ex-HMS INVINCIBLE as conventional carrier INDEPENDENCIA, Completed

[sandiego89]

Ex-HMS INVINCIBLE as conventional carrier, CATOBAR, 1/700.

Hear me out- it may just may work...

Brief back story:  The scrapping plans for the ex-HMS INVINCIBLE at a Turkish scrap yard fell apart at the last minute due to financial problems and environmental pressure.  After bouncing around a few ports for a few months, a new deal was secured with an Asian scrap yard.  While being towed dead-ship in the South Atlantic a fire erupted aboard the tow vessel and the carrier was left adrift.  Sqauables over costs and salvage plans came to nothing and some enterprising South American scrap merchants secured the vessel and were eventually given full salvage rights in a convoluted legal process.

The carrier was re-sold and refurbished by a smaller Navy as a conventional CATOABAR carrier (Catapult assisted take off but arrested recovery).  

The kit: a very tired 1/700 Invicible that was in need of a refresh.  The air wing will come from various sources.

I know you are thinking the impossible, way too small, but my research indicates the flight deck dimensions by using the full flight deck (straight deck, not angled) is actually pretty comparable to the angled deck sizes of some World War II class carriers that later operated jets.    

Invincible R05 class: 19,500 ton full load, 677 feet overall, flight deck 550 feet- with some room to entend the deck forward.  
Colosus class: 18,000 ton full load, 695 feet overall, angled flight deck @530 feet

I am well aware of the limitations of a straight deck carrier, epscially in recoverey and parking. Sporting? yes, impossible- not in WHIF!

So straight deck ex-INVICIBLE, operating a few jets and helos.

Comments welcome, but no politcs      

The tired model


deck removed


Sizing out the new flight deck.  Harriers and an A-7 Corsair for scale- they will not be part of the air wing






 

[pyro-manic]

Nice idea!

[McColm]

HMS Ocean springs into my mind.
I'll have to check the price, you've given me an idea of using two kits

[Logan Hartke]

Brief back story:  The scrapping plans for the ex-HMS INVINCIBLE at a Turkish scrap yard fell apart at the last minute due to financial problems and environmental pressure.  After bouncing around a few ports for a few months, a new deal was secured with an Asian scrap yard.  While being towed dead-ship in the South Atlantic a fire erupted aboard the tow vessel and the carrier was left adrift.  Sqauables over costs and salvage plans came to nothing and some enterprising South American scrap merchants secured the vessel and were eventually given full salvage rights in a convoluted legal process.

The carrier was re-sold and refurbished by a smaller Navy as a conventional CATOABAR carrier (Catapult assisted take off but arrested recovery).

This is also what basically happened to the Admiral Gorshkov.  She went STOVL to CATOBAR.

Cheers,

Logan

[Thorvic]

You could actually put a 3-6 degree angled flight deck on Invincible, it would be effectively an updated version of the light fleet carrier that served small navies so well. The problem however is not the flight deck but rather the hanger, as the gas turbine trunking and flight deck lifts do limit aircraft capacity.

So you could add an a sponson similar to Melbournes or Minas Gerais, but i would move the aft lift to aft of the Island or even go as far as semi recessed deck edge to give suitable space for COTABAR landings and the arrestor wires.

The age old problem however is Aircraft, Skyhawks are a little long in the tooth and theres not much small combats jets about in 1/700.

[sandiego89]

Thanks guys.  Cut the deck, actually 2 decks to see what works.  One is a straight deck which extends forward onto the fo'castle.  The second is an angled deck with about a 3 degree angle.  Will allow a little more parking forward.

Leaning towards the straight deck as it would fit more with my backstory of the simplist update.  I worry about the topside weight and effect of heavy seas on any angled deck and sponson. I think heavy seas would wreak havoc on an angled deck this far forward.     

Thorvic, agree that moving lifts, air trunks and the island would be optimal, but want to keep it as a minimal conversion as possible. The new owner was eager to get this ship on line as quickly as possible.  I think deck edge lifts would be too close to the waterline. A stern lift may be attractive.
 
Yes 1/700 aircraft are limited. I have some A-4's and A-7's but for what I have in mind part the air wing will have to be scratchbulit, or modified.  F-18's and F-4's are too big and would not have been available to this customer. Only a few real world possibilities.     

No more updates for a few days, off to Washington DC for work for a few days. 

Straight deck. Widened the flight deck a bit to extend over much of the port catwalk. Small extension port for the barricade gear mount.  Flight deck extended forward. Small extension starboard quarter for parking jets.   Looks much like the OCEAN or an INVINCIBLE without the ski jump


Angled deck trial fit, with the straight deck on the bench below.  Same mods as the straight deck, but with an angled deck commencing amidships.


another shot.  Angled deck on the ship.

[McColm]

Looking good

[Cliffy B]

NEATO!!!!  Watching with great interest 

[Caveman]

great idea

[Cliffy B]

Forgot, take a look at these drawings over on Secret Projects.  Might give you some ideas.

http://www.secretprojects.co.uk/forum/index.php/topic,10673.msg169652.html#msg169652

[Hobbes]

You could actually put a 3-6 degree angled flight deck on Invincible, it would be effectively an updated version of the light fleet carrier that served small navies so well. The problem however is not the flight deck but rather the hanger, as the gas turbine trunking and flight deck lifts do limit aircraft capacity.

Does the RN have any nuclear-powered subs on sale? You could combine the two, either putting the sub's power plant in the Invincible's engine spaces, or just weld the entire sub underneath the Invincible's keel and free up even more space 

[Joe C-P]

What aircraft do you need? I have many and varied and am happy to share, especially for such a wonderful project. 

[The Wooksta!]

Does the RN have any nuclear-powered subs on sale? You could combine the two, either putting the sub's power plant in the Invincible's engine spaces, or just weld the entire sub underneath the Invincible's keel and free up even more space 

I doubt that anyone in their right mind in the Ministries would be selling nuclear technology and certainly not nuclear attack subs.   I know we're strapped for cash but that's going a bit far.  Too hot politically.

[sandiego89]

What aircraft do you need? I have many and varied and am happy to share, especially for such a wonderful project. 

Wow, thanks for the offer.  Looking to make up some 1/700 Super Entendards as part of the airwing.  I have some f-86's from the pit road west wings III series that are pretty close in size and configuration.  Also some furys from a very old Forrestal (580 scale??).  I have scratched up a few 1/700 aircraft over the years- most recently some Buccaneers for my modified Ark Royal. Have several helo options in my stash. 

[Gondor]

Although I am not a "Navy" person I have read a little bout the agnled decks and why they came about. The reason behind them was so that aircraft landing on the carrier would have a clear run from the rear of the carrier over the side so they could "go around" if necessary or even end up in the drink if things went bad without runing into any aircraft further forward on the deck. It looks to me that your angles deck will not allow this in it's presant form. The angled deck is not just a place to fit a catapult, which has to be steam powered as the US Navy is only now in the process of trials, with industry, of electro-magnetic catapults so you should be takeing the capabilities and requirements of a steam catapult into account as well in your refit.

Love the basic idea though 

Gondor