Secret Hull Project Revealed - HMS QE and Valiant (WWII, post-reconstruction)

For many months Ralph Coles has been working on his last planned 1/144 battleship hull project. Tonight he asked me to announce that the hull plug for WWII QE Class members HMS Queen Elizabeth and Valiant will be finished next week, and the mold soon thereafter.
The reason this hull plug took so long to complete was that it has accurately shaped bulges. They are stepped and the bulge shape varies significantly along the hull. The undersides of the bulges are accurate too. Ralph has spent the last 2 months getting the bulges right and adding the propellor shaft outlets on the hull bottom. The hull can be used for only QE and Valiant after their early WWII reconstruction. All casemate guns were removed and a flared bow constructed.
I'll let everyone know when the mold is finished and Ralph is ready to take orders. (I'm getting the first one!)

Bob Pottle

 

That is great news Bob.
I have only seen a couple of those ships on the water. But I have always thought they were the best looking of the lot.
Well done.
Mikey

 

Bob,
how big are the hulls, and you put a photo put or did you put photos up or no?
Nikki

 

The exact hull dimensions are listed in the IR/CWCC and MWC ship lists. Converting LOA to 1/144 scale, they're about 53" long and 9" wide.
Ralph Coles will have to provide photos as he's the hull maker. The mold will be finished next week so he should have a hull to photograph soon thereafter. Contact him at ralphster30@hotmail .com
Bob

 

Help me post a pic please.

 

Ralph,
If you e-mail me the pics, I will post them.
Jay

 

Pics of the QE/Valiant plug are posted on the NABS Forum.

Bob P.

 

Update from Ralph. He rechecked the plans and realized the plug's stern should come to a sharper point. He's reshaped the stern and expects to start laying up the mold this weekend.
Bob

 

Today's Update:
A few weeks ago Ralph Coles decided to make the QE/Valiant mold a 3-piece vs 2. He was concerned that the extra detail under the stern would cause mold release problems, with a 2-piece mold getting caught on the 4 prop outlets and grooves on the underside of the bulges where they meet the hull.
One of the two main 'halves' of the mold was laid up yesterday and the other large piece and the 3rd piece for the underside of the stern will be laid up this weekend. A few days of fine sanding the mold surface will follow and hull production should start next weekend.
Also next week Ralph will start making I-400s from my molds, filling the 2 OAF orders and the 2 from Florida. I'm finishing another I-400 this weekend which is the third one for members of the plug design and construction team. (I'm getting an HMS Dorsetshire hull from Steve Hill in return for the I-400. I've had Dorsetshire plans from Taubman since I got into this hobby in the mid-1980s and will build her in China Station colours with white hull and buff funnels.)
Anyone else who wants an I-400 should contact me and I'll ask Ralph if he can make more than 4 sets of components. If he doesn't have time I'll make a few more I-400s in Sept./Oct. before it gets too cold to mold outside. At that point I think I'll offer the I-400 molds for sale.
Bob

 

This AM Ralph Coles sent Mike Deskin and me photos of the first QE/Valiant hull. Very nice! I expect the photos to be posted here soon.
Bob

 

Bob, if you send them to me, I will post them.
J

 

Hi J,
I thought Ralph was going to send them to you. He's only had 2-3 orders but I told him the sooner he gets photos on line the sooner he'll get more. The hull looks gorgeous.
Bob

 

He hasn't yet, I hope to see it soon.
J

 

Here are the pics from Ralph!
Nice looking hull !! ( for an Allied ship)






Ralph's e-mail is ralphster30@hotmail.com
J

 

Magnificent! Ralph's made 4 QE/Valiant hulls as of yesterday and is making a few more this week. I'm geting mine this weekend.
Bob

 

That is one sweet looking hull.
Mikey

 

Nice Hull

 

That is one beautiful hull. Looks like it'll be a difficult one to sheet though.

 

It won't be difficult to sheet in the MWC which allows two stringers, one for each of the sharp angles at the top of the armor belt. Unfortuantly, the IRCWCC only allows one stringer, which would make it very difficult to sheet indeed.

Gorgeous hull!

 

Treaty also allows two stringers plus you get to keep the 3/8" solid at the deck.