Converting a 1/600 Hotspur kit into HMS Ledbury

[ArnoldAmbrose]

       G'day All, As you probably know by now I like converting Airfix 1/600 scale ship kits into other ships. One kit I've done several times is the HMS Hotspur kit. I've done four versions of the kit, all purchased as part of the Naval Destroyers of WWII kit set. I wanted to do a fifth as HMS Ledbury, a Hunt class type II but I haven't seen these in the shops here for several years now. However my son was able to track down a single kit of the ship last year so HMS Ledbury in now on the go.

       The reason I want to do Ledbury is because of her exploits in mid 1942. In early July she was part of the close escort of the ill-fated Russian convoy PQ-17, during which she and her crew thought they were going up against the Tirpitz and her escorts. Her CO planned to engage with their 4-inch guns and also ram the Tirpitz if he could get close enough. But it wasn't to be.

       Five weeks later the HMS Ledbury escorted the Pedestal convoy to Malta, and the ship with a few others was instrumental in getting the vital tanker SS Ohio into Grand Harbour there. Had they not done so Malta would have had to surrender sixteen days later, with enormous ramifications to the war in North Africa and the Mediterranean. The ship also rescued 44 men in the sea from being burnt to death when a merchant ship blew up. Her CO Roger Hill entered the flames to pick up one, flames that were higher that her mast.

 

       Anyway, the conversion. The Hunt class were designed as small escort destroyers, not fleet destroyers. HMS Ledbury was 280 feet long oa whereas Hotspur was 323 feet, hence one of the first jobs was to shorten the hull. The first photo (LED50) shows the hull cut, pinned to a block of wood and re-joined. After that I reinforced the hull joins with scrap styrene, particularly in the middle so that later I can drill a hole for a mounting screw. I did the hull shortening midway between those two hull positioning/joining pins. You can also see that I've razed all the molded detail from the deck piece, plus plugged and sanded all the holes in the decks. The deck piece in this photo is still the original length.

      Next was the deck piece. As luck would have it the foc'sle deck was almost exactly the correct length so I didn't have to alter that. I decided to do the shortening cut/join of the deck immediately abaft (behind) the foc'sle deck break where I hoped it would be mostly obscured. But before that I glued scrap pieces of 0.5mm thick styrene under the deck. The decks sit in a recess inside the hull but the recess was a little deep. Hence those bits of styrene to raise the decks. After cutting the deck piece I glued in the foc'sle deck first, then shortened the main deck (the Iron Deck using RN parlance) to suit and glued that in too. The second photo (LED70) shows the scrap styrene glued under the deck piece. The third photo (LED80) shows both decks fitted. Included in that photo is the deck piece of an Airfix HMS Cossack (Tribal class) to show how small these destroyers were.

       But the bow and stern of the Hunts were a little different from that of the Hotspur, particularly the bow with more rake, flare and sheer so I had to alter them next. The stern was easy, simply trimming and sanding. The bow was a bit more complex. I altered the rake (angle from the vertical) of the bow (the cutwater) by carefully cutting the bow end-on and sliding in a shim of 0.25mm thick styrene. The sheer (upward slope of the deck) was increased by adding several layers of 0.25mm styrene card, with the longest piece being uppermost to reduce the number of visible 'edges' to clean up. This top piece also set the flare of the bow. Then it was a case of fill, sand and repeat. The fourth photo (LED90) shows the layers of styrene I added to the bow. I think I added another small piece under the top bit to get that little bit more rise in the bow - a tweaky nose. I also filled in the freight train tunnels that Airfix provided as hawse-pipes, where the anchors will fit.

     The final photo (LED130) for this post shows the hull done. I've also filled and re-drilled the scuttles (port holes). Ledbury only had about half the number of scuttles that the Hotspur kit was provided with.       Well, I think that's enough for one post. More to follow soon. Thank you for your interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff.

Edited August 10 by ArnoldAmbrose

[Valhalla]

Great bit of history along with your build notes there. Really looking forward to seeing this progress

Ian

[ArnoldAmbrose]

       Thanks guys for your responses. I've done HMS Ledbury's 'underworks' (is that a word?). She needed a skeg between the shafts and a larger rudder than that provided with the kit so I scratch built them. I also decided to replace the shafts. Each of those provided had a great wedge of plastic instead of the struts (legs). So the great canyons indented for the wedges had to be filled, with I did with styrene. I didn't use filler as I'm not sure how well my replacement styrene struts would stick to it. My shafts are from 0.75mm styrene rod, the strut bearings (thicker rear part of the strut) are from 1.2mm styrene rod and the struts are from 0.25x1.0mm styrene strip. The glued joins are reinforced with a dab of PVA glue. The shafts themselves should have been a little shorter and entered the hull (shaft bearings) a little further aft but as I had already done the skeg I didn't want to alter that part of the hull any further. The first photo (LED160) shows what I've done there.

