AKULA’s South China Sea Project (pg4 second Chinese Carrier)

[AKULA]

Love the new stuff.
Great looking container ship.

Thanks, I’m particularly pleased with the container ship, as it’s pretty stereotypical of the vessels transmitting through the SCS.

[Mako]

Man, you are making excellent progress!

I'm jealous.

Wish I could do this in 1/1200th too, with such large numbers. 

Will probably have to go with 1/2400th for the vessels, or even 1/3000th, since the 1/2400th Chinese ships I've found are so expensive now.

I'm still trying to get a few of the aircraft in stock, for gaming, in 1/600th scale, and making slow progress on that.  Need to get a few that I do have prepped and painted, so the sorties can commence.  Have B-52s for overflights, but want a P-8 recon bird, and perhaps a P-3 or two, just for grins, to go with some of the other jets, Su-27/J-11/J-15, F-15, F-18, and the F-35C.

Need some J-10s, J-20s, JH-7s, and other Chinese/Russian jets, like the Su-35, etc., as well as the F-22 Raptor.

US just sortied another destroyer within 12 NM of one of the Spratleys, in addition to the recent B-52 overflight(s).  Allies are starting to get on board with their own sorties too, or in conjunction with us, e.g. Britain and Japan. 

Can't wait for Aussies, French, and Vietnamese to do the same.

[AKULA]

Man, you are making excellent progress!
.....

US just sortied another destroyer within 12 NM of one of the Spratleys, in addition to the recent B-52 overflight(s).  Allies are starting to get on board with their own sorties too, or in conjunction with us, e.g. Britain and Japan. 

Can't wait for Aussies, French, and Vietnamese to do the same.

Thanks - it helps that some of the models arrive either part or pre-painted (although some are painted from scratch or require a complete repaint)

Re: patrols - both the French and Australian navies already conduct Freedom of Navigation patrols in the SCS(the latter sent 3 ships back in April). Italy & Spain have sent ships to the Pacific recently, but not into the SCS, and Germany, while it might want to send some, is currently struggling to get any ships to sea at all. Vietnam maintains a watching brief, but probably mindful that any moves on its part will be seen as more than just FON as it also has a claim in the region.

[von Lucky]

And another one on this band wagon in loving this thread - keep up the good work.

I bought a 1/600 Arleigh Burke last year and a whole lot of aircraft and a sub (off table artillery marker) to do a fortress type game (with the destroyer as a moving/turning fortress), using Hind Commander. Yet to make progress on it - your output is kicking me into gear though.

And Mako the RAAF have made multiple flights into the area, so there's the ability to paint their aircraft up too.

[Billchuck]

Every time I see that curved wake base, I think that would be a cool movement mechanic for ocean warfare.  Have a set of straight wakes and turning wakes in various lengths for each ship, and each turn you put the wake that matches your planned movement in front of the ship.  Move the ship to the front of the new wake, and maneuvering is done.  Kind of like the x-wing maneuver templates, but prettier.

[Mako]

Thanks for the info on the Aussie and French sorties.  I wasn't aware of those, since we get little press about them here, but had heard that was going to happen. 

We did hear about the British sortie.

Do you have any details to share on which vessels transited the area?  Would love more info about that.

What sort of aircraft are being flown through the region by Australia?

Recon birds, like P-3s, or some of your F-111s, and from where?

Seems like a long haul to get to the SCS.

Love that Chinese carrier.  Just looked it up on-line, and the price is rather shocking, so I will definitely need to stick to 1/2400th, or smaller scale for that, unless there's a plastic kit. 

I know the old 1/600th - 1/700th plastic kits used to be pretty reasonable, for the Russian/Soviet vessels, back in the day.  Can't recall if they made a Kuznetsov/other CV, but suspect they probably did/do, since I know they made the Kiev, Moskva, and Kirov, for about $30, or so.

I like those little 1/1250th aircraft too, but the price on them is shocking, compared to the much larger, 1/600th stuff available now.  I'm going to go with this larger scale for the aircraft, and perhaps use a smattering of 1/1250th, or 1/2400th aircraft on the vessels, and island runways, for a forced perspective.

Over the weekend, the USS Decatur (Arleigh Burke class - not sure which variant) passed within 12 NM of a couple of "islands" in the Spratleys.   It was intercepted by a Chinese 052B Destroyer, which apparently cut across the US vessel's path, and they got within 25 - 45 yards of one another, depending upon which version you choose to believe.  The Decatur had to swerve to avoid the Chinese vessel.

Also, recently, one B-52 flew over the East China Sea, and a couple flew over the South China Sea too.  No word on whether there were any close encounters with them.

[von Lucky]

Yes, flights have been conducted by RAAF AP-3C Orions, the F-111s were retired about 10 years ago (F/A-18F Super Hornets filling in the gap for now).

The Royal Australian Navy (with Anzac-class frigates) was challenged earlier in the year:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-20/south-china-sea-australian-warships-challenged-by-chinese/9677908

And Australian defence forces are conducting joint exercises right now:
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australian-military-in-south-china-sea

I realise that we're discussing a current conflict (of sorts), but I'm consciously keeping it to places and equipment.

I also found this general timeline that may be of interest:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_the_South_China_Sea_dispute

[AKULA]

@Mako - the RN sent HMS Albion (a 22,000 ton LPD) to Vietnam, and on the way it passed near the Paracel Islands, being shadowed by a Chinese frigate, plus a pair of helicopters.

I saw the photo of the US/Chinese vessels and I’d agree it looked a lot closer than 45 yards, a dangerous manoeuvre when you consider the vessels are c8-9,000 tonnes. It was a scenario like this I hand in mind as a potential touchpaper for a conflict in the region, so it’s a relief that there was no loss of life.



Group shot of HMS Queen Elizabeth (a Mountford resin model) undergoing sea trials with a Tide-class tanker, and a pair of Type-23 Frigates. Will add a Type-45 Destroyer at some point for air defence, and an Astute-class SSN...and some planes.

Big Lizzie has been pencilled in potentially to show the flag in a FON exercise in the SCS during 2020.

[Ockman]

This is a really cool project!

[voltan]

I see you've kept it accurate and not put any aircraft on her. 

[Mako]

Thanks for the info, updates, and photos.

I really appreciate them.

Yes, looks more like 45 feet, or less, from the angle I've seen.

Wonder if the photo was from a US helo, patrol aircraft, or drone?  Probably the US ship's helo, I imagine.

Playing bumper boats with such craft is a rather dicey proposition.

[AKULA]

The second Chinese Carrier - the Shandong - currently undergoing sea trials.

It has a different radar-superstructure configuration...the Liaoning will eventually have an identical refit. No commercial model exists for it at the moment so I got hold of a second-hand Kuznetsov-class Carrier, and added the radar/aircraft and gave it a paint job...no close ups, as my paint job isn’t as good as the Liaoning.



Obligatory shot of the two carriers together



And a pair of Chinese Type-071 LPDs - can carry a battalion of troops each.

[grant]

Really nice stuff. I’ve painted some of the GHQ 1:2400 scale catalogue models, yours look nicer!

[AKULA]

Really nice stuff. I’ve painted some of the GHQ 1:2400 scale catalogue models, yours look nicer!

I can’t claim credit for a lot of them, as a number arrived prepainted. Am pleased with how the Shandong turned out, but the deck markings drove me crazy.

[grant]

I can’t claim credit for a lot of them, as a number arrived prepainted. Am pleased with how the Shandong turned out, but the deck markings drove me crazy.

Fully agree - I “cheated” and used decals when I could but have fully hand painted 1:2400 moderns - it’s a bit nuts. Gotta be real chill to do it.