Author Topic: HMS Belfast refit  (Read 7295 times)

Offline TurboCoupeTurbo

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HMS Belfast refit
« on: August 31, 2015, 11:30:23 AM »
Hey everyone.  I wanted to jump on this group build, since I've never participated in one.  Unfortunately, with college and flight school my free time is rather slim, and I model at the slowest pace known to man anyway.  But I'm going to try nonetheless.

To that end, I've started construction on a Airfix 1/600 HMS Belfast kit.  Pics will be posted tomorrow probably.

I intend to model her refitted as a guided missile cruiser, with her 6" guns in 'a' and 'y' positions, and twin arm missile launchers in 'b' and 'x'.  The missile launchers are being taken from the Airfix 1/600 Moscow class helicopter cruiser.  They look sufficiently bland enough to my eyes to be missile launchers from any country, especially one fighting a 3rd world war so soon after the last one.  I have also thought about using the single square funnel from the Moscow as well, but I'm uncertain if this will work yet.  I'll modify the air search radar and fire cons from the Moscow, plus the radars from the Belfast.  I'm unsure of what to do about her secondary weapons.

I'll try to keep plugging away at her anyway.

Offline Kerick

  • Reportedly finished with a stripper...
Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2015, 11:39:11 AM »
Sounds interesting. I'll be looking for more updates!

Offline Volkodav

  • Counts rivits with his abacus...
  • Much older now...but procrastinating about it
Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #2 on: August 31, 2015, 06:04:39 PM »
Excellent, can't wait to see how it turns out.  I too have an Airfix Belfast for this build but it will not be a missile cruiser, in fact I don't plan to use the hull at all. http://beyondthesprues.com/Forum/Smileys/clabIcons/wink.gif

Offline Weaver

  • Skyhawk stealer and violator of Panthers, with designs on a Cougar and a Tiger too
  • Chaos Engineer & Evangelistic Agnostic
Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #3 on: August 31, 2015, 07:03:41 PM »
Sounds like a plan.

I've got a Belfast stashed away with similar thoughts in mid, but mine would use the Seaslug and other weapons from  a County class DLG.
"I have described nothing but what I saw myself, or learned from others" - Thucydides

"I've jazzed mine up a bit" - Spike Milligan

"I'm a general specialist," - Harry Purvis in Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke

Twitter: @hws5mp
Minds.com: @HaroldWeaverSmith

Offline TurboCoupeTurbo

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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #4 on: September 01, 2015, 03:41:04 AM »
Well here are the pictures I promised you all.  The hull is assembled and and the deck installed.  I cut the upper forward deck off from at the seaplane catapult, since she wont need her Walruses.





Next up is building the bridge and aft superstructures.  I'll try to get that done tonight.
« Last Edit: September 01, 2015, 03:56:15 AM by TurboCoupeTurbo »

Offline Buzzbomb

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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #5 on: September 03, 2015, 07:02:18 AM »
Good subject though

Offline TurboCoupeTurbo

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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #6 on: September 12, 2015, 09:03:41 AM »
Well I hope you guys didn't think I abandoned her, work has been proceeding slowly.  Got some good work done during the Labor day weekend before coming down with the plague on Monday.  Finally feeling back to normal-ish.

Anyway, on to the pics.



Here is a quick over view on where Belfast is at now.



Main bridge tower is coming together, but its not happy about it.  I'm fighting some warped plastic to get it back into shape.



Here is the deck.  The torpedo tubes are being moved slightly forward.  The 4 aft most 4" turrets are being moved down to the main deck level, for "top weight" purposes.  The forward 2 turrets will be moved to just aft and outboard of the bridge tower, which should allow them to fire dead ahead if needed.  I would like to scratch up a square tower mast to go aft the bridge in the seaplane handling area, though I've not the slightest on how to do that yet.



Bottom of the hull just needed some putty to smooth out the gaps.  Not a big deal.



Main air search radar. The design was stolen by MI6 from the Soviets who were intending to use it on their Moscow class helicopter cruisers.  Modified slightly to hide its origin.



One of the missile illuminator sets, scratch built using pieces from the Moscow cruiser.  (Searchlight, missile illuminator radar dishes, and some dome looking thing that goes on the stack)

I'll be bacheloring it up the next few days, so hopefully school work will let me get some sanding done on the hull and cutting done on the upper deck.

Offline TurboCoupeTurbo

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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #7 on: September 16, 2015, 10:38:13 AM »


Got the bridge assembled, cut down the upper deck work, and did a lot of sanding.  Progress is slowly being made.

