Ark Royal IV

[Thorvic]

Currently the only kit of the HMS Ark Royal IV (1955-78) is the Fujimi 1/700 kit that represents her circa 1957 with the angled deck, lattice main mast and deck edge lift to distinguisher her from her sister kit of HMS Eagle. Most people either build her OOB or go the whole hag and convert her to 1970's configuration with the Phantomisation mods.

However i am currently doing her RW in her 1965 guise with the deck edge lift removed, the fwd guns plated over and the angled deck extended over the port side AA guns. Whilst a tricky build due to Fujimis unusual parts breakdown, its not actually that hard a conversion to do. The only extra features required include the Projector landing sight & its sponson, together with a lattice tower for the 965 radar once the flight deck and hull have been modifed to remove the lift and guns.

From a What-if point of view what would Ark Roayl have done in the period 1966-1972 whilst the CVA-01 was assembled ?. I doubt she would have had a phantomiastion refit as the money would be better spent on a small refit of Eagle to operate Phantoms but i suspect she would have had minor refits to keep her in service and allow the switch to Sea Vixen FAW2, Buccaneer S2 and Sea King HAS1. Then she would have either served as a source of spares for Eagle as she would linger on till CVA-02 or CVA-03 would have been built to replace her, or possibly sold on for further service.

A 1970's Ark un-phantomised might make an interesting build, and could possibly see a more moderate refit to update he for 70's use with other navies ?

Will post up photos later of the 1965 configured Ark build as thought it might act as inspiration for those looking for an easier way to update the readily available Ark kit.

G

[Weaver]

Makes me wonder about her being sold off to India in the 1970s and then subsequently outfitted with locally-built Jaguar Ms. Don't know where you'd get 1/700th models of the latter though. Alternately, she might have had navalised MiG-23/27s: MiG studied a navalised Flogger in the mid 1970s.

[Joe C-P]

Ooo, an Indian Navy Ark Royal. I wonder if I still have the Fujimi stashed away? And some MiG-23/27s from the Skywave Soviet Aircraft set? I know I have bits and pieces of Soviet and RN equipment.

Another idea for the future.

[Thorvic]

Ooo, an Indian Navy Ark Royal. I wonder if I still have the Fujimi stashed away? And some MiG-23/27s from the Skywave Soviet Aircraft set? I know I have bits and pieces of Soviet and RN equipment.

Another idea for the future.

Or Go with a 90s fit and have India Navy buying the original Mig-29K for the navy at the same time they bought the A for their Airforce (Well Trumpeter Mig-29k are much cheaper for building up an airgroup than buying lots of Pitroad Soviet sets for only a 20th of the aircraft included)

G

[sandiego89]

How about sold to Argentinia and she lingers on into the the 1980's?  Get where I am going?  She could be kept in much the same configuration she was before the late 1960's work, or even post Phantom mods. She could be put into a 1982 configuartion with skyhawks, trackers, helos and 5 Super Entendards.  Perhaps a few AEW Gannets could have been part of the deal?   Thick with irony, and within reason.      

I did my 1/700 version with the Phantom mods, fun build.  I replaced the the whole deck with fresh styrene sheet as the easiest option, otherwise the seem work would be difficult. Currently under a major yard period with a hull stretch over in the F-111 build.