HMS ROYAL OAK from WSW in 1:700 scale. The model is shown as in late 1937 early 1938. The kit is fundamentally very good though things such as cable reels were mostly omitted on the casting, these parts were procured from the WEM pro series, as were the pompoms which are a resin photo-etched brass combo. The hull had various small shutes and hatches added along with all the interdeck struts to boat deck with their various gussets.

The spotting top was a very naked affair and gained the benefit of windows from the ladder stock of a 1/426 scale Arizona GMM set. The model was based largely on a combination of the Profile Morskie book on Royal Oak, which has many drawings in 1/700 scale, along with the drawings and excellent photos in Raven & Roberts British Battleships of WW2. The starfish were scratch-built from brass photo-etched scrap and modified etchings from the WEM Queen Elizaeth class photo-etched sets. The catapult was extensively rebuilt using the kits own photo-etch, which is correct as a starting point. Additional platforms were added to the forward tripod and braces added to all undersides of platforms from photo-etch scrap.

The blastbags were reshaped to make the baggier and saggier using white glue and thick paint. I did not recognize or like the aircraft that came with the kit so I scratch-built my own Fairey IIIf from a timber fuselage with wings made from resin casting wafers, the struts are 1/350 handrail and longitudinal braces cut down. The spinner is a dab of white glue.

The model was painted in WEM Colourcoats AP507A, dark gray all over, washed down to lighten the picture with watercolours to give a better scale effect.

JIM BAUMANN

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