(WIP) Aircraft Carrier in 1/56th (28mm)

[AKULA]

Just meant i'd like to see some photos of you building the Graf Spee....

 

[former user]

don't think so

you'll be able to see my trains soon 
see, I don't have the space and the time for such huge projects

when I was young I built a 90 cm high ATAT out of cigarette packages to fit my snowspeeder model
was fun to set it in the snowy garden
I might have the pictures somewhere
I'll just be fine with watching the progress of Your project
maybe some day You'll allow me to land my 2 interwar doubledeckers on it

[AKULA]

OK, progress report:

I've covered the entire 10 foot length of the model in polyfiller/PVA glue mix, and will start sanding it tonight.

Given its two and a half times as long as the destroyer, more than twice its width, and the hull is as tall as the bridge of the DD, everything takes a little longer....

Haven't taken a photo yet, so look at the previous photo, and imagine it has been covered in porridge.

 

[Vanvlak]

are You talking about my weirld idea or about AKULA's project?

Er ..both ?

[AKULA]

There's a whole bunch of ou out here waiting desperately for another photo or two of any progress....?

or a post of the destroyer in a scenic setting?

OK, a quick photo of the carrier first - the 3 sections have been coated in polyfiller, and roughly sanded down - as with the destroyer, i'm not too fussed about it retaining some texture, as a couple of thick coats of paint will smooth this down, and some areas have been left rough as rust streaks.

You can probably just about make out the cranes on the stern section - they were used to lift seaplanes on board - on my model they will also be holding up the flight deck!



and a couple more photos of the destroyer, taken by an agent of the Anglican League, using the latest in spycamera technology:

[AKULA]

what is your day job?

I'm a leadaholic.

 

[Ignatieff]

Call that a boat???  I am sure that after this 'entree' you will find yourself even further down the porthole of madness.  Howzabout the Royal Oak for a main course ?  I reckon that would weigh in at around 14'.  Mind you, its only navy envy.  Our Potemkin is only 3' long!   

[Arlequín]

Or hollow it out and it could double as a drinks cabinet, or figure storage. Certainly it would make a change from IKEA furniture. 

[Hammers]

Or hollow it out and it could double as a drinks cabinet, or figure storage. Certainly it would make a change from IKEA furniture. 

  What a cunning idea,hiding my cordials from the wife in plain sight. I shall do this.

[former user]

What a cunning idea,hiding my cordials from the wife in plain sight. I shall do this.

how about building it as a bed?
reversable or so?
then You coukd distract her even more

[Arlequín]

What a cunning idea,hiding my cordials from the wife in plain sight. I shall do this.

A beer barrel with a flight deck and a model plane nailed to it is still a beer barrel. 

[Bungle]

A beer barrel with a flight deck and a model plane nailed to it is still a beer barrel. 

You need to be more inventive with other things around the house first then

car trailer


Wheelbarrow


storage chest


dogs bed


 

[former user]

  barrel-O-mania
how about a beer barrel disguised as.... a beer barrel?
what comes next?

the many uses of wooden spoked wheels?

[AKULA]

Another quick update:

Lined the hangers with card - the untidy edges should be hidden whern i add the flight deck, as i'd intentionally accounted for some overhang.



Also added a couple of AA positions - 2 will be sculpted onto the model, and i've added some plastic tubing (on the right of the second picture, to allow another, smaller (and thus probably more fragile) AA postion to be added later. Also tidying up some edges, with milliput, to be carved later on.

[AKULA]

Been a while since I posted an update on this little project, but with good reason - painting it takes forever!



Still very much a WIP - unlike with the Destroyer, I needed to paint the superstructure before finishing the model, as it will become decidely more fiddily to do, once i've added the girders to the mid-section.

I've gone with a Dazzle colour scheme, as the thought of painting a 10 foot long ship in grey was fairly soul destroying - doubtless there will be pedants that tell me i've done it wrong, used the wrong tone of grey blue etc etc....just for the record - I DON'T CARE!

 

The purpose of dazzle wasn't to camouflage the ship, rather to make rangefinding, or even judging the direction of a vessel more difficult - its use was widespread in WW1, and at the start of WW2, so i've gone with it for my 1938 VBCW vessel.

Stuff still to do:

Add Girders
Build Chart House
Anchors
Steam catapult
Arrestor cables
Add Guns
Weathering
Crew (!)
Planes (!)


Bow Section

Top left hand corner, you can just see two small holes - this is for additional AA bays to be slotted onto the model.

Mid Section

This is where the girders, life rafts, and more gunners will go.

Stern Section

You can see one of the cranes - used originally to lift seaplanes on board.  They also help support the flight deck on the model!

Rear Hanger Doors


If you can see this, you are flying too low!  I'll be sticking a gun on the stern to deter kamikaze attacks.

Elevators



I've made the elevators lift off, and painted the floor of the hangers in a similar fashion, to represent them at the lower level - still need to paint an interior hanger view though....

View from Bow


View from Stern