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

[seadude]

The only thing I'd suggest to add is some thin black lines to show where the deck lifts are.  I don't think they tended to mark them up (I might be wrong) in wartime, but it would show the edges & where they are located?

Wouldn't black be kinda hard to see against the dark blue? What about a lighter color? Or maybe using some decal lines to show the outline for the aircraft elevators?

[NARSES2]

She's looking really good 

[thedarkmaster]

It's been an epic read so far and it looks really good , top class work   

[Mossie]

The only thing I'd suggest to add is some thin black lines to show where the deck lifts are.  I don't think they tended to mark them up (I might be wrong) in wartime, but it would show the edges & where they are located?

Wouldn't black be kinda hard to see against the dark blue? What about a lighter color? Or maybe using some decal lines to show the outline for the aircraft elevators?

I thought black so as to give an impression of a gap/panel line, rather than an outline.  It should stand out enough to be visible, without standing out, a bit like a lift would on a real carrier.  If you want to use another colour, or maybe an edge marker, should work either way.

[seadude]

Well, Mossie, I tried black as you suggested, but I'm not really sure about it. Anyway, I scribed the "elevators" into the deck by using a drafting template which is the green thing in the upper right corner of the first pic. The size of my elevators is a little bit more larger than compared to the elevators from a 1/700 Essex or other AC. The second pic shows an aircraft that fits nicely within the confines of the elevator without having it's wings folded. The last pic shows what Mossie was talking about by using black color to give the impression of a gap/panel line. Anyway, I have one elevator near the bow of the ship, and another near the stern.

[Brian da Basher]

Nice work on the elevator, seadude! I like the light gray outline on the first pic, but not being a ship modeler, I'm not sure how realistic it is. The additional thinner yellow lines look great!

Brian da Basher

[seadude]

Mossie, no offense, but I'm not going to paint the elevator "gap/panel lines" black as you suggested. IMO, they would be too hard to see against the dark sea blue deck. I'm going to leave the elevator "lines" as is, when I scribed them into the flight deck originally. I think they look kinda good as they are without having being painted, and they simply "stand out" better visually and are more noticeable. So I very carefully removed the black out of the two existing elevators that I scribed before. I also added two more "scribed" elevators amidships which are slightly smaller. So now I have four elevators total: 2 medium/large ones, and 2 small ones. Here's what I have:
(P.S. - I wished I could've had a "lowered" elevator somehow, but it's far too late for that now since the flight deck has been glued down and painted.)  Oooops.  

CLICK PICTURES FOR LARGER IMAGES.

[Mossie]

No offense taken, purely a sugesstion!  I think you've taken the right decission, they look better in the grey rather than the black.

[seadude]

Ok, I'm undecided again. Question to all the modelers here: If a real Habakkuk had been built, then how much armament do you think it would have had?
There are no accurate listings of amounts or types of armament that a Habakkuk would've carried. As originally conceived, the Habakkuk was a British design and was to have British armament, namely the following. However, since no references discuss how much armament the Habakkuk was to have, nor the exact locations, etc., the listing here is an "educated guess" based on what was commonly used during WWII by the British.
Approximately 20-40 4.5" dual barreled DP (dual purpose) guns.
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_45-45_mk1.htm
And numerous lighter anti-aircraft armament of various amounts of the following:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_2pounder_m8.htm
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNBR_5-62_mk3.htm
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_2cm-70_mk234.htm

But since I'll be building an "Americanised" Habakkuk ship, I'll be adding American guns instead. So what I'm going with for my model is the following (Estimated):
20 5"/38 cal. dual barreled gun mounts:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_5-38_mk12.htm
Approx. 25(?) 40mm gun mounts:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_4cm-56_mk12.htm
60-70 20mm anti-aircraft machine guns:
http://www.navweaps.com/Weapons/WNUS_2cm-70_mk234.htm

The placement of all my armament can be seen in these three pics: CLICK ALL THUMBNAIL PICS IN POST TO VIEW LARGER IMAGES.)



