatmayhem.co.uk/forum/index.php?topic=25817.msg296087;topicseen#msg296087

[pugwash]

Robert I dont know if you will be scratch building or acquiring some of the parts but she does have the type 12 bridge
which can be obtained from Cammett in photo etch.  Robin at Cammett does have both the earlier and later style type
12 bridge so have a word with him as to which one you need - I think its almost certainly the new style but don't take that as gospel

Geoff

[Yarpie]

Robert,

if using Deans 1:96 scale HMS GRENVILLE, you might consider "sharpening" the bows and making the stem "ruler-straight". (I used the same hull for my first build, HMS CAVALIER and regret not adjusting the bow configuration).

If memory serves, the GRENVILLE mould has a slightly curved stem. Whilst modifying the bows, perhaps including a bow strengthener may be a good idea too, those razor sharp bows can be easily damaged in inadvertant collisions.

However, Fleetscale do a 1:72 scale HMS CAVALIER hull which has the proper stem shape, and I have used this hull to build two other modified WWII destroyers that I served in, HMS TEAZER and HMS UNDAUNTED. For a pictorial record of the build, please visit:

http://www.worldnavalships.com/forums/showthread.php?t=8014

Any assistance you require, feel free to PM me.

Yarpie.

[pugwash]

Yarpie I remember the old Unwanted- somewhere I have an old black and white photo of her coming up the Harbour in Gib
to berth alongside us. Problem was she tried to park where we were and caused quite a bit of damage.  In the "Bump" I dropped
the camera and it was the last picture it ever took.

Geoff

[Yarpie]

Geoff, you are quite correct my friend. If i remember correctly, she would always seek the sanctuary of the inner berth alongside, despite the fact it was already occupied! 

"UNWANTED's" fenders were replaced regularly and I well remember the high demands for steam pressure when manoeuvring alongside.

But she was a stubborn old bird when she was used for missile tests at the end of her life, steadfastly refusing to go down.

Eisenhower (fast passage to Portsmouth, D-Day + 2 June 1944) would have been proud of her.

Yarpie.

[barefootgoth]

I have done some scratch building in the past but unfortunately it's something I need a lot more practice at, so I'm hoping to find kits and parts to do as much of the detail work as possible.  Having searched the net in most of my free time this week I seem to have found a lot of the parts in 1/96 but found virtually nothing in 1/72.  So, despite the pull of a slightly bigger and more accurate hull, I think I will go with Dean's Grenville.  I haven't found many photos of the Grenville kit, but what I have seen seems to show a straight stem until a tight curve into the keel well below the waterline.  Both the John Lambert HMS Rapid drawings I now have and the small drawing of Cavalier on the Fleetscale page seem to show almost an angle rather than a curve in contrast and I can't seem to find any useful pictures of that model either.  To be honest I'm not going to be counting the rivets any way. 

Cammett's bridge kit does look like the way to go from the pictures I have, but I am still unclear as to what there is between the bridge and the funnel.  A google image search for HMS Troubridge as given me a great many pictures to work from but the midships area is not covered too well.

I will be differing from Troubridge in two respects so far.  Troubridge carried the Limbo anti-submarine mortar but Troutbridge is quoted as carrying "the Squid".  Also, at the beginning of the third season, Troutbridge came out of her refit with a helicopter pad like Undaunted and Grenville.

I wonder if the inspiration for Troutbridge came from Undaunted, but tweaking Troubridge and her badge made for more comedy value?  Or did Troubridge have the same problems? 

[tonyH]

Hi Robert,

A pal of mine who served on Undaunted post-conversion is contemplating a 1:96 model as you are so (a) have the plans arrived and (b) do they look good to you?

Thanks

Tony

[barefootgoth]

Apologies for the long gap.  My other hobby took me to Switzerland for two weeks, and then to the work shop ever since.   

I do have the HMS Rapid plans but they differ significantly from the pictures of Troubridge, mainly in the bridge to funnel area.

I have acquired two Frog model kits in the mean time: HMS Undine type 15 and HMS Torquay type 12.   I did have the idea of merging the two to make HMS Troutbridge but the design of Torquay's mouldings prevents that.  I'm now planing to build Torquay as is and then use it as a guide to convert Undine into Troutbridge.  I can then use that as a builders model for the larger project.

Tony,

I am interested in the differences created by the fitting of the helicopter deck.  The pictures of Troubridge show a lot of objects mounted there, and the model of Undine carries a boat and large crane.  As Undaunted had the heli deck I would be interested in it's supports and what is underneath.

[pugwash]

I have been through a late 60s edition of Janes and can find no reference of Troubridge with a helo deck.
Undaunted was fitted with a helo deck to test out the viability of landing Wasp helicopters on a frigate
Grenville had some very strange fittings in her life - an interesting one below

http://www.offshore-radio.de/fleet/grenville.htm

If you are modelling in 1.96 scale I think you can get a hull for Troubridge then the bridge (she was the only one to have the
later type 12 bridge) from cammett in P.E.


Geoff
Just checked RN frigates 1945 to 1983 as you said Grenville also had a helo deck but it was removed after a few years - no other type15/16 had the heli deck.
Troubidge is listed as being fitted with Limbo not Squid.

[barefootgoth]

Hi Pugwash,

Just a reminder that I am modeling the fictional HMS Troutbridge from the Navy Lark radio series which was mostly based on HMS Troubridge.  Your details for Troubridge are correct to my knowledge.

At the moment my plan is a reasonably accurate model of Troubridge but I am including details from the radio series such as the heli deck (mentioned in the third episode of the third series) and squid (ninth episode of the first series) to make Troutbridge.  I may consider making the heli deck removable as I believe Troutbridge only kept it for a sort time like Grenville (there is very little mention of it in the series).

Each to our own, you see.

[pugwash]

Tony, my apologies - I misread what you wrote - thought you were modelling Troubridge not Troutbridge to which as you say
you can add any modellers license Apparently the cast of The Navy Lark were regular visitors to the Troubridge over the years.
Happy days I remember listening to the show when I was a kid

Geoff