Hi, I have decided to jump on the Carrier bandwagon. I am going to attempt my first wooden model -- HMS Eagle. I considered other carriers, but they were too small, too big, or I had no plan. The basis is a 1:144 plan for HMS Canada. Starting with that and a few techical tid-bits I have concocted a set of lines for the hull. This is cooked-up from information and photos from various sources -- beam after refit, the fact that the bulge was 485ft long and was entirely underwater. And one precious photo which shows the top edge of the bulge. I am undecided if the model will be armed. At this point it is entirely likely that it will never be finished, but I would like to see it on the water.
I also decided to make a carrier, but will use mine for convoy duty only. I got a set of dockyard plans for the IX-64, and hopefully will have her done for this years NATS. Rudders fore and aft, she should turn well hopefully. Look at that nice deck overhang, and lots of solid area, she will be hard to sink too.
I had to redraw my lines yesterday -- I discovered that the Eagle's waterline was 6' shallower than the one on HMS Canada because of the removal of the turrets and armour. This means that since the bulge was underwater it had to move 1/2 inch lower. Hoping to scan them today and print them up for cutting. I have almost finished the deck plan.
Eagle was one of two identical battleships that were being built in the UK for Chile and were taken over by the Royal Navy at the start of WWI. The more advanced one was commissioned as HMS Canada and the other was converted to an experimental carrier. After some mods it served for many years, including several on the China Station where it looked very impressive in white with buff funnels, and dark grey flight deck. It was sunk in the Med by a sub during the famous convoy action, Operation Pedestal. Bob
Boomer, the ship in the pictures is either the USS Wolverine or the USS Sable. Both were training aircraft carriers that operated in the Great Lakes firing WW2, and were built on side-paddle wheel steamer hulls. By the look of the superstructure, I'd say the above picture is more likely Wolverine then Sable. As the Wolverine was originally laid down in 1913 and the Sable in 1924, the ships are technically legal, although you might find captains disagreeing about penetrable area and such. You could probably use one as a transport if you wanted to, but I have very serious doubts their maneuverability would be remotely decent. EDIT: I missed that he put hull number IX-64 down, which confirms Wolverine. Sable was IX-81.
Hi -- progress is being made albeit slowly. I had to modify the sections (again!) because I realized that the hanger deck was built raised above what had been the main deck. The entire hanger deck was at the level of the focsle. Once this was done I redrew the deck pieces to match the new level. I hope to start cutting next week.
Hi, Well....I have just ordered the Profile Morskie for HMS Eagle (1942). Hopefully this will be the version I want -- since the follow on ship wasn't ready until the 1950's If so then I will redo all my sections (unless of course my WAG on the bulge shape proves correct --- not likely)
The only other warships I know of that had bow and stern rudders were the Erebus and Terror, WWI 15" gun coastal bombardment monitors. I sold my partly built HMS Erebus to Tom Cromwell last summer. Hopefully we'll see it in action this year. It might turn as well as twin (parallel) ruddered WWII monitors HMS Roberts and Abercrombie. Bob
Hi, I finally recieved my profile morskie for the HMS Eagle. I thought the sections I drew were too bizarre to be true, but they are actually too tame. Go figure. HMS Eagle is back on the construction list for next wnter
