|
|
 Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
|
HMS Ark Royal was the third Royal Navy warship to carry the name, which dates from 1587 and has a direct association with naval aviation extending over several generations.
In 1931 work commenced on the design of a new Fleet Aircraft Carrier which would be the first of a new generation of this type of warship. The later ships of the Illustrious Class which followed were basically of the same design.
HMS Ark Royal was ordered in the 1934 Build Programme from Cammell Laird of Birkenhead and entered service in November 1938. The build cost was £3.215m. The design provided a full length flush flight deck and hangars on 2 desks. Three lifts were fitted for transfer of aircraft to and from hangar level and two cranes were used for recovery of seaplanes. Special stowage arrangements were designed for boats with a new type of system for launching. The 'sandwich' protection intended for protection against torpedoes was clearly not effective when the ship was sunk in 1941.
The ship had a deep displacement of about 27,000 tons as designed and was 800ft in overall length with a beam of 94ft and mean draught of 23ft. Armour protection was provided for hangar area, deck and machinery compartments and was used in the subsequent Illustrious Class. The armoured Flight Deck undoubtedly saved these ships when they were hit by Japanese kamikaze aircraft. The arrester gear was also of improved design as was another novel feature, a hinged telescopic mast sited in the centre of the Flight Deck for navigation lights.
Eight twin 4.5" guns with a dual capability for surface and air defence and 6 multiple pom pom mountings for close range AA use comprised the main armament. The propulsion machinery consisted of three propellers driven by steam turbines giving 102,000 horsepower to provide a designed speed of 30.75 knots which was exceeded on trials. Three Boiler Rooms with separate but adjacent boiler rooms were used.
Although the original aircraft requirement asked for 72 aircraft to be carried only 60 were allowed for for in the finished design and this was reduced to 54 when modern heavier types were embarked. The original complement was about 1,600 but was increased after the outbreak of war when radar and more close range anti-aircraft weapons were fitted.
Ark Royal served in some of the most active naval theatres of the Second World War. She was involved in the first aerial and U-boat kills of the war, operations off Norway, the search for the German battleship Bismarck, and the Malta Convoys. Ark Royal survived several near misses and gained a reputation as a 'lucky ship'. The Germans incorrectly reported her as sunk on multiple occasions.
She was torpedoed on 13 November 1941 by the German submarine U-81 and sank the following day. Her sinking was the subject of several inquiries; investigators were keen to know how the carrier was lost, in spite of efforts to save the ship and tow her to the naval base at Gibraltar. They found that several design flaws contributed to the loss, which were rectified in new British carriers. Her wreck was discovered in December 2002, approximately 30 miles from Gibraltar.
Shipwreck Ark Royal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TRsuHudRjg
In commemoration of 75 years since her loss, Derek will shortly be doing a build of the Merit 1/350 HMS Ark Royal kit.Tomick attached the following image(s):
|
|
|
|
|
Mmm looking forward to this, Ark Royal is my fav carrier.
|
|
|
|
|
Great stuff will be watching Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
|
|
|
 Rank: Super-Elite        Groups: Registered
Joined: 30/01/2013 Posts: 4,604 Points: 13,607 Location: Monmouthshire UK
|
Very nice :-) Watching this one Derek! Steve
|
|
|
Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 17/12/2013 Posts: 3,982 Points: 11,974 Location: NY, USA
|
look like a great ship to model.Look forward to seeing this come to life Derek
Carl
|
|
|
|
|
Good luck with this one Derek, am sure you'll do a first class build and I look forward to seeing it come together....
Regards
Alan
|
|
|
Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 8,497 Points: 24,582 Location: East midlands
|
Hi All, Thanks for all the interest shown in this 75th anniversary build. To start things off I have attached two pictures of the box art work. The first is the main box art work of HMS Ark Royal and the second a side panel picture of the aircraft that compliment this kit. I will in the very near future do a box opening review of the kit contents to give some idea of what`s to come. Happy Building Regards delboy271155 (Derek) delboy271155 attached the following image(s): COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
|
|
|
|
|
Hi Looking forward to this, I am sure you have seen my review and the kit is excellent Jase “Whenever you find yourself on the side of the majority, it is time to pause and reflect.”
-Mark Twain
|
|
|
Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 27/01/2014 Posts: 5,060 Points: 14,980
|
I've been hearing a lot about this kit, this will be a great build to follow
|
|
|
Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 16/08/2010 Posts: 2,771 Points: 8,344 Location: Brighton
|
Will Be following this with great interest. Ian. Current builds.Hachettes build the bismark,HMS Victory, HMS Hood.
Finished Builds Corel HMS Victory cross section.
|
|
|
 Rank: Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 13/02/2011 Posts: 2,239 Points: 6,837 Location: East Sussex
|
This will be a great build in your hands Derek,looking forward to your first post. Regards Trev. Work in progress: Tombstone (Scratch) - San Francisco 2. -The Mayflower ( scratch by plan).
OcCre- Santa-Maria (Kit).
|
|
|
Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
|
Sad photo just before her sinking..Tomick attached the following image(s):
|
|
|
Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 8,497 Points: 24,582 Location: East midlands
|
Hi All,  This build starts with the lower open deck areas. These are installed inside the main hull structure, before the hull halves are cemented together and are enhanced with brass etch railings. Ten of the fourteen ships boats are housed here, there are also some visible instrument panels on the back walls.(A nice addition to an area that`s quite small in this scale). Some of the open deck areas need basic construction, like adding dividing walls, others need the addition of the ships boats on floor mounts before the final construction. Below are pics of the ships boats, the open deck areas and their floors, plus one side of the hull. All of which have been primed and painted. While I had the primer/paints and brushes out I also painted the life rafts that are fitted later in the build. Next update will be fitting the open deck areas together, adding the ships boats and railings plus installation to the hull. Regards delboy271155 (Derek) delboy271155 attached the following image(s): COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
|
|
|
|
|
Great start, really looking forward to seeing your progress!
|
|
|
Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered
Joined: 27/01/2014 Posts: 5,060 Points: 14,980
|
I'd forgotten all about this one  Great to see you get started Derek, looking forward to seeing more 
|
|
|
Rank: Pro Groups: Joined: 24/08/2009 Posts: 48,827 Points: -13,348
|
Not seen much in the way of aftermarket parts for the kit as yet?
|
|
|
|
|
Nice start and looking good Current builds:-C57,Zero, Lamborghini Countach, Caldercraft HMS Agamemnon,Robi,R2-D2, MFH Cobra .
|
|
|
Rank: Super-Elite  Groups: Registered
Joined: 19/06/2013 Posts: 4,588 Points: 13,553 Location: West Yorkshire
|
Nice work so far Derek, i'm sure this will an enjoyable build Al
|
|
|
Rank: Super-Elite Groups: Registered, Forum Support Team, Administrators, Global Forum Support Team, Moderator, Official Builds Joined: 09/11/2012 Posts: 8,497 Points: 24,582 Location: East midlands
|
Thanks to all above for looking in. I can`t find find any upgrades for this kit either at the moment, but as there are quite a few elements that are already in brass etch (more on that later in the build), there may be not enough for the after market boys to get involved with. Still a chance that something may be on the market soon though. Regards delboy271155 (Derek) COME BACK GUY FAWKES "YOUR COUNTRY NEEDS YOU"
|
|
|
|
|
Look forward to seeing more updates Del. On the bench 1/350 Revell Tirpitz Platinum Edition (Pontos PE and Wooden deck) plus extra Eduard PE set and extra MK1 door sets.
|
|
|
|
Guest
|
US