       I'm not sure if I'll use the kit screws (propellers). They're a bit rough and not a handed set, they're both left-turning suitable for the port side of the ship. A non-handed set of screws is usual with Airfix kits and is one of my gripes with them. There are exceptions though. I often make my own screws now but the size I need here, a little over 4mm diameter I think, are smaller than I've done in the past. I have a handed set from a 1/700 small cruiser I could use but I'm not happy with the blades on them. I've also got a spare set from my Fletcher class destroyer I built last year but they're nearly 5mm diameter. Anyway, they get attached towards the end of the build so I don't have to decide just yet.

       I've made a start on Ledbury's upperworks, the aft deck house and the first level of the bridge structure. The second photo (LED180) shows them incomplete and dry fitted. And another photo (LED190) has them inverted to show how I make them. The external bulkheads are usually from 1.0mm thick styrene strip, with another internal set inside them, exactly 1.5mm apart. This distance apart is set by a reinforcing strip of styrene, 1.5mm wide and 1.0mm deep. On the decks where they'll finally be attached are positioning guides of 1.5mm square section styrene. You can see the pencil marks on the decks outlining the position of the deck houses. I do deck houses this way now so that I can paint the deck house bulkheads and the hull decks separately and glue them together later, giving a nice sharp demarcation between the colours. I can paint the decks under the bulkheads a little because it is the internal bulkheads that provide most of the contact area for the glue. This is my standard method now for scratch built deck houses, it seems to work and give good results.

       Also in that third photo is the octagonal bandstand for the quad 2lb pompom AA gun being made. The pin through it helps hold it stationary while I fit the balustrading to it. The pin hole is where the gun will sit. The bandstand will sit on that small rectangle of styrene and will ultimately be glued about where that larger white dot is on the main deck, amidships. Since the photo was taken I've completed the balustrading on it, plus that of the aft deck house.

       What is not shown are the anchors I've fitted. The kit anchors were rather horrible and I didn't use them, I scrounged some anchors from a sacrificial 1/700 kit. They're a little small but I can live with them. I didn't know if they'd glue to Tamiya filler on the hull so I drilled a hole right through the bows in the position of the anchors, inserted and glued a 1.0mm diameter styrene rod all the way through, trimmed the ends of the rod flush with the ship's side and glued the anchors to the ends of the styrene rod. I've also started to paint the hull but not worth a photo yet.

       So this is as far as I've gone. Thanks again for your interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff.

 

[Valhalla]

Coming on a treat Jeff, excellent build notes again

Ian

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Thanks Ian. 👍

G'day All, I've started applying paint to HMS Ledbury's hull. The first photo (LED300) shows where I'm up to with that. The photo was taken without a flash, I think that gives a truer representation of the colours. The base colour white is Humbrol Hu34, and I applied four coats. Next was my approximation of Western Approaches Light Green (WALG). I used Hu120, two coats. Then Western Approaches Light Blue (WALB), again my approximation. I used Hu44, three coats. All paints are matt. Being darker the green might have been better going on after the blue but the pattern itself suggested otherwise. Two coats of blue might have been enough, the third was with a softer brush to get a better finish. Yes, a brush. How archaic! The penalty is some paint ridge lines visible. Hopefully some of them will be hidden under the following paint. Next will be the anti-fouling brick red/brown.

       I've also been working further on the superstructures, deck houses etc. The second photo (LED280) shows where I'm up to with them. I remembered to include the screws I might use if they don't look too big. They're currently painted copper, I'll repaint them bronze.
       The aft deck house and small searchlight platform are pretty much completed except for a few more fittings to be added. Ditto the octagonal pompom platform although it will also need some support legs at the rear (left in this photo). I'll have a go at adding a grill to the top of the funnel. It also should have a platform at the rear, overlooking the pompom platform. And maybe some pipes up the side.
       The forward deckhouse still needs a lot of work, as does the bridge structure. That one was quite complex but I think I'm getting there with that.
Anyway, that's as far as I've gone to date. Hopefully more to show soon. Thanks again for all your support. Stay safe and keep on modeling.
Regards to all, Jeff.

