Deans Marine
General Discussion => General Discussion => Topic started by: Horatio123 on 15 June 2016, 22:05:01
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I am looking to build a model of the cruiser HMS Curacoa of WW2 , I am thinking of purchasing the hull from Deans but wondered if anybody has any idea where I can obtain a set of plans from ?
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As The NMM have priced themselves out of the market now.
Id try on the internet. I recently acquired the plans for an Assurance class
armed Admiralty rescue tug for a very good price. It was in 1/48 scale and as I always
model in 1/96. I took it to my local copy centre and they scaled it to 1/96 for me.
I also did the same for an Aberdovey class fleet tender.
The NMM seem to have opted for the decorative market, selling plans for framing.
Which is a great shame.
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Thanks for your reply I had ruled the NMM out too , friend of mine had to take out a second mortgage for a set of cruiser plans !!!!!!
I have sent a message to the Great Britain Trust who hold the MacGregor plans collection but not had a reply yet , I know they have Norman Ough's plans for Curacoa in the collection ,
Will try the Internet when I come back off my holidays .
Thanks for your help much appreciated .
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Good news the Great Britain trust can supply the plans on CD at 1/16 scale very modest cost about £15/£20 .
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That's great news for builders assuming that other plans are also available via this route.
Makes up for the NMM putting their plans out of economic reach of model makers.
Perhaps you could give us all the contact details of how to go about this please.
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I found a great list here :
http://www.ssgreatbritain.org/sites/default/files/kcfinder/files/david-macgregor-ship-plans-collection-july-2013.pdf
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Hi Folks
That is the list I found too .
Contact details :-
Phillippa Turner | Assistant Curator of Library & Collections | ss Great Britain Trust
E: phillippat@ssgreatbritain.org
T: 0117 926 0680 Ext 402
not all the plans are in good condition but its a fantastic collection .
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Thank you both for this information.
Opens up a new route for us after the NMM decided to price their plans
out of our reach. (as one really needs several plans to each build)
Perhaps like myself, many of us do have many sets of plans
- of the NMM type- why not create a central pool for these plans so
they may be used in some way for future builders ?
Seems such a waste to have them loafing in tubes in the loft ?
Would there be a way for maybe Deans getting involved to hold a pool and then
send out copies for a more reasonable fee to new builders.
Just a thought.
For myself I have NMM plans for the Cat class frigate, Leander class, Castle class, River class,
Type 14, County class, Kingfisher class, Assurance class,
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that not a bad idea Pauline.. :-* we would probably be breaking some NMM rules.. :police:
a case of... :-X nothing through my lips..
I have Bittern, Algerine, and Pelorus-classes
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Sadly (or stupidly) I've cut my plans of HMS Zulu (Type 81) up to make them easier to manage on my work bench. Happy to send them on and share when I am done though.
In the meantime some portions of the plans make good A4 scans
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If we put our "used" plans on e bay we would not get a great deal for them, so why not pool them and make them available for new builds by copying them. I don't think the NMM have a say over second hand plans. As you can e bay them without problems. They do not have any NMM stamp or identification on them. Also they can be scaled up or down to be used in 1/96 or 1/72 or 1/48 scales. Plans that have been cut could be laid down on paper backing and then copied thus making a good complete drawing. Any thoughts from Deans on this idea ?
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Sounds like a plan (sorry I couldn't resist it)
;D
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Pleased to say the CD with the Norman Ough plans for Curacoa arrived today , just have to go to my friendly local printer who says he can print and enlarge as I require .
I can now order the hull from Mouldeans range , I am looking to update to the 1940 armament layout as she was when my Uncle was wounded on her in Romsdaal Fjord , Norway on 24th April 1940 , he was the only survivor of 'A' gun crew after it was hit by a german bomb , the ship was very badly damaged .
I hope my model will be an apt tribute the brave men who were lost on HMS Curacoa in Norway and in the ultimate collision and sinking my RMS Queen Mary on 2nd October 1942.
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Glad to know that the system at ssGB works well as I'm one of the volunteers who have spent the last five years or so sorting out the 7,300 ship plans in the David MacGregor collection. The Norman Ough originals were part of the collection and as 2015 was the 50th anniversary of his death I wrote a 10 page article on him for Model Boats Magazine (Sept 2015 issue). As a result of this Seaforth publishers asked me to write a book on Ough - which I have now done and it's coming out late October early November this year via the Naval Institute Press. Not sure of the price as it appears to alter on different websites! Probably £25-£30.