Offline TurboCoupeTurbo

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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #8 on: September 23, 2015, 06:34:35 AM »
Work is still on going in the yards.  I've cut the mid deck overhang out above where the guns will be mounted amidships, added some super structure parts, and got all the directors built.  I'm relocating the 4" directors from the sides of the bridge to a tub between the guns themselves.  I've also added some spotlights and signal lamps to the bridge wings, plus a twin 20mm on each side.  2 more twin 20mm's will me mounted on the gun position near the aft mast. 

I have a total of 5 twin 40mm mounts as well.  I plan to put 2 aft on the fantail behind the shelter and 2 amidships just aft the step forward of the first funnel.  Should I place the 5th mount on top of "A" turret?  "B" position is still going to be a twin arm SAM launcher, so I'm concerned with exhaust damage (and crew injury?) or would there be enough clearance?  I'm not really that familiar with early missile systems to know for sure.

I'll try to get pictures up of the progress so far, but I've got homework to do tonight so it'll probably be tomorrow.  Thanks all.

Offline Old Wombat

  • "We'll see when I've finished whether I'm showing off or simply embarrassing myself."
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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #9 on: September 23, 2015, 09:30:41 AM »
Watching! Just not saying much, yet. ;)
"This is the Captain. We have a little problem with our engine sequence, so we may experience some slight turbulence and, ah, explode."

Offline TurboCoupeTurbo

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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #10 on: October 15, 2015, 04:45:37 AM »
Well, I'm not going to finish in time.  School has been very busy lately, and only going to get worse over the next month.  But some progress is being made on the refit.  Color has been applied.



Here are all the main components slapped on the hull, showing her colors.  I scratch built the mast, which I think came out ok for a first attempt.  I will add some cross arms nearer to finish, as well as an aft pole mast hosting another radar.  4" guns and torpedo tubes will be mounted along the sides amidships, and light AA guns will be added.

Thanks for all the support, and sorry I couldn't finish in time.  I'll enter her into the clear your workbench GB at the end of the year.

Offline Buzzbomb

  • Low Concentration Span, oft wanders betwixt projects
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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #11 on: October 15, 2015, 06:10:42 AM »
I like it.

All the mods fit very nicely

Offline Weaver

  • Skyhawk stealer and violator of Panthers, with designs on a Cougar and a Tiger too
  • Chaos Engineer & Evangelistic Agnostic
Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #12 on: October 15, 2015, 08:05:36 AM »
That looks pretty nicely balanced. Those SAN-3 launchers only had 12 rounds each (2 x 6-round drums) so they probably would fit into those spaces.

Question: if you're not operating seaplanes, what do you need to two big cranes for?

BTW, those "dome-looking things" that go on the side of the Moskva's mast are ECM jammers, NATO codename Side Globe (imaginative huh?). Each dome has a internal platform with two radar receivers above it and a transmitter below it, all swivelling together. When the two receivers pick up a hostile signal at the same strength they know the array is pointing right at it, so they can switch on the transmitter and blast it. Reportedly, the transmitter is so powerful that if a man was stood on the maintenance platform below it when it was switched on, the radiation would kill him stone dead. ???
"I have described nothing but what I saw myself, or learned from others" - Thucydides

"I've jazzed mine up a bit" - Spike Milligan

"I'm a general specialist," - Harry Purvis in Tales from the White Hart by Arthur C. Clarke

Twitter: @hws5mp
Minds.com: @HaroldWeaverSmith

Offline TurboCoupeTurbo

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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #13 on: October 15, 2015, 08:28:41 AM »
The cranes are for the ships boats.  I was originally planning to place a 4" mount in their place, but didn't like the looks of it.

In a perfect world, they would be smaller versions, but I don't have any suitable replacements and I'm not confident enough in my scratch building abilities to make new ones.  Perhaps they will be replaced as the build goes on, but its very low on the priority list.

Oh, and thanks for the info on the jammers!  Useful knowledge that may relate to other projects in the future.  ;)
« Last Edit: October 15, 2015, 08:30:14 AM by TurboCoupeTurbo »

Offline Volkodav

  • Counts rivits with his abacus...
  • Much older now...but procrastinating about it
Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #14 on: October 15, 2015, 10:40:51 AM »
Double ended, very nice!

Actually if you are aiming for the clear you bench build then this may be worth a look
http://www.shapeways.com/product/64B7VDVSW/airfix-hms-tiger-1-600-scale-upgrade-kit?li=search-results-1&optionId=20747957&rc=SearchResults

An update kit for Airfix HMS Tiger from Shapeways, lots of nice 1960s RN bits and bobs, including Mk6 3" mounts.
« Last Edit: October 15, 2015, 10:45:16 AM by Volkodav »

Offline TurboCoupeTurbo

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Re: HMS Belfast refit
« Reply #15 on: October 15, 2015, 12:34:00 PM »
Yes, I've seen that set before.  I'd need extra 3" guns and I'm not willing to spend that kind of coin anyway.  Thank you though.