P.S. I don't know why the text is highlighted.

 

Edited August 17 by ArnoldAmbrose

[Ratch]

28 minutes ago, ArnoldAmbrose said:

P.S. I don't know why the text is highlighted.

Nor me Jeff, possibly to do with copy & paste 🙄

[ArnoldAmbrose]

       G'day All, here's where I'm up to with HMS Ledbury. The hull is now painted, which I consider the first milestone in a ship kit build. I've dry fitted all the other stuff I've done for the photo.

       The camo pattern isn't totally correct I think. For example the forward edge of the second blue should overlap the green, but as you can see, it doesn't. I sometimes find it difficult to place the demarcation lines between colours exactly before the waterline is painted. Which by then is a bit late. The photo I'm using isn't square on the broadside, which distorts things a little too. And adding the boot topping exacerbates things even more. I'm beginning to think that the ship didn't have a black boot topping but I thought the paint job would look incomplete without it. I'm beginning to regret adding it but I won't paint over it now. I'll live with it.

       I can start painting the superstructures soon but I want to do a bit more 'busying up' of them first. I've still got heaps to do so I'd better stop yakking and get on with it. Thanks for your interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff.

 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

The photo didn't upload. I'll try again. (LED340)

 

[A J Rimmer]

Very nice indeed - that's coming along very well and I do like the scheme. 

[Valhalla]

Coming along nicely Jeff. It must be difficult to tell if the black line existed as all the photos would be in b/w and the water would hide most of it I guess

Ian

[ArnoldAmbrose]

Thanks guys. I've decided to alter the front edge of the second blue patch, to overlap the green. Currently it hits me in the face every time I see it.

Regards, Jeff.

[ArnoldAmbrose]

       G'day All, here's my next update on HMS Ledbury. About a week ago I was shown a photo of Ledbury's bridge. I'm afraid I can't show it here, it's not my photo. The photo was dated 1958, at the time she was being scrapped but it showed an incredible amount of detail, both of the interior of the bridge and also of the foc'sle. I was able to alter some things I'd got wrong and it also enabled me to make subsequent items more accurately, within my limited skill level anyway. It also confirmed that I'd got the locations of the hawse-pipes correct. I wasn't completely sure.

       The first photo below (LED360) shows the bridge as it stands at present. It's still needs more doing to it, and is dry-fitted for the photo. I've also done the deck screens around the forward twin 4-inch gun mounting. Still more to there too.

       And today I fitted the deck shielding around the aft twin 4-inch mounting and modified the three mountings themselves. I used mountings from Airfix Belfast kits that I've cannibalized for spares. I replaced the guns and molded breech blocks plus I added a base ring to each mounting. Instead of being called the usual A mounting, X mounting and Y mounting (no B mounting on the Hunt class) the mountings on this ship were affectionately known as "Pip", "Squeak" and "Wilfred" after cartoon characters of the time.

       The second photo (LED400) shows where I'm currently up to. The gun mountings and all superstructures are still dry-fitted but the screens alongside the gun mounts are attached now. I generally like to have gun barrels at about zero elevation to reduce the chance of knocking them but these aft mounts have about 10* of elevation. 'Pip' has a little more to accommodate the foc'sle deck sheer. I've also been making another director. I wasn't happy with the one I had in the first photo. The photo also shows that I have to touch up my blue paint extension under the break in the foc'sle.

       Anyway, this is where I'm up to at present. Thank you for your interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff.

 

 

Edited August 26 by ArnoldAmbrose

[Valhalla]

That looks great Jeff. Always good when we can get some decent reference material.

Ian

[Sailorman]

Here are two of my favorite images - Ohio entering Malta's Grand Harbour supported by Penn and Ledbury.  ( Ledbury is on the right).  I will be keeping a copy of this build as I plan to build both Ledbury and Penn.

Edited August 26 by Sailorman
Wrong verb tense corrected

[ArnoldAmbrose]

       G'day, and thank you Sailorman. Actually it's Bramham on the right, another Hunt class. I used to think it was Ledbury too but the camo pattern is different. I've just read Roger Hill's book (Destroyer Captain) and another by Max Hastings (Operation Pedestal). Ledbury was lashed alongside earlier, and also took Ohio in tow from ahead for awhile. But as they went through the minefields off Malta it was Penn and Bramham holding Ohio up while Roger Hill kept putting Ledbury's bows against Ohio to push her back on course. She kept drifting to port due to underwater torpedo damage.

