Re:1/144 HMS Courageous: SHIP COMPLETED

[Spey_Phantom]

about a year ago, i finished building a 1/144 scale aircraft carrier, the BNS Dendermonde (see: http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,20488.0.html ). this aircraft carrier took about 6 months to build.

also i build a smaller HMS Invincible like V/STOL Carrier, the Leutonian LNS Amanda Peet.
( http://www.whatifmodelers.com/index.php/topic,21992.0/highlight,aircraft+carrier.html )

now, in the last build thread, i said that i had plans to build a 3rd aircraft carrier, this time a STOBAR carrier somewhere between the Kuznetsov-class and the Indian converted Gorshkov. well today i like to announce that the 3rd carrier WILL see the light of day  . i have alraedy begun designing the layout, witch i will hope will end up looking like the one proposed for India's Indigenuos aircraft carrier.



as for the airwing, im planning on a pair of SU-33 Flankers (Dragon SU-35/37 twinpack, easely to convert into SU-33's, have 1 converted model in Soviet Navy markings) and a 3rd fighter of a type unknown, perhaps MIG-29K or if im lucky to get one, an SU-25 Frogfoot. as for helicopters i most propably be using either NH90's, SH-60's or SA330 Puma's. or if i happen to find a 1/144 scale Revell/italeri Mi-24, then i will use that. i dont have anymore details at the moment, but i already have the sheets of styrene ready and i hope to get a 1/72 snowberry kit to be used as a basis.

underneath is a picture of the materials (2 sheets 1.5mm thick for the hull extention, 5 sheets 1mm thick for the bottom layer of the flight deck, 5 sheets 0.5mm thick for the top layer of the flight deck, 2 sheets 0.75mm thick for the Island Superstructure and 2 0.75mm cutouts for the ski-jump)
if required, i have additional sheets ready in reserve.

estimated dimensions

length: 1600mm
beam (deck): 250mm
height: ?

where to put it: No Idea
nationality: Dont Know yet, maybe Ukrainian, Chinese or Iranian

[Sauragnmon]

Should be quite an interesting project to see done, Nils.  I'm looking forward to seeing the progress.

[Army of One]

This sounds interseting....any update on this build??.......Saw some photos on another site of a scratch built WW2 American carrier....think it was over 9 feet long n over 30 planes on it....app in a museum now

[Spey_Phantom]

i dont have any updates on this project at the moment, the build is currently put on hold due to logistical, stash and financial problems. the only recent update i have is that i got a pair of 1.5mm thick styrene sheets for the hull extention, thats about it. as for the airwing, i decided to go with the Dragon 1/144 SU-35/37 twin pack and convert them into SU-33's, the parts are in the box and the only thing to scratch is the tailhook and maybe the folding wings.

i hope to get back on this project soon 

[Thorvic]

What size is the Plastic card sheet your using Nils ?

[Spey_Phantom]

What size is the Plastic card sheet your using Nils ?

they are all A4 size (like standard printer paper), but they will be cut into sized strips to fit between the connecting hulls, that is if i can get hold of a snowberry, lucky for me there is a toystore not to far from here who's having a sale on those kits 

[Spey_Phantom]

UPDATE:

looks like i have enverything (except the airwing) on hand. the snowberry kit's here, so is the sheet styrene.
im gonna wait with building the island until i have a final design ready. as an extra, im donna see what i can do about fitting underdeck hangars 

im gonna look for inspiration to the Chinese aircraft carrier, the Shi-Lang (ex-soviet navy varyag, kuznetzov-class carrier), as the mistery arround the carrier has entrigued me  . as recent pictures showed a new radar mast being fitted above the bridge, i might design the island in a similar way, by upgrading an exsisting design.

hope to have final design sketches made tonight and scanned in tomorrow 

[Spey_Phantom]

REVIVE  

the carrier has made progress, with the bench mostly empty, i thought i should continue with this project.
the 2 halves of the hull have now been constructed and im about to start the hull extention.
im gonna start looking into the underdeck hangar shortly.

ive also given her a name, the LNS Hannigan  .
the airwing on the model will be comprised of:

2 x SU-33K Flanker-D's
1 x MIG-29K Fulcrum
1 or 2 TA-6E Intruder (deck trainers)
1 x S-70 Seahawk

although i am leaning on replacing the mig-29 with an SU-47K Berkut-D.

first pictures of the carrier under construction  

[Caveman]

Good to see that you managed to get a bow and a stern this time

[Spey_Phantom]

SUPER BUMP 

after 6 months, i finally got back on building the project.

rough work on the hull has now been completed, and the underdeck hangar is big enough to house 4 1/144 Mig-29K's or 3 SU-33's

the first layer of the flightdeck is also being drawed up, undergoing pre-construction, although its gonna be tricky to carrier-ize the snowberry hull with the deck, but i will look into that later.
i still (after over a year) havent determined the final design for the island superstructure, i would like to go for something similar like what the Chinese are building on the Shi-Lang (ex soviet "Varyag") but its going to be very difficult to scrachbuild.

already confirmed to be based on it are:

-1 SH-60AEW Seahawk (or some sort of fixed wing STOBAR AEW platform)
-1 SH-60F Seahawk
-2 SU-33K Sea Flankers
-1 MIG-29K Fulcrum (planning on replacing it with either SU-25K2 or SU-47K)

better pics soon...

[Spey_Phantom]

yes, there is progress once again,

the hangar is done, and the top deck has been permanently fitted. also notable is the ski-jump (although its seems a bit big  )
work is almost completed on the 2 Leutonian SU-33K's, witch will for the backbone of the airwing. the aircraft will be modified to use western weaponry, AMRAAM or Meteor BVR's, AIM-9 Sidewinders, LGB's, Litening pod,...
the aircraft now have a 2-tone grey camo, similar to the US Navy's F-18's, but im gonna add dark grey camo patches.

here are a few pics, i placed a MIG-29K and a Russian SU-33 on the deck scale comparison and deck testing 

[proditor]

My wife would bury my body in such a way that it would never be found.

So I'm glad you're making this, because it's AWESOME!!!

[Spey_Phantom]

Holy revival time.

seeing the carrier gathering dust after almost 2 years on/off construction, i decided to change the design from a STOBAR carrier into a CATOBAR one. and instead of a Leutonian carrier, i thought of making it into a Royal Navy carrier.

and i got a new back history,

with 2 new Queen Elizabeth-class carriers (CVA-01) entering service to replace the 2 Audacious-class carriers (HMS Ark Royal and HMS Eagle), in 1976, the Royal Navy decided to also induct 2 lighter fleet carriers to replace the Centaur-class carriers. this class was know as the Kestrel-class carriers, composing of HMS Kestrel and HMS Vulture. the ships have a 50.000 ton displacement and have an airwing of 18 aircraft and 6 helicopters.
HMS Kestrel was the first to enter service in 1982, followed by the Vulture in 1984.

model:
the cancelled STOBAR carrier will be converted to CVF configuration, im gonna start by removing the ski-jump and making it a flush-deck carrier.
as for the island superstructure, im gonna look at a combination of CVA-01 and the invincible-class islands.

air group at the moment, im thinking of:
-2 Sea Tornado GR.1's (800 and 892 NAS)
-1 Sea Tornado F.2 (899 NAS)
-possibly 1 Hawkeye AEW.2 (E-2C, 849 NAS).
-Puma HC.1 (845 NAS, transferred from RAF stocks)
-Intruder KS.1 (Tanker/ASW converted A-6E, 814 NAS)

EDIT: pic uploaded after skijump removal, PSR still needed

[Thorvic]

Sweet do 1/144 Seakings BTW, which can be found on eBay.

[Spey_Phantom]

Sweet do 1/144 Seakings BTW, which can be found on eBay.

i know, but since i dont have paypal (and not intending to get one just for 1 purchase) im gonna have to make due, i might check the airshow circuit at modeling stands if they are selling any, or i could check aviation megastore  , to bad they dont make injection kits of the Merlin. i wish revell would re-release its 1/144 NH90, i think it would good in FAA markings

anyway, im thinking of changing the Sea Tornado F.2 for an F-14 Tomcat, witch be more plausible and more affordable for the FAA.