The Ship Model Forum

Here's kind of an oddball question, does anyone make a full-hull paper model of a Fiji/Uganda/Swiftsure class cruiser? I've got an old Maly Modelarz HMS Tiger in her all-gun configuration that I scanned and rescaled to 1/350. I'd love to do it full-hull to fit in with the rest of my ship collection. Anyone know if there are any paper models out there I could use for a hull pattern?

Sorry for the late reply... I've been a bit busy.

I'd take it in either 350 or 700... partly because I might do the cayuga later so 700 would be fine with the two of them. I'm trying to build this for a veteran for his 80th birthday... he lost his photos of his time in service, and his two favorite ships were the Ontario and the Cayuga. I might go with the resin shipyards Tribal, which is pretty well an OOB option, though I'd rather go with an Ontario because that was his favorite ship to serve on.

What you call major reconstruction, I call minor. Depends on your point of view and how much work you are willing to do to get what you want. Extra parts can always be sent for guns and scratch built Directors aren't difficult to make. When you're looking at a whole kit, these few things don't make up a large percentage of it. I guess I like to see the glass half full.

But Uganda was built with the hangars incorporated into the bridge block. Ontario eliminated them, lowering the associated deck levels. So it would require major reconstruction of the after portion of the bridge block to convert one to the other. Also, you would need to obtain a fifth twin 4" for Ontario. The light AA and even the AA directors differed, so a source for these would need to be found as well.

Wait for our Uganda kit in 1/700. It won't take much to convert to Ontario. Should be available by this Fall.

I guess this is a bit of necromancy, but can anyone discuss what is the best (read easiest) way to build the HMCS Ontario? Its been a couple of years, so I hope the situation has changed somewhat.

Hello Georgi,

One of my future projects will be HMCS Ontario (HMS Minotaur). I too am planning on using the plans from Profile Morski. I have found some detailed photos of the bridge of a "late war cruiser" being built in the book Warship Perspectives Camouflage Volume Four by Alan Raven. There are 5 full page photos of various parts of the bridge including one looking down on it from the rear which shows the entire layout of the forward bridge area. You can see the top of the windbreak around the edge. I bought the book just for those photos. If you can find a copy for a good price (I paid $18Cdn for mine) then it is worth getting.

Hello David,
I know the site and I check there, but my hopes was for closer look of the bridge. These images give me some impression for how those “ribs” look like’ but I want o be sure.
Regards
Georgi

Hello guys,
Couple of months ago I start designing this British cruiser using Profile Morskie as reference. But in the middle of the project, when I reach the top level of the bridge, I was forced to stop. The reasons that from the images that I find in the book and in the net is not entirely clear how exactly the parapet of the top lever look like, I mean the rib-like structure around it. The lack of information and the need to work on the submarine projects force me to freeze Swiftsure. But now I want to proceed with it and need your help.
Regards
Georgi