See www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Ship-Models-Norman-Ough/dp/1591146178 - it has various ships plans, ordnance, general details, etc.all Ough's work. Re. Curacoa have you seen the 1955 video of Norman Ough's radio controled, steam turbine driven Curacoa featured on the BritishPathe news website? I don't appear to be able tp get a direct connection with the site but if you Google British Pathe and Curacoa model ship it'll come up. Good luck and best wishes with the rest of your build. Alistair
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Hi Alistair
Thanks for the info . I built a model of HMS Agincourt some 40 years ago using David MacGregor plans and she is still going strong , had to do a fairly major rebuild about five years ago but she is still exhibited at our Surface Warship Association Exhibitions .
I did manage to find the Pathe news item re Norman Ough , very interesting . He was a great modeller .
I hope to make a start on Curacoa in a couple of months , still working on USS Arizona at the moment and July,August and September are our busy exhibition months in The Surface Warship Association calendar .
Will post some photos when I get started .
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Well I have made a start . Trumpeter Arizona put on hold for a while .
Norman Ough Plans arrived on CD from GBT £15 plus cost to enlarge to 1/96 at my local printer £12. (A bit cheaper than the Maritime Museum )
Hull arrived from Deans , a nice clean moulding complete with armour plating moulded on , slight difference on comparing with plan prop shaft outlet markings are slightly too far aft so I fitted shafts to plan position , scratchbuilt A frames and fitted .Stand constructed to support model during build . Once running gear was in place and deck beams fitted to strengthen hull I took down to Setley Pond to test running gear and ballast hull , (too big to fit in bath at home ) test showed that it needs a total of 7lb of lead to bring down to waterline . On return to workshop I have cut out main deck shapes from plasticcard and and cut out access openings below foreward superstructure and rear gun house, a removable centre section for access to main operating gear etc has to be cut out , hopefully the join will be disguised by the deck planking . The decks are all planked so quite a lot of wood to be used on top of plastic card decks ,( I am using the same method as Glyn Guest on HMS Skirmisher in Model Boats Magazine).
The plan is for the ship in her 1917 layout and as I am modelling her post her 1938 conversion to an anti aircraft cruiser a lot of research has been required , as well as the replacement of all the guns the bridge was remodelled, new gunnery directors fitted, flag deck remodelled, main mast moved further forward , early radar fitted to top masts and searchlights resighted and some removed . Lots of photos of the ship pre 1938 on the web but later info has been a bit harder to find . I hope to get some photos on my next post .
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Sounds great
may I ask what the Glyn guest method is please?
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Hi Troy . Using a waterproof PVA glue to secure the wooded planks to the serene sheets . Works well .
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Just updated my PC to Windows 10 , no photo resizing on it now. Anyone any idea of a free programme I can load ? I need to resize to post on this forum .
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take a look at these Posts...!! you will probably find something that will work..!! ::DD :)
http://www.deansmarine.co.uk/index.php?topic=587.0
http://www.deansmarine.co.uk/index.php?topic=241.0
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Build photos attached of work so far .
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oops missed these two . Just started on planking the decks !!!! going to be fun !!!
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After a brief spell in Hospital !!! I am back at work on the Curacoa , have put initial coats of paint on the hull but no boot topping yet , deck planking is going well and she is starting to look like a warship , deck houses have been basically made to facilitate the planking process , etched brass portholes have been fitted and some of the doors . Still having to trawl internet for photos of the ship post 1938 but they are few and far between . ordered the book "Queen Mary and the Cruiser" from the local library.
Photos show part planked decking with deck houses/funnels etc just resting in place.
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She's certainly starting to come together, looking very promising
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Main deck planking finished and spurnwaters fitted , some fairleads and bollards ready for fitting , anchor handling gear and capstans prepared , forward superstructure and bridge unit started .
Starting on superstructure units and detailing .
Photos of work so far :-
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Well I have managed to do a bit more despite the coughing virus and the bad weather keeping me out of my workshop .
Making the funnels has been a real challenge , just spent two days making the funnel top cages !
Now working on fitting them and putting basics onto the funnel casing deck . Photos of progress so far attached , please note many of the items are just resting in place awaiting final fitting . a lot of detailing to do once I get the basic structures done .
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Latest report on my build ,. Funnels painted fitted and rigged , still some work to complete on fore funnel , smoke generators are fitted only final wiring to battery to complete, after mast started , amidships gun deck planked and deck painted ,,basic deck houses fitted and after mast started . Working from photos is taking some time to interpret so progress is slow at times . I have just purchased Alistair Roach's book of Norman Ough's models and life , first rate reference and interesting authority o this great model maker .
Photos of the model progress so far .
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Nice build, like the lines. Question, the colour that you have used is that the light grey or the medium grey. I have been reading and found that all if not most of the WW2 ships either had medium grey or cam paint work.
Regards
Paul.
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Hi Paul
Colour is Medium Grey comes out a big lighter in the photos . She was painted this colour when she went to Norway in 1940 but was actually painted in Mountbatten Pink with light grey combo patches after her post Norway bomb damage was repaired . When she was sunk by the Queen Mary she was the last Warship to be painted that colour .