Those three pics represent a "preliminary" placement of armament I'll have. The placement of all armament is 90-95% "locked in" so to speak. The only decisions I haven't made are at both ends of the hull, as well as any armament to be added for the new bridge superstructure I have yet to build.

HOWEVER.........things change. I just recently thought about the following tonight:



In the above pic, you can see the placement of the round 40mm gun tubs, the skinny 20mm gun balconies, and the placement of the groupings of 5" gun turrets. Originally, I was going to have two 5" turrets (as shown in the upper left corner) in each unpainted white section. But since those white sections are so long/large, I am now thinking I can fit three 5" turrets in each section........or would that be overkill? But if I add more 5" gun turrets, it means I also have to possibly add more Mk.37 radar directors, possibly one at each corner (red dots) of the Habakkuk as shown in this pic:

[sequoiaranger]

Before you "finalize" your elevators, remember that the Habbakuk would most likely have operated fixed-wing twin-engined aircraft like the Mosquito or B-25. My opinion is that there should be at least one or two elevators big enough for them, even if cruiciform in shape.

[seadude]

Before you "finalize" your elevators, remember that the Habbakuk would most likely have operated fixed-wing twin-engined aircraft like the Mosquito or B-25. My opinion is that there should be at least one or two elevators big enough for them, even if cruiciform in shape.

You make a point that the Habakkuk probably would have operated those types of aircraft. However........I highly think they would've been limited to just being parked on the flight deck instead of being stored inside the ship in the hangars. Take a look at these pics:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/HMS%20Habakkuk%20model%20project/overlord2.jpg



I did some measurements and calculations, and the hangars inside the Habakkuk would only have been 80 feet wide.
After checking on the dimensions for the B-25 (Length of 53 feet and wingspan of 68 feet) and the Mosquito (Length of 41 feet and wingspan of 54 feet), there is not a lot of "wiggle room" so to speak for those two types of aircraft to move around in the hangars. To the best of my knowledge, I don't seem to recall those aircraft ever having foldable/removable wings? Therefore, it doesn't make sense to make larger elevators for those two types of aircraft. I'd rather think that they'd have to be serviced, fueled, armed, etc. on the flight deck.

In other news..........

I'm still trying to think of how I'll make the 2 dozen engine pods for the Habakkuk.  
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v216/icyhusky/HMS%20Habakkuk%20model%20project/scan0002.jpg
I went to a hobby store today to perhaps find an aircraft model that might have some bomb armament that I could use to make the engine pods out of. Well, no such luck. But I did find a 1/48 scale P-39 Airacobra kit that had a single centerline fuel tank that was roughly in the shape of a Habakkuk engine pod.

Full size P-39 tank (Left) compared to the crappy "sonar dome" pod (Right) I made months earlier.



1/2 of the P-39 tank compared to the "sonar dome" prototype engine pod.





I think using this P-39 tank is the best I'm going to be able to do. Now I just need to make 30 of them. The nearest model store near me does not carry any resin casting supplies at all. Anybody got any alternative ideas for creating 30 more engine pods?
Here's another question: If for any reason I am not able to get these engine pods built and added to the Habakkuk in time for my next contest which is 1 1/2 months away, then do you think I'd get disqualified by the judges at the contest if I didn't have them added? Or would get frowned upon by other modelers because the model didn't look "complete"?

[Stargazer]

So nice to see the Habbakuk project finally coming to fruition! 

[seadude]

I think I can finally breathe a sigh of relief now. The main wood hull is 90% complete. I finished all painting tonight. The only thing I need to do is a few tiny touchups with the tip of a toothpick, but that will be tomorrow. Painting the main hull has been a pain in the a$$! Especially the upper gray portion which probably had close to 5 coats! >.< Otherwise, the other 10% to add is the armament and a few other small details which will probably be done this week. Still not sure what I'll do about adding the engine pods if I decide to make them.
I still have to do major work on the bridge superstructure yet. More work on that to be done this week and next. Anyway, here's a few sample pics of the "nearly finished" main hull:

[PR19_Kit]

That's looking particularly wonderful seadude sir. 

Please remind me just how big that model is again?

[sequoiaranger]

n/t