Topic: HMS Zulu build

[karlgalster]

Very nice model Joe. Your postings are very informative - well done.
Robin

[radio joe]

Thanks for comments,   One of the guys at the Surface Warship Association sent me some super photos of Zulu he took in 1984 with Gosport (my home town) in the background, it must have been just before her decommissioning, (The poor old girl sure looks sea battered),  They were in full resolution so I can zoom in to pick out details and add to my Zulu, some are just small things but I like to think they make a difference, if only you could get photos like these of all the old ships, naturally the ones posted are low res. but if anyone is building a type 81 and would like full res copies you are more than welcome.  Joe

[Tanzy]

Great shots with Dolphin in the background brought back happy memories 

[paul swainson]

The Photos are about Joe its  just finding them and asking people to post them.   I found a web site that deals with the full Naval base in Malta GC and has ships dated back to 1920.

[radio joe]

using the recent photos I'm changing and adding a few things to make her look more like she was near the end of her Royal navy service, like the EPIRBs alongside each lifebelt (the life belts were orange by then but I'm not going to try painting them insitu) and she had canister life rafts where her decoys were, and a few other bits like trunking and conduits that show up quite clearly, the away boats haven't arrived yet.

[radio joe]

I made a aerial to match the one in the photos on the front of the bridge roof and a base to carry it, and also fitted the boat davits and the whip aerials, the away boats arrived yesterday and I have started painting them.

[colin]

she does look nice Joe 

[radio joe]

Thanks Colin,   
A few more bits done today, jack and ensign staffs, and repositioned her name to the stern quarters as in the photos.

[Horatio123]

Joe ,
just for info ,
R N ships have the name in red on the stern quarter and a name in gold on a polished wood board displayed on the superstructure when in port (often located near to the gangway location )  it is removed at sea.

[radio joe]

Got her in the wet dock today and now all her superstructures and fittings are in place it was not very stable, it is always surprising how much ballast the 4 footers need, this time she needed an extra 2 pounds of lead, to get stability but it lowered her to just above her boot topping, so I am now redoing the boot topping and raising it 1/4" I thought it best to sacrifice a bit of free board for stability.

[radio joe]

finished redoing the boot topping, and managed to damage the hull pennant number transfers with the masking tape,( just didn't think of it), so I've removed them all and ordered some vinyl pennant numbering from Maritime Models, along with a pack of 1:96 warning signs to see what they are like, thought they might add a bit of interest, fitted her away boats today after a fiddly bit of painting (not my strong point) but passable. 

[paul swainson]

Hi Joe Like the away boats from the same place as last time.  I like the detail in them and as I have some 12 to do for mine am looking. 

[radio joe]

Hi Paul, Just in case I didn't mention it before the away boats are, Quaycraft ships boats (royal navy), from cornwallmodelboats.co.uk  listed under Model boat and ships fittings, they have just about all the scales.  Joe

[paul swainson]

The range of away boats on Illustrious goes from a 16 ft fast motor dinghy, to 25,35 and 36ft fast motor boats, also 27 and 32 ft boats. Some 12 boats in total.  So looking around and will speak with Ron on what he has to cover the range.  I found the ones I did for Solebay were hard work to make but did turn out well, but 12 of them!

[radio joe]

Hi Paul, I don't think Ron does them which is why I got mine from  www.cornwallmodelboats.co.uk in the Quaycraft 1:96 royal navy, the range is from a 14 foot dinghy up to a 32 foot motor cutter certainly all the sizes you mentioned, and good quality, pics  are  16FT fast motor boat, 25FT fast motor boat, 32FT motor cutter. you can also get them from The Model dockyard,   if that helps. Joe