The Ship Model Forum

The first renders of the auxiliary aircraft carriers Hms Rapana class and HNMS Macoma in 1-700 scale. They will be produced by AJMMODELS POLAND.

I recently posted links to a collection of BOGP's en GA drawings I'm creating on the Webarchive. You can find this thread here: [url]http://www.shipmodels.info/mws_forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=375598[/url]

This collection also contains drawings for ships that were used as CAM ships (unfortunately without the catapult) and MAC ships (Tanker variant, Empire type and Rapana type)

The sets of drawings are far from complete, but the drawings could be useful for your project

Attached some low res "sample" pics

Click here for the MAC ships: [url]https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22MAC%22&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22ship-design-drawings%22&sort=titleSorter[/url]

Click here for the CAM ships: [url]https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22CAM%22&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22ship-design-drawings%22&sort=titleSorter[/url]

The Rapana class MAC ships were based on "Triple Twelve Type Tankers (Royal Dutch Shell)", the Empire type was probably based on "Ocean Type Tankers" (and this type itself was based on the Triple Twelve type tankers)

Click here for drawings of "Triple Twelve type tankers": [url]https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Triple+Twelve+Type+%28Royal+Dutch+Shell%29%22&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22ship-design-drawings%22&sort=titleSorter[/url]

Click here for drawings of "Ocean type tankers": [url]https://archive.org/search.php?query=subject%3A%22Ocean+Type+%28UK%29%22&and%5B%5D=collection%3A%22ship-design-drawings%22&sort=titleSorter[/url]

Enjoy!!!!

3d design in 1-700 scale Hms Empire MacColl 1943.

Mac ship decks-cleary visible very clearly visible deck cover with metal strips

As Pieter mentions, there is a photo onboard Gadila that shows the flight deck to be solid, with no planking at all, at https://kw.jonkerweb.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=655:fairey-swordfish-uk&lang=en&showall=1&limitstart=&Itemid=549.

MAC ships had steel decks so good luck with the filling and sanding. They also had a different hull form. And as Gadila en Macoma are well documented on the 'web, including good GA drawings of the hulls, this is really somewhat disappointing. I do agree that 3d printing can be the way of the future but this also means the companies who make them should be held to the same standard as any injection molded kit or resin kit.

I finally ordered the [i]Rapana[/i] class MAC ship from COB Constructs and Miniatures' Shapeways shop, described above.

Here are pictures of the 3D-printed model of the M/V [i]Gadila[/i] model, though I intend to paint her as one of her sisters. While some at this forum may not be content with the quality of detail compared to styrene or resin products, 3D-printed products are the way of the future and will in time get better.

Port and bow view
[img]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4642/39355553202_abefce1b53_k.jpg[/img]

Stern view
[img]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4690/38507802375_b9721c7e9e_k.jpg[/img]

Bow-on view
[img]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4633/39355553672_e5e45da1d3_k.jpg[/img]

Starboard view
[img]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4639/38507802995_240775985f_k.jpg[/img]

Port view
[img]https://farm5.staticflickr.com/4680/39355554292_b8fedd0e4f_k.jpg[/img]

We now have a 1/700 option of a Merchant Aircraft Carrier (MAC ship) that's 3D printed from Shapeways:

[url=https://www.shapeways.com/product/WZNE4LYUK/mv-gadila-1-700?optionId=60294183]1/700 MV [i]Gadila [/i]from COB Constructs and Miniatures[/url]

One will probably have to use aftermarket RN or RNN/Dutch themed PE sets or one of the various RN aircraft sets that includes 1/700 Swordfish aircraft to complete her.

While most MAC ships had RN aircrews, I believe two of them such as M/V [i]Gadila[/i] had Royal Netherlands Navy/Dutch Swordfish crews which would have served as the nucleus of a post-war Dutch Fleet Air Arm that served on their carrier HMNLS [i]Karel Doorman[/i].

Perhaps what we need is a thread that takes in the merchantmen that were taken up and had conversions for war service.

On the other hand, there are a few pages in the thread titled Calling All Fighting Merchantmen, too.

I built the Niko CAM ship.
[url=http://s18.photobucket.com/user/Rick_H/media/Ships/CAM_bow_final_zpsfdj4nb4y.jpg.html][img]http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b101/Rick_H/Ships/CAM_bow_final_zpsfdj4nb4y.jpg[/img][/url]

[url=http://s18.photobucket.com/user/Rick_H/media/Ships/final1_zps4qxzhbmb.jpg.html][img]http://i18.photobucket.com/albums/b101/Rick_H/Ships/final1_zps4qxzhbmb.jpg[/img][/url]

Not as badly dimensioned as I originally thought, but the superstructure decks are flat, lacking the distinctive, droopy camber seen on the real ship.

Maybe you would get more notice if you had this moved to the Calling All Fans - Amphibious and Transports thread. Merchants Ships are included there. I have some scans of these ships that I found photos of at NARA taken by USN photographers that I could post there.

I always liked these type of ships, especially MACs, so I was wondering if here there were other fans, or modellers that built ships like these :thumbs_up_1:
thank you!