Calling all HMS Invincible & HMS Hermes "Harrier Carrier" fans

[Aidan]

I wonder why they decided to scrap AR5, she's the youngest of the 3 Carrier's, surely Invincible, being the oldest, would be a more logical choice, but then again, when were the British Government ever logical when it comes to the Navy. Have they not learnt anything from history, cut back on your defence and some Tin Pot Dictator will stomp on you. At the very least, keep AR5 in reserve or mothballs until the new QE is ready.

[FrancisMcN]

Probably because she was due a major refit in the near future which would have cost a lot of money while Illustrious has just had one.

[dylan9391]

Hi,

It's such a shame that Ark is being scrapped, but I am going to have one. I am building my Ark Royal V in 1/192 scale using the Gerry Hitch Jecobin plan. The Hull is made only the small matter of well everything else!!

[dylan9391]

Hi,

Not sure if this is of interest but there is a programme on Sky Discovery Channel tomorrow night about life aboard HMS Ark Royal before it decommissioned. It's on at 10pm and I think its a series of programmes, so should be good.

[Frank Spahr]

Hi all,

I�m between two Illustrious�, so to speak. Having received the big Airfix offering (and having now collected additional aircraft and all the nevessary PE), I thought it was a good idea to build the 1:700 Revell kit I had bought for a song a while ago. So I got what WEM had to offer for her and put a Type 42 Batch 3 next to her on the base. My rationale was that I doubted I�d build the small model after I had completed the big one, and I am trying to build away my stash.







It was quite a satifying build and my next big project will be the Airfix Illustrious as of around 2005, still with Sea Harriers.

In this respect I do have a question for you: I�d like to apply correct markings to the aircraft and still haven�t found a source (like a nice book I have on Ark Royal) detailing which squadrons in which markings and numerals were deployed aboard at a given time.

If anyone could help me, I�d be happy indeed!

Best regards

Frank

[mariner12]

Hi out there,
Can anyone tell me where I can obtain 1-400 or 1-350 scale bucaneers gannets and sea f
uries for a 1-400 model of HMS Hermes I am in the process of converting a 1-400 Heller HMS Colossus into HMS Hermes and the aircraft supplied apart from being a limited number are not the correct types.I did the first commision in-Hermes having stood by and stored her when she was finally built in Barrow in Furness.
I would really appreciate the names of any suppliers in the UK, I am new to the forum,aving been a member for 24 hours . 5MM

[Dino Carancini]

...for those anxiously awaiting: http://freepages.military.rootsweb.ance ... /bigh3.jpg

[Mike E.]

All:

With the release of the Orange Hobby HMS Hermes kit, I thought I would start a thread on the topic.

Here is a series of some nice color Falklands War shots which show her in a weathered state.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32828971@N00/3761409992/

Enjoy!

Mike E.

[Mike E.]

All:

And here is some beautiful video of HMS Hermes returning from the Falklands to Plymouth, UK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h24wFe_zWUQ

There are some really nice close-ups of various parts of the ship.

Enjoy!

Mike E.

[indigodave]

Hi all, I'd read that the Admiralty had planned to buy enough Phantoms to equipe Ark Royal, Eagle and Hermes and the numbers bought would seem to imply this (Half of all Phantoms were delivered straight to the RAF even though they did not request them) Ark Royal was so equiped, Eagle could operate them for tests and as an emergency alternative even without a full update (with the special heat dissipation armoured plate on the flight deck). However I was always under the impression that Hermes was a whimsical flight of fancy, being much too small to operate Phantoms. So I was surprised today to see photographic evidence of Hermes cross decking American Phantoms on an Exercise. I know this is far from having it's own compliment of Phantoms and the practicality of operating them with weights and safety margins but it does mean it was feasable. Even 9 Phantoms as a full compliment (reminds me of Centaur basically just operating Sea Vixens) would have been a powerful force that would have dominated the Argentinians in the Fawklands conflict. I was wondering if an more photos exist of Hermes cross decking Phantoms?
http://forum.keypublishing.com/attachme ... 1251039099

[ARH]

I took this at our show in August

http://youtu.be/i5RONv2-zOI

[JIM BAUMANN]

Het Ron!

Thats a great looking model-the only modern carrier I have any affection for!

Hope you are as well as the carrier!

JB

[Cliffy B]

Hey guys I was recently able to pick up one of DML's Illustrious kits for next to nothing and while looking her over I have a question in regards to the hangar. What shape is it exactly? I've read that it was "dumb bell" shaped and have seen the following drawing that supports that.



I would have accepted that as close enough but then I saw the Airfix Lusty kit and they have more a less a giant rectangle.

Scroll down past the sprue shots to post #2.
http://airfixtributeforum.myfastforum.o ... p?p=225511


Which is correct? Are they both correct for a given time period? Did the Soviets just draw that from bad intel? I'm going for 1982 era Invincible.

Any and all help is appreciated as always,
-Mike

[ADebroux]

From what I've read the "dumb bell" shape of the hangar is the result from use of gas turbines which required large uptakes and the necessary internal volume to accomodate them.

[Cliffy B]

Alright that makes plenty of sense ADebroux but then what's with the Airfix kit? Is it a goof or what? I would think that Airfix would have had access to better info then the Soviets did above (unless they just ripped off someone else for the pub which is all too prevalent) and wasn't the kit endorsed by the RN and/or the ship herself? I'd tend to side with them for the layout if that's the case instead of the drawing. Anyone with a set of plans or possibly former crew members that could tell me for sure which is correct?

[Cliffy B]

Well from rooting through a mess of photos online I've been able to figure out that the above drawing IS correct for the hangar and Airfix goofed it big time.

Found these and they're too good not to share. A photo tour of HMS Ark Royal (R08) at Tyneside, November 2010. 263 photos in all including seldom seen areas like the quarterdeck and the then enclosed fo'c'sle. Some real neat shots inside and out, enjoy!

http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/albu ... /ark1.html
http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/albu ... /ark2.html
http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/albu ... /ark3.html
http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/albu ... /ark4.html
http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/albu ... /ark5.html
http://www.finewaterline.com/pages/albu ... /ark6.html

[braxat2000]

Hi,
Should it be possible to backdate HMS hermes from orange hobby model to 1960's version?
I looked at photos and notices that the radar and mast are different and also the flat deck, are there major differences I should look for?
Thanks,
Eyal.

[Timmy C]

I looked at photos and notices that the radar and mast are different and also the flat deck, are there major differences I should look for?

You don't consider sanding/grinding off the ski-ramp and building a bunch of new radars and masts a major difference?

[braxat2000]

I meant apart from that, they are major differences but I think I can manage with sanding off the ramp, and build something that looks more like the radar and mast.
I know my skill limits so I probably won't be able to do a perfect backdating, so I figured I could do at least these changes and any other ones I didn't notice yet, and can get a similar to real life 1960s Hermes.

EDITED:
I jsut notices that orange hobby will relase a 1968 version, so I will wait for that and next time do my modelling research better ..

[Neptune]

Although you can't always go on who will release what (a lot of announcements are made without any result), you might want to wait for this one. I think you'll have too much of a conversion going.

I do love the Hermes and Eagle etc. A pitty that no real good recent kit of any of these ships exists. The Invincible is fine too, but still less good looking than the Hermes (original version).