1/700th scale HMS Habakkuk WIP (aka Project Habakkuk)

[Thorvic]

Actually you wouldn't want to place guns on the stern area, you should look at building up a flight deck overhang and then use the space below for boats etc. There will be some none standard navak aircraft landing so you wouldn't want to distract them on final approach with excess clutter as the stern is where they are likely to hit if the mistime the landing approach.

As for boats use LOTS of floats around the deck and maybe use sponson platforms for the ships boats and cranes.

G

[sequoiaranger]

For the bow/stern guns, I would site the 40mm ABOVE the 5"ers. As it is shown, I am afraid the muzzle blast would smash down on the heads of the poor 40mm gunners directly below.

As for lifeboats, WHO NEEDS 'EM? The ship is ICE--it floats and is NOT going to sink. It might "shatter" and break into pieces, but all the pieces will float. The only boats you would need would be liason boats to shuttle personnel to other ships or to shore, or "air-sea rescue" boats. These could be "inside" behind roll-up doors, used only on occasions, or on davits attached to the outside of the ship. After all, the Habakkuk will never "dock" anywhere, so the sides above the waterline are fair game for attachments.

[seadude]

For the bow/stern guns, I would site the 40mm ABOVE the 5"ers. As it is shown, I am afraid the muzzle blast would smash down on the heads of the poor 40mm gunners directly below.

Ok, what if I put some single open mount 5"/38's in the spots instead where the 5" double barrel turrets are? Surely, a single 5"/38 wouldn't be nearly as bad as the double? 

[seadude]

Actually you wouldn't want to place guns on the stern area, you should look at building up a flight deck overhang and then use the space below for boats etc. There will be some none standard navak aircraft landing so you wouldn't want to distract them on final approach with excess clutter as the stern is where they are likely to hit if the mistime the landing approach.

Final post for this evening before heading to bed. Would the Habakkuk really need an "overhang" at the bow and/or the stern? With a ship as large as what the Habakkuk is (2000 feet long), there's plenty of room to land and take off. I couldn't possibly imagine an aircraft hitting the aft end of the Habakkuk......or crashing into the bow end.
One other important thing I forgot: Would the Habakkuk still need some sort of arresting wires on the flight deck? If so, then where would be a good location, and how "wide" should they be? Should they go all the way from the left side of the ship to the right side?

[Caveman]

Possibly have them near the bow to stop runaways? If they are there for that purpose then I would have them as wide as the deck.

[tinlail]

With regards to arresting wire.
Are the planes purpose built for this ship? land based planes of this period didn't have arresting hooks, if the intend was to operate those planes, then there is no need for the wires cause the planes won't catch them.

I think given the war time environment there is no safety argument that is going to get arresting hooks added to land base bombers flying from this ship. and the smaller planes really don't need it even if some naval planes might have it built in.

[sequoiaranger]

How many would you need? None.

I would agree that the larger aircraft presumably used on Habakkuk would not be equipped with an arrestor hook, and smaller "carrier" aircraft would not need them given the long runway. In fact, most likely the Habakkuk is long enough to be recovering aircraft on one end while launching on the other. Best to have available a crash barrier (or two) to prevent runaways from spoiling a nice array of ready aircraft, but one shouldn't NEED arresting wires. At best, maybe a SHORT and narrow section of arresting wires for recovering actual hook-equipped naval aircraft to make landings quicker.

MAYBE aircraft using the Habakkuk would have a drogue parachute pack available to slow down the plane once it touched down. After all, since the carrier is ice, brakes might not be very useful as the tyres stop but the plane skids on, just like car tyres on icy pavement.

[Brian da Basher]

I always assumed a Habbakuk would have a wooden deck, but I'm far from an expert...

My vote would be no arresting wires as the Habbakuk is large enough that planes wouldn't need them. Maybe you want some folding nets on each end just in case.

Brian da Basher

[seadude]

Sorry I haven't seen the last few replies. I've been a bit busy and tired lately.
Anyway, I'm really unsure about arresting wires or crash nets, etc. The Habakkuk sure is long, but maybe it might be best to have something in case of accidents/bad landings? I was thinking a few days ago as shown in this sample pic of adding some arresting wires (Red lines) at the back area of the ship (The stern is in the lower left corner of the pic.). What I've shown is just an example. I'm really not sure how many wires would be appropriate to add. And I was only thinking of having them go from one skinny yellow line to the other.



Also, here is an example pic of what I was thinking of doing for the stern of the ship in trying to make it into a small boat handling area. Maybe a few 40mm and 20mm for stern defense, then add a few small boats and 1 or 2 small cranes.

[sequoiaranger]

A recent entry into a "WWII-'46" contest was a 1/700 "Habakkuk". Looks like it was highly based on a combination of a USS Yorktown (stretched island) and a USS Midway (side armament arrangement). Clever, but personally, I think it is too "modern"-looking. The SERIOUS U-Boat threat was over by late 1943 when the Habakkuk would have been built and found to be un-necessary. Worth a look-see, however!

http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,28208.0.html

[philp]

Here are the pics from that contest.





It also is in 1/700.

[deathjester]

Didn't British carriers use an anti skid coating on their flight decks: how hard would this be to apply to Pykrete?, or could you just use pierced steel sections?

[seadude]

I already left my comments in the other thread. Got to admit, that Habakkuk looks 10x better than what I've done.

[deathjester]

I already left my comments in the other thread. Got to admit, that Habakkuk looks 10x better than what I've done.

I think Seqoiaranger is right: while the other carrier is lovely, it does look too modern - yours has the right period 'feel' to it, while the other, to my mind, doesn't really look like it's made of Pykrete.  Keep up the good work!

[tanktastic43]

i agree with dj. the other is very pretty but looks like a 'regular' carrier, and is sleek and built from steel made in a shipyard somewhere, whereas yours looks poured and hewn. i hope you understand what i'm trying to say. keep up the good work. 

tt43.