RN-SRN4+

[NARSES2]

There are some film clips on You-Boob of stupid people doing dangerous things with the guts of microwaves.  They are quite interesting.
I looked at them when I had a surplus microwave I was thinking about repurposing*.  I decided I wasn't that stupid.

*killing ants was one possible use.

You ever watch that sci-fi movie from years ago, where mutant ants grew to monster sizes because of the A-Bomb testing, I'd have thought you have enough critters down there that can kill you without creating more   

Them! (1954)

First time I saw that was when it was shown at Ashburton Secondary Modern Boy's School cinema club  One of our masters put on a film every month and the great thing was that he didn't enforce any of the then current age restrictions  Meant us 11 and 12 year olds got to see X rated stuff. Mind you X rated in 1963 would probably get on the kid's channel now 

[Scotaidh]

Good Lord!  What have I done?!!??

[PR19_Kit]

Good Lord!  What have I done?!!??

No probs, just the normal manic thread drift we get on here. 

[Scotaidh]

Good Lord!  What have I done?!!??

No probs, just the normal manic thread drift we get on here. 

Oh, I know - I was just being overly dramatic. 

[Scotaidh]

So, the thing is, I can find gross tonnage figures for an SR.N4 Mk III - 112 tonnes, which was reckoned to be about 60 cars and 400-odd passengers.  The Mk I was reckoned to be 30 cars and ~250 bodies, so I'm going with half capacity - so about 56 tonnes gross weight.

A Chally II weighs in, combat-ready, at 75 tonnes ...

Now, when the SRN4s were upgraded to Mk III, they were given up-rated engines - from 3400 to 3800shp each.  A little research on the Proteus shows that a version (Mk.765) developed 4,445 shp.  The Mk765 was a military-engine that was used on fast patrol boats, so I'm going to postulate those for my re-engineered SRN4 Mk1-M.

[Scotaidh]

More build progress - I'm into the Bits 'n' Bobs stage now.  I'm once again reminded of why I don't do ship models -too much fiddle-de-dee-ity.  Really, it's as if ship designers are determined to take full advantage of the lack of need for any above-the-waterline streamlining - I swear there's not one square foot of space without some protrusion or other, as knobbly and awkward as they can make it. 


I use black foam rubber to obscure any visual problems, like looking through an aircraft's jet intake and out the exhaust nozzle.  In this case, not only did the exhausts need filling, but the windows on the non-populated areas as well.


The roof panel is clear plastic. I am going to paint it - I think clear would look too weird.  I've got to hide those drive-shaft trunks somehow.  However, the windows are large enough that the port-side seats should be visible - which is why I had to foam the starboard side.


There are supposed to be two handrails at the stairs, but one is MIA, so ... besides, Her Majesty's Royal Marines aren't wusses to need more than one railing. 


I've no idea what that white doodad is on the port stern - the directions don't say, and I spent hours yesterday looking at RN4 videos trying to see what it was.  Not once did I see it, even in the precious few stern shots. The Mk IIIs had a whole lot less of the external Bits 'n' Bobs than the Mk Is, for sure - it's as if they discovered they didn't need them.  I have therefore decided to exercise my executive discretion as to whether any more go onto this model. 

By the bye - I considered building it ramp up (engines on) if only because the skirt is only posed "pressurized", and the ramp is only down when the lift fans are off.  But, I wanted to have some veekles in it, so I'm going with the fiction that the ramp may be down whilst the craft is at full hover. 

<Jedi hand-wave>
Just ignore that 4' gap between the bottom of the ramp and the ground - it's not important.

[PR19_Kit]

That's looking very good, and I'm starting to think I really SHOULD get on with my Mk III conversion.

Your mystery white doodad had me searching all over the Net, but 95% of pics there show the front of the craft, and mostly Mk IIIs too. But I found two of the stern of Mk 1s that may prove useful.



You can JUST about see it on this early pic of a Mk1, but it's not much help in telling what it's for.




But this one's a real gem! I'm sure it's meant to be 'Her standing in front of a big hovercraft' type pic, but it shows the doodad a treat, even though it's not where Airfix tell you put it. Looking at it I reckon it's a reversing light so they can see where they're going when they back down ramp in the dark.

On the subject of the cleaned up rear of the Mk IIIs, they extended the APU bay rearwards by 3-4 ft as they had larger Rover APUs in the Mk IIIs. That bay is where I had to take my oil samples from in the 70s, and ruddy noisy it was too! 

