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

Ralph does really nice work.

 

I did a warspite with two bulges with no stringers back aways. Just buttseamed the places where the balsa joined. I did it because I was President of the IRC at the time and people were claiming they needed stringers for the silliest reasons.

 

Ahh, I didn't think that would be possible to do without two, do you have pictures of that boat? The Bretagne I'm building has a 90 degree knuckle in the hull, as well as a casemate deck above it which would require two stringers to do properly. I just decided to not do the knuckle so I can bring it to a nats eventually.
--Chase

 

What Marty did is not that difficult. I had to butt-seam when sheeting British 15" gun monitor HMS Terror. I put the bulge stringer at the top outer edge of the bulge to give some protection against rams. That left me with no stringer at the 90 degree angle where the top of the 1" wide bulges met the vertical hull sides. CA glue was used to join the pieces of balsa. .
I plan to butt-seam the balsa at the upper angle of the bulges on QE/Valiant and place the stringer at the lower angle. There won't be a lot of space between the stringer and the lower edge of the hull windows. I won't know how much until I pick up the hull this weekend (after Hurricane Earl has passed by!). I'd rather have the extra impenetrable area underwater.
Bob