HMAS Australia - Essex Class replacement for HMAS Melbourne

[rickshaw]

I wonder how they were intending to overcome the manpower problem?  Crewing was one of the RANs major concerns in the 1950s and 1960s and still is, even today.   As to weapons,  the RAN was at the time in the 1960s attempting to accommodate more USN doctrine and ships in its inventory such as the Charles F. Adams class.  Tom Frame in his book Pacific Partners: A History of Australian-American Naval Relations writes extensively about the difficulties the RAN had converting itself from a RN inspired service to a USN affiliated one.  They would have more than likely taken what ever the US Navy offered as part of the ship's fitout.   Later refits would have seen other weapons added, if the RAN hadn't been happy with what was on the ship.

As to name, as mentioned either AUSTRALIA or CANBERRA would have been acceptable to the RAN.  Both had a proud tradition.  The Government however might have baulked at the idea of the possibility of loss/damage to one named after the Nation though.

[Thorvic]

Quick update on progress so far as some might want to consider doing similar to create their own SBC-125 Angled Deck Essex's .





I have bulged the hull using laminations of plastic card and filler, then created a solid bow section fromthe large square section stip styrene attached to a template of plastic card to match the fwd flight deck. I used a dremel to cut back the plastci to the hull profile then lots of PSR to develop the hurricane bow shape.

I have created a new sponson on the starboard side to mirror the one on the port side these will soon have a tapered wedge added to remove the flat fwd shape.

The hanger wals have usyilesed the existing kit parts where possible with new walls added from plastic card to cover some of the opening that are no longer needed.

The angled deck was built using strip syrene again and then the sponsons were built up using plastic card.

Still to add the deck lift edge details to the hull together with the crane sponson, then its a case of doing the hull details, but its starting to look like an angled deck Essex now.

[Thorvic]

Some more shots to put it into perspective size wise 

Geoff

[sandiego89]

Excellent subject. Nice work!

[TsrJoe]

impressive modelling, looking good Geoff, definately be a different looking vessel when shes 'fitted out' 

[Cliffy B]

Damn fine job sir, keep it up!!! 

[Thorvic]

Had some info via Secret Projects from Abraham Gubler that the RAN intended to fit SPS-49 and go with 250' Catapults on their Essex conversion. The radar ties in with some other RAN projects from the period, but i suspect the Catapults would have to be the 211' C11-1 Steam cats as fitted in Oriskany which were in fact already longer than the other standard C-11's fitted in other Angled Deck Essex class Attack Carrriers. I 'll go with the Seacat system for AA possibly with some 40mm bofors rather than 5" guns as these tie in with the other mods the RAN were doing, and they should have less of a weight burden.

Starting to work on some of the features now such as detailing around the deck edge lift openings, the ships crane sponson and the smaller features and platforms seen on the side of the ship. Still awaiting on the trackers to arrive for the Airgroup as i already have Phantoms in stock also ordered some more PE ships doors so i can add details when i get to them.

One thing thinking about the Airgroup, given the larger size of the Essex to the Melbourne, would the RAN consider the S-3 Viking as a potential replacement for the S-2 in ASW, AEW & COD roles come the 70's ?. It does make you think of the possibilities for the RAN if not constrained by a rather small carrier, no they couldn't operate the larger US aircraft for the Super Carriers, but could they have adapted Australia to operate F-18s to replace the Phantoms, would they have switched from the F-4B to the F-4K or would they even have looked at the F-4HL to for safer use ?. Would Super Etendard , Jaguar M or even Mirage F-1M be considered  in the 70s for possible strike roles ?

BTW this is still a conversion to create an Angled Deck Essex from a current WW2 Essex kit so no reason why other Shippies can't give it a go to create their own USN Angled Deck Essex's either real or Whif 

[nebnoswal]

Have you thought about the Buccaneer as strike option.  That's what I intend on my "what-if Aussie Essex", that coupled with F-8, but with 2 x 30mm Aden cannons, some scooters, S-2's, E-1 and Wessex for plane guard.

[Thorvic]

Well at the time the project called for an ASW carrier with a strong Interceptor that can dual as light strike, so they wern't considering the deep strike role as that was to be the RAAF with its F-111C job. I can always put on a RN Buccaneer or two as visitor of course  .

[sandiego89]

How about the F-8 Crusader?  Would have been available from US stocks as Vietnam was winding down and the US was retiring their Essex fleet.  Was a good interceptor and limited light strike as well.  I think they would stick with the S-2 in the 1970's- still had some good life left.   

[anthonyp]

Bah, go total WHIF and scratch some Grumman XF12F-1's for that deck.

Looks brilliant, btw.  Will probably do something similar with my Antietam model, turning it into the HMCS Ontario at some point in the far, far future.

[Thorvic]

XF-12 Well i suppose some Vigilantes could be cut down to create them if you so wished although could be a swine to do in 1/700 in clear plastic  .

You should give HMCS Ontario a go, its only really a case of bulging the sides and build up the hurricane bows, then its just a case of updating and amending some of the features  .

Anyway back to the build, i need to on with adding the details to the hull such as the gun platforms, Crane sponson, the tracks for the deck edge lifts and then various sponsons and walkways and of course the escalator which was a feature of the modernised Essex class.

Have started on assembling the Phantoms but am awaiting delivery of the Pitroad West Wings 2 as a source for the Tracker & Tracer aircraft needed for the airgroup.

G

[rickshaw]

F-8s were at the end of their service life.

Buccaneers were too outside the norm - the RAN was busy trying to become more like the USN and move away being like the RN - for them to be considered.

I'd suggest that you'd see the F-4 Phantom as the fighter element.  Still a long service life in front of them and if coupled with the blown wing developments proposed, quite operable off an Essex class carrier.   Combat proven over Vietnam and the Middle-East.  Seen as quite a credible fighter/fighter-bomber.

I'd suggest they would have more than likely gone with A-7 for the strike element.   Still quite new and with a lot of development potential. 

For the ASW element, I'd expect them to adopt the S-3 - again simply because the USN was.  Alternatively perhaps an ASW variant of the E-2 Hawkeye.   Perhaps based on the C-2 Greyhound?

[Thorvic]

Yeap the F-4 was intended for the CAP role to protect the fleet from roaming Bear & Badgers with a secondary strike role if required.

With the larger and more capable carrier i could see the A-7 as a possibility for the strike role should Attack be preferred to ASW, rather than the A-4 Skyhawks that they settled for in the end.

You could see the S-3 as a replacement for the S-2 maybe even with the propossed AEW version mooted by Lockheed. The only problem being that the Tracker family would be relatively new in RAN service by the time the Vikings were available in the early 70's  .

Follow through to the 70's gets interesting, some of the USN proposals in the 70's for their remaining Essex class and the likes of SCS and CVV would have given us the next generation of light aircraft not restricted to super carrier use only. The Vought naval F-16 or the Convair 200 in conventional format spring to mind as replacements for the Phantom rather than the F-18.

Hmmn how many F-2's in the Pitroad JMSDF set ?

[Nektarios1]

There are 6 F-2s in the set.