[Scotaidh]

Thanks, Kit.  I was torn between a spotlight and a reversing beeper ... 

[Scotaidh]

All naval vessels must be able to operate in the face of the enemy.  This normally takes the form of both offensive and defensive measures.  Offensive usually means weapons;defense usually involves such things as chaff, ECM, and armor. 

Not being much acquainted with the Royal Navy I had some research to do, and some things to buy in consequence.  From Shapeways I obtained four of the 25mm MK38 MOD 2 guns I'm told the RN uses; once they arrived (today) I was able to dodge up some hard-points for them.  That would be the red and black things on the upper deck.  You can see one of the guns beside the craft - elegant wee things they are.  I don't know the purpose of the oblong boxes on the roof - I'd guess air conditioners, but I really don't know.  I'd kinda planned to use them for the gun mounts - as you can see, I drilled out the near forward one - but they're too narrow - the gun base is as wide as the box, so I put the boxes in place.  The drilled one will be filled once the glue dries.




This unholy object is the bridge.  None too spacious - a bit cramped, it appears, much like a real bridge.    I've added an armor plate around the base of it - that's still in the PSR phase.  It, and the whole upper deck, were molded in clear plastic, and one is left to paint around the windows - a real PITA, let me tell you.



Close-up of the gun.  As I said - a real work of art in and of itself.

[ChernayaAkula]

Impressive beast! 
Oh, and.... I will ignore that 4' gap between the bottom of the ramp and the ground. It's not important.

Thanks, Kit.  I was torn between a spotlight and a reversing beeper ... 

The mental image that conjures is quite funny. 

[PR19_Kit]

Yes, the bridge of an SRN4 is VERY small, and they usually had three crew in there, plus a socking great, roof high engine control panel in the middle of the floor. When I went up there for a rest when I was working aboard them in the 70s we had a small wooden stool in the little floor space for me to sit on!

I like the idea of the 23 mm cannon, that'd deter any malicious powerboats bent on puncturing the skirts! 

[NARSES2]

That gun is indeed a nice piece of work

[Scotaidh]

Yes, the bridge of an SRN4 is VERY small, and they usually had three crew in there, plus a socking great, roof high engine control panel in the middle of the floor. When I went up there for a rest when I was working aboard them in the 70s we had a small wooden stool in the little floor space for me to sit on!

I like the idea of the 23 mm cannon, that'd deter any malicious powerboats bent on puncturing the skirts! 

Kit, there's the cockpit with the three chairs.  The console aft of the pilot's seat I took to be a radar console, and the long one in front of the engineer's chair must then be the one you mentioned ...

By the bye, that ladder - that goes in that square hole - where does that come out down below?  It would seem to be right in the middle of the vehicle deck area ... Is that right?

[sandiego89]

how loud was it on the passenger deck Kit? Like being in a turboprop aircraft? hard to hear a conversation?  I got to see two on my one and and only trip to the UK, but from a distance. 

[PR19_Kit]

Kit, there's the cockpit with the three chairs.  The console aft of the pilot's seat I took to be a radar console, and the long one in front of the engineer's chair must then be the one you mentioned ...

By the bye, that ladder - that goes in that square hole - where does that come out down below?  It would seem to be right in the middle of the vehicle deck area ... Is that right?

Yes, there's a VERY long ladder that goes down to the car deck, but they didn't use it while the vessel was under way. The usual entrance to the control cab was a door on the left side at the rear which gave access to a walkway along the top deck, which could either take you to side tracks and steps down the side, or right aft to another ladder down to the APU bay where I worked.

Needless to say you were NOT allowed out there while the main engines were running!

The interior of the cabin doesn't look quite the same as the real thing to me, the engineer faced forward right at the rear of the cabin and there was a walkway on the left side toward the Captain's and 1st Officer's seats, an my stool was in that walkway.



This is the interior of the cabin on a Mk II, but in the Mk IIIs the engineers console, on the far right in this pic, was taller and deeper, so the jump seat you can see in front of it was deleted.

As the Airfix kit is of a Mk I I should think it should like the pic, or close to it. Sadly I can't find one of it yet. I have quite a few pics of the interior of the Mk III that's open at Lee-on-Solent and I'll post them for you when I find them.