Pyro's ships

[pyro-manic]

Been building a few ships recently, as follows:

First off, the Mighty 'Ood (1941). Built OOB, but she'll be getting painted in Victorian battleship colours, with a black hull, white superstructure and Buff funnels and tops. This is the Trumpeter kit, and it's rather nice. She still needs turrets, rigging and boats of course, but they'll go on after paint.



Next up, we have a rather large Soviet assault ship. Based on a Kirov hull, the superstructure (currently just mocked-up) will be right forward, and there will be a large flight deck and hangar behind it. There will also be a well deck at the stern, with a ramp and some sort of landing craft emerging. Think a Soviet version of the Albion class. Most offensive armament is gone, but there will be several CIWS turrets and defensive missile launchers, and possibly some sort of bombardment rocket launchers, to support troops going ashore. I replaced the existing deck plate with one made of sheet plastic - there's a lot of moulded-in detail I would have had to remove to put the superstructure that far forward, and there's no sense in wasting all those missile silos!



Anyone know where I can get some 1:700 landing craft?

Here's the ex-Kirov's helicopter (to be joined by many more). It's a bit wonky-legged, but when the parts are so small I can barely see them it's a bit tricky getting them on straight!

[Thorvic]

Nice work Pyro

For the Kirov inspired assault ship try raising the main deck a level and that should allow you to move the superstructure further forward, and create a plausible dock area for landing craft. Should alos give a nice flight deck and space for hanger to.

For landing craft Dragon did so a soviet assault group with a large and small hovercraft the Lebeds may suit your needs and i think you get helix and armour in the set. The original Revell Tarawa class had landing craft and the airfix fearless has LCU-10 and LCVPs in the kit which could be adapted to a soviet version.

cheers

Geoff

[ChernayaAkula]

The Hood is going to look good in those colours!  

That large assault ship is an awesome idea! Only helos or maybe some Freesytles as well?

Agree with Geoff about raising the deck. Maybe you could keep the superstructure like that and just add a level or two to the stern. That would keep the elegant bow and give enough room for all the stuff associated with a landing ship.
Like this, maybe? EDIT: Maybe even extend it to the blue lines (edited pic).


Oh, and how did you get such a neat and tidy styrene deck?   When I try stuff like that it always looks botchy and cobbled together.  

[sequoiaranger]

>Anyone know where I can get some 1:700 landing craft?<

Skywave of Japan used to make some as part of some other setup. But they were Dihatsu WWII Japanese landing craft, if that matters.

[Captain Canada]

Very nice...I like the big assault ship, sure looks tough !

[Sauragnmon]

Ineresting idea with the Hood, that should turn out quite elegant I think.  Zipang Hood, going Way back.

Kirov - Don't raise the main deck, the gap between superstructure and step deck is Perfect - the SS-N-14 had reload hatches in that forward block, you can use that to reload a heavy naval rocket battery if you wanted to use that for ground support.  You could also put a 130mm gun where there used to be the whole electronics battery (you'd have to find a place for Kite Screech FC Radar though)

If you're going with the Albion style open back well deck, that's not a bad idea, especially if you opt to have it host something like a Pomornik or two.  Or, they have a smaller version you could ostensibly bash out of a 1/700 LCAC if you wanted.  The Albions kept their low profile.

To up it to a Wasp-esque design, you'd probably go with Moritz' extensions and stern cover, though it might be good to do the well deck first even still, to retain some size/perspective.  The expanded flight areas certainly wouldn't be remiss, and you could use the opporotunity to include a slightly heavier defensive weapons suite.

[Joe C-P]

I have the Soviet landing ship set, and I've only built two of the three, the largest and smallest. I'll send you the middle one (Aist, I think) if you are interested.

I'd love to see the Hood in the old colours. That give me a similar idea to do a USN cruiser or BB in pre-WW1 white-and-buff.

[Weaver]

You could do it like the French Ouragans or Foudres, with a stepped, split flight deck, the rear portion retracting under the front one to make space for (in this case) hovercraft tail fins.

Foudre:

[proditor]

I really hope you revisit these, as both of them look like they are going to be awesome.

[pyro-manic]

Thanks! I will get back to them - just in a bit of a rut at the moment.

[Cliffy B]

These look really promising man!  Hope you get out of your rut soon.  They'll be awesome once they're finished.

[Mossie]

Bump!  Any more progress Alun?

Suggestion for the landing craft, how about some assault Ekranoplans?  Either convert a larger 1/700 aircraft, or whittle a bit of sprue.  Maybe an adapted version of the Orlyonok, folding wings, twin tail to get it to fit inside the Kirov?  You might even get two of them in.

[pyro-manic]

Now that is a cool idea! I may have to try that.

I'm just about to get started on Mighty 'Ood again, as I've decided to complete her for the SCW GB. She'll have the Victorian colour scheme, but with the addition of neutrality stripes on B and X turrets. She will have an unusual companion as well, if I have the time...