The Unofficial Airfix Modellers' Forum

Front half of the deck is on.



Next step is some spot clean-up, seam filling, and paint touch-up and then we can start on the upperside.

We're on a small trip over a long weekend so there won't be any updates until May 1st, or so.

Looking very neat and crisp John.

I've got this pulled back in front on the bench; there's more detail work done than shown.
I'll do an updated progress picture in the next couple days and be back to work .... IIRC, I need to decide if the turrets are indeed too small and how I might fix that; I also need some 600-scale Carley floats to strap on the turret sides ala the box art ...

Back to work; here's a progress shot.





I've added some details, touched up some paint, etc. The paint became an issue because I grabbed one of my WW! colors by mistake and have to re-touch-up tomorrow.

Some of this WEM PE is just so small. They gave me sirens platforms to mount on the funnel -- each has two parts, all very tiny and fragile. I got them both cut out, both assembled, then I went to pick one up to mount on the funnel and away it went. Wonder of wonders, I found it, picked it up and got it on. Then I went for the 2nd -- it did escape !! So I took the other one off and moved on ….

Once I re-fix my paint with the right colors, a lot can happen ….

For the Carley floats, you could use plastic card and a length of solder bent around to make the float shape?

the good news about solder is that it is easy to shape and you can flatten it if needed.

@Splash: Yes, I could; I've probably got some fine mesh for the bottom. If I don't find some next week, that'll be the solution ...

Well, I have repainted Ajax correctly ….

While drying, I decided to tackle the diorama design.



It'll be of fair size, about 8 inches deep and 14 inches wide -- those are US inches if it matters

I think the background will be slightly curved, and it might move closer to Ajax, thus shrinking depth. The base is angled forward on the right side, to give the same impression of the boxart, that Ajax is moving acros and towards. This will leave an area in the right rear for a smoking Graf Spee. I think most of the GS smoke will be on the backdrop and not cottony fake smoke, as I'll have enough of that with Ajax's gunfire and funnel already ….

The boxart has Ajax's tubes elevated, which is what I plan to do, but I'm not sure it won't look odd on the base unless one squats down to look at it waterline level ….

As I'm off to the IPMS/USA Nationals next week, I'm going to look for another WEM PE for Ajax …. turns out those siren platforms are on the boxart, so I really need them … and no, the errant one did not show up today …. I also need to add a steam pipe up the front of the funnel to match the boxart, so the sirens have something to wail with …

Here we are with the superstructure on, sitting in the base. Good news is that I found that errant siren platform, but it's pretty mangled so I think I'll look for a replacement at the Nationals before I try further to make it presentable. You can't really see at this angle, but there is a steam pipe on the funnel.



Got a bit of touch-up to do, then add the other parts, and work on the base. I might get some done in the next day or so but I won't be posting pix until next week or so.

Looking nice and neat John.

Looking good john, i love pe especially when the hungry capert monster is about!

Ajax is was a beautiful looking ship, one i may try in the future,

Regards

Justin

The good news is that upon arrival at the IPMS Nats, I fired up my homing device and found the onle WEM 617 PE set in the room in 15 minutes. I can do the sirens now .... I need some spare parts anyway ...

I've been fiddling with photoetch on this and now have ladders all over the place, the siren platforms on the funnel, the braces under decking, and the catapult on.



On the front of the workbase you can see the plane/boat crane is built but not mounted, and the pieces of the SeaFox -- it's a major change from the kit one, assuming I get all the photo-etch struts done right ….

Oddly enough the boxart does not show the crane, but I'm going to have it angled right in what I believe was travel position.

I have started base work, maybe I'll get the 'sea' down tomorrow …. I'm not real good at making realistic water …

My water looks terrible right now, maybe when it dries a bit I can do something with it ...

Thinking about the crane (see above) got me looking at what the boxart really portrays.
Firing started at 0618, with Ajax first shot at 0623.
There was very little damage to Graf Spee and none to Ajax at this time.
At 0637, Ajax Seafox flew off to provide gunnery spotting.
At 0638 Exeter scord hits on GS, the first real damage.
The heavy pounding took place later, with Ajax taking a hit aft at 0725.

This is important to evaluate the boxart. Since Ajax is firing and the SeaFox is still on board, the box art portrays Ajax sometime between 0623 and 0637.
Thus one can interpret the smoke and fire off the stern of Ajax as X & Y turrets firing and not damage.
However, it does not seem that GS should appear to be smoking and on fire as she hadn't been hit significantly yet, so that must be funnel and gun smoke.

You ask who cares, well just trying to get things right -- I was bothered by the SeaFox being onboard. I'm still bothered that it appears to have white camo, although it could be a light grey. And I'm still bothered that the crane isn't visible.

I hate it when this happens, getting all hung up on details like this ....

Well John, sometimes the details are what it's all about.

I know square root of nothing about the Battle of the River Plate, but your Ajax is looking lovely. The PE is really making a difference.

regards,

Martin

Actually, it's worse than that.

I have a book on FAA camo & markings, with b/w photos and a derived color profile, which claims Ajax SeaFox was in a "local" camo of a couple shades of grey over the aluminum. Unfortunately, the photos only show the nose & floats well but nothing else and the profile doesn't guess at it very much -- but it is obvious the SeaFox is not in standard FAA camo of 1938-39, in part understandable since a repaint would only occur when back in port for some maintenance.

Its looking good John,

Ah the joys of PE and the hungry carpet monster! I understand the realistic concerns, as I am intending to make a small change in trying to be more historically accurate!

Justin