British Dreadnoughts

Discussion in 'Ship Comparison' started by buttsakauf, Jul 29, 2018.

  1. buttsakauf

    buttsakauf Well-Known Member

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    I already have a Dreadnought hull I intend to use for fast gun. Should I convert it into a Neptune/Colossus (or another?) by lengthening it? I don’t believe converting it into an Erin or Orion is feasible. Too much difference in beam. I am keen on the Colossus for the superfiring turrets aft and minimum hull changes needed. Spread the caprail a bit plus skin thickness and it should be fine.

    I feel as though I want to go with two stern sidemounts, single bow or stern gun (in a wing turret), and a 1 unit pump. Dynamic will be to just twist and always show the stern.

    Opinions? Oversights in my part?
     
    Last edited: Jul 31, 2018
  2. Bob Pottle

    Bob Pottle Well-Known Member

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    The St. Vincent Class could be made from a stretched Dreadnought hull, being 9' longer (536' loa) and 2' wider (84' beam); Neptune and Collosus would be a bigger stretch. Neptune was 546' loa and 85' beam, Hercules 545.75' loa and 85' beam, Collosus 545.75' loa and 86.7' beam.

    The hulls of Erin and Orion were completely different and not suitable for conversion from a Dreadnought hull.

    The only advantage I see from a conversion to Neptune or her 2 half-sisters is the superfiring aft turrets and more reserve buoyancy due to slightly larger size. Being less than 2" longer than DN they'll probably turn almost as well.

    Your wing turret stern gun will have to fire under the barrel of X turret's sidemount.

    Stretching the DN hull won't be hard if you measure and cut carefully. I stretched one of my Duke of Edinburgh armoured cruiser hulls (last sold by Strike) ~1" to make HMS Minotaur/Defence and gain another 0.5 units. I glassed 5 brass tubes on the inside bottom and sides spanning the point of the cut. After the hull was cut in half pieces of the next smallest brass tube were used to connect the bisected tubes glassed to the hull. When the gap was the correct width they were ca glued and the next section of gelcoat and fiberglass hull was laid, against 1/32" balsa glued around the outside of the hull. The tubes were dremelled out when the hull extension had cured.
     
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2019
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  3. Xanthar

    Xanthar Well-Known Member

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    A Bellerophon class, maybe? Same size as Dreadnought but, the masts are ahead of the funnels so, it looks right. They all survived Jutland so they've got some good history : ) Also, one has to love the name HMS Superb
     
  4. Boatmeister

    Boatmeister Active Member

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    I agree with Bob. All have their good points but there are trade offs. I'd probably keep the hull as is and do either a Dreadnought or one of the Bellerophon class. No need to make it more "complicated".

    Still remember the story of Joe Sallini "book closing" his Andrea Dora some 35+ years ago when he slipped going to the pond (Wasn't there but some of the oldtimers were laughing about it years later). Just a thought.:whistling:
     
  5. buttsakauf

    buttsakauf Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like Hercules might be a winner. I would have every intention of using a maximum length tight tolerance barrel to shoot under another barrel.

    I wouldn’t get any more units by lengthening but I feel I could better utilize the units I had if I could mount two stern sidemounts and a stern gun. Not fast but a tough nut to crack type thing. Would have to protect that bow. Much attentiveness. Lots of pigboat tactics. That extra wiggle room for components and reserve bouyancy is definitely appreciated. I also really like that relatively simple superstructure!