Calling all HMS Hermes, HMS Eagle & HMS Courageous (WWII) fans

[ch hoeltge]

I will get my Hermes kit tomorrow and now I have two question to the camo colors.

First Flyhawks says the colors are 507A, 507B and 507C for the hull.
I found the correspending Vallejo colors in the same order 816, 900 and 990+919(1:3 Mix).
Can someone confirm it?

The other question is, who will be the color inside the hull where the small boats are stored?
The same as outside? And what will be the color of the floor?

Greetings Christian

[Mike W]

I've treated those areas the same as the rest of the external areas, so the vertical surfaces are the same as the surrounding camouflage colour and the decks I've painted Dark Grey.

thanks
Mike

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks for the answer Mike.
Was this any special dark grey?

Greetings Christian

[Mike W]

As far as I'm aware they would have been APC507A, unless someone can say otherwise.

thanks
Mike

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks again Mike, this is what I'm going to do.
I just started the kit, perhaps some pics will follow soon.

Greetings Christian

[ch hoeltge]

I finished the hull and after a wash I will glue the island and flightdeck on the hull.
So far are now problems. You only have to be carefull with tripod. The assembly instruction is not clear where to add the platforms.
I made a mistake there but could repair it.
Here is pic:



My question is, was there something removed during flight operation?
Obviously the large antenna in the middle of the bow and the flag poles.
But also something else? What is for example with the reeling?

Greetings Christian

[totally_random_man]

Hi Christian!

Your model is really nice, are you planning a more detailed presentation of the build?
I'd be interested! I will also purchase the Flyhawk kit so I'd be glad to read about your experience.
cheers, Greg

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks Greg,

when finished I will post the model here with some comments.
So far some points to watch for:

- In 1939 Hermes got a degaussing cable, which is missing. I was told the one from a WEM set fits perfectly. But I forgot which one, possible KGV set?
- The reeling for the aft section is missing, I used the one from the flight deck for this. It seems during flight operation only the starboard side remaind fitted.
- When building the planes with pe remove the dome under the upper wing. I made it wrong in my first two planes.
- Also when building the planes with open wings the markings on the lower wing for the pe is wrong. Just glue it further out wards.
- When build the tripod mast there are no markings for part Q-11. Put Q-11 losely on the Mast M-3 and M-4. Glue first part Q-24 and P-4 and than at last Q-11.

The tripod mast


The aft section with missing reeling:


Plane with folded wings, remove the dome under the upper wing:


My Hermes was put today to the water base and next are the details.

Greettings Christian

[Graham Boak]

Tips about painting FAA aircraft including Swordfish:
They started the war with the high or mid demarcation of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey over Sky Grey, with the upper surface of the lower wing in Dark Sea Grey and Light Slate Grey. This was Scheme S1E. In September 1940 this was replaced by the Temperate Sea Scheme, using the same colours but with Sky replacing Sky Grey. At some stage - in 1941? - the camouflage scheme was taken down the fuselage sides. These changes could be quite delayed in appearing on the carriers in active service. The final scheme replaced the Sky with White including the fuselage sides, but this was only for dedicated ASW aircraft and postdated HMS Hermes. It wouldn't be seen with torpedoes but with depth charges and (later) rockets.

[iangazeley]

Tips about painting FAA aircraft including Swordfish:
They started the war with the high or mid demarcation of Extra Dark Sea Grey and Dark Slate Grey over Sky Grey, with the upper surface of the lower wing in Dark Sea Grey and Light Slate Grey. This was Scheme S1E. In September 1940 this was replaced by the Temperate Sea Scheme, using the same colours but with Sky replacing Sky Grey. At some stage - in 1941? - the camouflage scheme was taken down the fuselage sides. These changes could be quite delayed in appearing on the carriers in active service. The final scheme replaced the Sky with White including the fuselage sides, but this was only for dedicated ASW aircraft and postdated HMS Hermes. It wouldn't be seen with torpedoes but with depth charges and (later) rockets.

For the period depicted, Christian's Swordfish looks OK, other than the lack of codes. I've never seen a photo of Hermes' Swordfish in 1942, but if their markings changed in line with Admiralty practice, codes were likely single letter in back aft of the fuselage roundel. Even by 1942, I very much doubt Fairey built aircraft would of had their undersurfaces repainted with Sky. If they were repainted, however, then this is probably when the camouflage would have been lowered. Only a photograph can resolve this. Replacement aircraft delivered from mid-1941 onwards were likely to be Blackburn built and these would most definitely be in low demarcation camouflage with Sky undersurfaces.

Early in the War, Hermes' Swordfish carried a full span fin flash like Ark Royal's squadrons, with a single letter code on the fin. For this period there is decent photographic coverage of her Swordfish squadron, especially since a small detachment was seconded to Ark Royal in 1940 for the Dakar operation and were filmed and photographed while so deployed.

HTH

Ian

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks for the insight of the planes.

Here are new pics. I added the reelings for aft deck and many small details.









The Oerlikons are missing and some small details on the planes.
Perhaps I have 1 mm decals letters, lets see.

Greetings Christian

[tjstoneman]

Thank you Christian - you mentioned HERMES' degaussing cables. Do you (or does anybody else) have information on where on the ship's side the cables were fitted? What appear to be the cables concerned show very clearly on this photo of the port side (http://russiannavy.net/militaryPhotos/n ... rmes17.jpg), taken after the collision with HMS CORFU, but I can see no sign of the cables on any photos of the starboard side, at least one of which (the one in camouflage: http://modelbuilderinternational.com/wp ... 2/1122.jpg) was taken after October 1939, when the cable was fitted.

Perhaps the cable were re-routed inside the hull when the collision damage was being repaired?

[ch hoeltge]

Yes, you are right. I also see no degaussing cable.
But that is also the only pic I know with the camoflage.

Greetings Christian

[Aop Aur]

Such a nice kit!! Maybe the best 1/700 kit I've seen! Your rendition is great as well!

Aop

[Admiral John Byng]

Great work Christian! Thanks for the tips about the platforms.

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks guys .

I have finished the kit, I just need to make better pics:





Greetings Christian

[iangazeley]

That looks very nice!

[MartinJQuinn]

Well done. Please send in photos for submission to the gallery as well.

[ch hoeltge]

Thanks guys.
The pics where sent for the gallery!

Greetings Christian

[Vladi]

Hi all,

I would like to have your views on HMS Hermes colours at the time of her loss in April 1942. Most models here in the gallery and on the net seem to be completed in the combination of 507a, 507b and 507c with flight deck in 507a. However there are at least two reputable authors that arrived to different combinations:

1) Alan Raven in Warship Perspectives Camouflage Volume One: Royal Navy 1939-1941 (published 2000) shows the above combination 507a, 507b and 507c and mentioning "The flight deck at the time of loss was apinted dark green" in the caption. However, when we received the book from the publisher perhaps 3 years ago, there was a hand-drawn xero-copied correction inserted that called for B5 instead of 507b and including a note "Flight deck dark green" for Hermes

2) Malcolm Wright in British and Commonwealth Warship Camouflage of WWII volume 2 (published 2015) has Hermes on page 105 depicted with 507a, 507b and 507c (so no B5) and "The deck was dark green of unknown type, most likely a local procurement" in the caption.

So what do you think?
- 507b OR B5 in the camo?
- what might the dark green possibly look like?

As we now have at least two recent 1/700 HMS Hermes kits to choose from I am sure this will be of interest to other fellow modelers, too. Thanks!