HMS Derwent - Type III Hunt: scratch built 1/1200



As a first go at scratch building I chose the Type III Hunt class destroyer HMS Derwent. I wanted a fairly small subject with simple (not lattice) masts for which I had good plan and elevation views.

Norman Friedman's book on British destroyers provided the plans. I scanned these, reduced them to the appropriate scale, copied them multiple times, printed them out and stuck them to pieces of plasticard. I built up the hull using the sandwich method then sanded it to shape.


I glued the layers together with plastic cement and the hull subsequently bowed. I have read since that super glue is a better choice, though I have had bowing with that too. With hindsight, I should have built some steel rod into the hull to counter this - even with such a low freeboard, there would just about have been space.

I shaped the funnel from some sprue with foil for the fairing around the base and the  rather over-size representation of cage from thin plasticard.


The 4" guns and quad pom pom were purchased from Clydeside and the boats taken from the spares box. Other detail parts were scratch built, mostly from brass wire. 


One part I struggled with were the depth charge racks. Ideally I would have used photo etch but in the absence of that, I stuck some netting onto a plastic rod core.






Ready for airbrushing


With the base coat of 507C - nice and pale this time.

Finished, with the obligatory shot perched on top of a Humbrol tin.










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