HMAS Australia - Essex Class replacement for HMAS Melbourne

[Weaver]

Seconded - it's looking really keen now! 

[James]

What a great build. Really great stuff Thorvic !

[Hobbes]

Coming along nicely. 

[Thorvic]

Thanks Harro

Its actually awaiting painting, i got the paints but then the Seafore XVII kit appeared so have to build one of those for my dad before nomal service resumes (he was on 805 and 800 sqdns FAA in the late 40s and was on the Seafires  )

[Rheged]

Its actually awaiting painting, i got the paints but then the Seafore XVII kit appeared so have to build one of those for my dad before nomal service resumes (he was on 805 and 800 sqdns FAA in the late 40s and was on the Seafires  )

This is coming along VERY nicely indeed..........and I approve wholeheartedly of  looking after one's father, as I hope my young gentlemen will do for me one day!

Weel done all round.

[GTX]

Geoff,

Is the file shown here ("RAN proposal for a replacement aircraft carrier and fixed wing aircraft" from the National Archives of Australia the same as you have used for your reference?

Regards,

Greg

[Thorvic]

Yeap the Propoal document is the one i used 

[Old Wombat]

As a former RAN Tracker Whacker I would suggest we would certainly have kept the S2E's (& S2G's - if that turkey had still burnt a hangar-load of E's) &, possibly, bought more.
As Australia began to focus more on its alliance with the US post-WW2 (across all 3 services) & we already had 3 ships equipped with US 5" Mk42 guns, I figure retaining the 3" and/or 5" guns wouldn't be an issue.
F4's & A7's would have been nice replacements for the good ol' A4's.

Furthermore, as a South Australian I feel it is my duty to point out that the name Adelaide was, also, available for use in the working time-frame.

BHP... Brisbane, Hobart & Perth... were locked up in the rock-n-roll triplets (the modified Charles F. Adams'), Sydney was still plying her trade as a fast transport & Melbourne was our only active carrier. That leaves the city names of Adelaide, Canberra & (I think) Darwin free for use at the time. The RAN is, generally, unwilling to use Australia as a ships name unless all capital city names are used & a new capital ship is commissioned.

The RAN's biggest problem is/was/will-be man-power. Retaining experienced technical ratings, n.c.o.'s & officers (which almost all naval personnel are) is next to impossible when you can't compete with what civilian employers are willing to pay.

[Thorvic]

Well here it is as near as damn it, the Crane, arrestor cables and a few aerials need to be fitted but its basically done now.

HMAS Australia circa 1972 with its airgroup of F-4J Phantoms, S-2 Trackers, E-1 Tracers and Wessex SAR Helicopters. (Sea kings due for delivery later in the year  )













G (boy have i hated decalling those aircraft !!!!!!!! )

[TsrJoe]

a fine looking vessel indeed, very neat scratchbuild modelling, the air compliment looks great too 

joe

[Martin H]

looks good So whens she gaining Buccaneers for the airgroup?

[Old Wombat]

 

[rickshaw]

Very nice.  Well done!

Hey, I've just noticed, where's the Rotodyne? 

[NARSES2]

Nice work Geoff 

[tigercat]

Once Blackburn have finished chiseling them out of solid ignots of metal.