Taking some time to build as I am having yo supplement the 1917 build plan with a lot of photo research . More photos of the build to come in due course .
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As promised update photos. Gun platforms alongside funnels painted and ready for final fitting , Searchlight tubs almost complete , Some railing fitted and painted , Flag deck and mid funnel platform deck almost complete , railings and spay dodgers made and fitted , Casing deck repainted in dark deck grey .Smoke units wired and tested in both funnels . Still a lot to do !!
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Thanks for that could you give me the name of the paint supplier and the paint code you used. Would like to try it on my Hull after the last cost of primer goes on.
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Hi Paul .
I am using Humbrol Satin Medium Sea Grey code no 165.
Hope this helps
David
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Hi Paul.
If you want to use Acrylic try LIFECOLOR Admiralty Medium Grey code number UA 632.
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Thanks guys. information very useful.
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Have been looking at the colours and the code 165 seems to be lighter the the lifecolor Admiralty Grey code UA 632. Am I wrong or is it just me.
Paul
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Hi Paul
Difficult to tell it might be lighter but the Lifecolour one may be a little darker . Wartime photos are deceiving I have shots of Curacoa where colour appears very dark and others where it is very light ! I know that photos of my models taken on the water also show different colours according to the light conditions .
The colour of Curacoa is a darker than the modern ship greys !
David
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Paul
Sovereign Hobbies also do the colour in their range !
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Have ordered a couple of 22ml of LIFECOLOUR as they are seem to be the office match for the grey I need. Once I have them will paint a gun turret and then match the colour with a vehicle spray can to the best match. Will let you know how I get on. Paul
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Paint arrived today and I have painted one gun turret and believe it or not its a shad lighter the the standard grey primer I am using on the work done so far, but has a shine to it. When dry will post a photo of one painted and one not.
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Ok Paul . Sounds like you might get there with your colour . My medium grey is also a litle different to the primer but not much !
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I have now made masters for lockers , hatches etc and made the moulds. I have cast them in resin and the photos show most of them placed on the model , I will next remove them for undercoat, painting and then final fitting.
I took the model to our lake last week for a water test and found more ballast was needed which resulted in a rather expensive visit o my local builders merchants . I now have LOTS of lead .
She is beginning to look the part now , adding the fittings really brings the model to life .
Still a lot to do !!!
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I have been busy making more fittings, guns etc , competing masts and mast top radars, completed some rigging .
Prior to starting fitting out I took her down to the Solent RCMBC water at Setley Pond for ballasting and sea trials , she was very stable turned well overall very satisfactory .
I have now started fitting out with bridge detailing and pom pom in place , now making up 4.5" guns , quad Vickers guns, single pom poms and fitting them in place .
She is now really starting to look the part .
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More progress . Anchor cables ,anchors and paravane chains all fitted . Guns made up and fitted and some rigging started .
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She looks superb
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Thank you Troy your comment much appreciated .
David
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I hope my model will be an apt tribute the brave men who were lost on HMS Curacoa in Norway and in the ultimate collision and sinking my RMS Queen Mary on 2nd October 1942.
Looking fabulous - she will certainly be that.
My paternal Grandfather
Edward R G "Reg" WHITE, Sergeant, RM
went down with her, MPK and presumably is still on duty aboard - he had just come off watch and was last seen by his "Oppo", Marine CSM Sid Dobbs (who survived) in the RM mess amidships not long before the collision.
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Pleased you like her . She will be appearing in our SWA displays in the south of England such as DDay Museum , Portsmouth Historic a Dockyard etc and will have details of her tragic loss displayed with her . I hope this will help to tell the youngsters of today what our brave service people did and continue to do for this country and the debt we owe them .
I have had to do a lot of research in order to try and get the model as near correct after after her 1939 refit as I can
I will be posting more photos of final fitting out and model on the water in due course.
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HMS Curacoa
Photos of the completed build . will attach photos from her maiden voyage planned for our club Navy Day on Sunday when I get them .
Almost a year to build but looking good .
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A beautiful model, serious Bravo Zulu
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Thank you for that Troy . It's a few years since my last Bravo Zulu !!!!!! (HMS Vernon I think !!!!!)
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Anyone still watching this thread? I'm from Veblungsnes, the small hamlet about a mile and a half from where HMS Curacoa was bombed. One of her crew, Albert Verdun Petch, RNVR, is buried in the churchyard at Grytten. I have two photos, one just before and one just after the bomb hit the Curacoa, and I know the story.
Glenn Murray
Oslo, Norway
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Hi Glenn . Just read your post . I believe that my uncle was the only survivor of the Pom Pom located foreword of the bridge when the bomb hit . He had shrapnel in his back until the day he passed away only a couple of years ago.
I am sure the photos are good to have .