Having reacquired my 1998 and 1999 models of heavy cruisers SNS Canarias and HMS Cumberland/Suffolk (I'd built it as Suffolk but it operated in NABS as the nearly identical Cumberland), both are being refitted. Both models used the same fiberglass hull, that I designed to be intermediate in size between the slightly different dimensions of the Spanish cruisers and the Kent Class which they were based on. (Sir Phillip Watts designed both classes.) The plan is to rebuild both models with identical internal set-ups. Both had been resheeted before I bought them but on neither model was the prominent bow 'knuckle' visible. That was because single sheets of balsa were used from deck to lower hull. As I learned when first building the models separate pieces of balsa need to be applied below and on the knuckles to make them clearly visible - there's a stringer along the lower edge of the knuckles that makes using separate pieces of balsa easy. The bows of both models have been stripped back to the ends of the knuckles and will be resheeted. Since the models were built the IRCWCC rules changed and allowed their rudders to be 50% larger. Both were built with Robbe rudder kits, the depth of the nylon rudders being reduced in height to give an area of 2 square inches (1290 square millimeters). The rudders measured 44mm long by 29.5mm high, and were rectangular. To enlarge them they were extended aft 17mm, and made 4.5 mm higher at the rear, using styrene overlays. (The process is described in detail in the Profintern build thread.) Because the styrene overlays extended nearly 3x further aft beyond the original rudder than for the enlarged Profintern rudder they had to be beefed up with a second 0.5mm overlay. The overlays were shaped so the upper edge of the rudder matched the upward slope of the keel at the stern. This allowed them to be shorter than if the rectangular shape was retained and was simply made 50% longer. Due to the longer lengths of the rudders (compared to the Profintern's) and inserting strips af styrene between the sides of the overlays immediately behind the original nylon rudder there was no concave area at the rear to fill and sand. Test fitting showed that in a 45 degree turn the aft portion of the new rudder completely obscures the prop ahead of it, and the leading edge of the rudder is in line with the center of the opposite prop. The props are counter-rotating inwards so the rudder will divert a large portion of the flow. A significant improvement in turning is expected. The motors and drive trains of the models are identical and are running smoothly. The next step is to add water-channeling at bow and stern using concrete gap filler, which takes several days to set. Sheets of 0.032" aluminum armour will be installed in the bows where it's too narrow to install any equipment,
Not much more done yet due to work on Profintern and Indefatigable. The paint's been stripped from the decks, which will have planks scribed in the gelcoat on both cruisers. With the paint removed I could see where I'd started scribing the planks on HMS Cumberland before selling it. I'm waiting for orders of modelling dope and silkspan to arrive so the bows on both models can be re-sheeted. The sections of 1.5mm thick styrene internal armour have been removed and cracks and BB holes are being patched with 1mm sheet styrene.
WE WANT PICTURES OR ELSE no kittens,cats felines or aardvarks were injured in the making of this post