       But yeah, they're good photos, showing just how deep in the water the tanker was by then. I will certainly be following your models of the ships when you do them. And thanks again for the photos.       Regards, Jeff.

[A J Rimmer]

Fabulous bit of scratch-building! 

[Sailorman]

On 27/08/2024 at 03:46, ArnoldAmbrose said:

       G'day, and thank you Sailorman. Actually it's Bramham on the right, another Hunt class. I used to think it was Ledbury too but the camo pattern is different. I've just read Roger Hill's book (Destroyer Captain) and another by Max Hastings (Operation Pedestal). Ledbury was lashed alongside earlier, and also took Ohio in tow from ahead for awhile. But as they went through the minefields off Malta it was Penn and Bramham holding Ohio up while Roger Hill kept putting Ledbury's bows against Ohio to push her back on course. She kept drifting to port due to underwater torpedo damage.

       But yeah, they're good photos, showing just how deep in the water the tanker was by then. I will certainly be following your models of the ships when you do them. And thanks again for the photos.       Regards, Jeff.

You are right of course ..... Many thanks for the correction.

[ArnoldAmbrose]

       G'day All, HMS Ledbury is proceeding along but I'm at the slow and fiddly stage. I've painted the decks with Humbrol Hu27, two coats. Then it was the painstaking masking of balustrading, on structures and the gun screens. The first two photos below show that. (LED420 and LED430)

       Then the light weapons, all scratch built. (Third photo LED460). Included in the photo is the captain's high-chair, to be mounted on the bridge. And don't say it looks like a toilet - someone's already told me that. 😁

       And the final photo (LED470) shows where I'm up to. I didn't dry-fit anything this time. What's on the model in the photo is permanently attached now. On the wood block, left to right are 4-inch R/U (ready-use) lockers, the quad 2lb pompom AA gun, two 20mm Oerlikons, four signaling projectors (signaling lamps) for the bridge, the new rangefinder director and the five-dipole 285 radar array to be mounted on it. I think you can recognize the structures in the foreground. If you look closely you may be able to see the captain's chair (darker brown) on the port side of the bridge. I'll show a better photo of the bridge when it's done. What's not in the photo is the funnel grill I'm trying to make.

       Anyway, that's it for now. Thanks again for your interest. Stay safe and keep on modeling. Regards to all, Jeff.

 

 

[Valhalla]

Coming along nicely Jeff. That's a lot of work you're putting in there

Ian

[A J Rimmer]

That's fab! 

[ArnoldAmbrose]

       G'day All, I've been working on the boats for HMS Ledbury. As far as I know she carried two, a motor launch and a whale boat. The motor launch is rather basic. I rummaged through the kit and spares, chose one I could use, added a thin deck strip of styrene to cover the sink holes and such, and then added basic cabins that I made from 0.75mm thick styrene. I painted it before adding the cabins, to get nice sharp demarcation between deck and cabins.

       The whaler wasn't so easy. I only found one decent whaler in spares but it was mounted on chocks. Ledbury's boats were mounted on davits, just to be difficult. To remove the chocks from the whaler would have ruined the planking of the boat so I decided to save it for another model. All the other 'whalers' I found were crudely shaped bits of styrene with rounded bottoms and pointy ends. So I've made my own, with rounded bottoms and pointy ends. 🙂 I've made open cutters recently for another model and hence employed a similar method here but they were a bit more difficult. A cutter has a square transom so I could leave the boat attached to it's base piece for most of the build process, making it relatively easy to handle. Not so with a whaleboat that was pointy at both ends. They were much more fiddly to handle. My first two turned out to be rather mediocre. One had three rower's benches, the other with four but I wasn't happy with either.

       So I made another pair, one with five rower's benches and one with six. Below are photos of how I made them (LED500, 510, 520, 540, 560). The squares on the cutting mat are 10mm a side, the whalers are just under 14mm long and 3mm wide. Each comprises of ten pieces, not including the rower's benches. So now I just have to decide which whaler to use.

       Thanks for your comments and interest. Stay safe and regards to all, Jeff.

 

[Valhalla]

They look brilliant Jeff. You have a steadier hand than mine 🙂

Ian

[Sailorman]

You've done a good job there. Interesting method of construction  I usually crash mould the hull then build up the rest much as you do. You can see a crash moulded hull  on the left of the pic and a half finished motorboat on the right.

[A J Rimmer]

Those are brilliant!