HMS Black Swan (U57) in the Atlantic *DNF* -> Ship Forum

[JohnRatzenberger]

This will be a conversion of the Airfix 1/600 Hotspur into the sloop Black Swan following information in the Dec 1971 Airfix Magazine.
This is one of several projects I am doing for the CBK SIG display at SMW 2016.



The conversion article isn't very helpful -- just a 2-view in 600-scale -- which is odd because these articles were usually full of instructions. I shall just have to start whacking & stacking I guess ... I also have the White Ensign RN DD 1 & 2 photoetch sets, made for the Airfix 1/600 WW2 destroyer series which will help.



I have found an early camo scheme which should pair it well with Campbeltown in another build.



I have some research and decisions to make -- as you can see the A/M drawing and the camo drawing do not agree in all aspects.

[PaulBradley]

Interesting. I'm sure there must be some online info, given how famous she is.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Not really - from what I can see the class itself was little photo'd and the class itself was individually modified throughout such that there is little standard and changes were extensive. Much description is just hand-waves over the details. I have an IWM photo, purportedly Black Swan at Londonderry in 1942 which looks much like the basic descriptions and the drawing above, but I am puzzled by what appears to be extensive space between 'B' and the bridge - that would be for hedgehogs but I'm not sure they were fit at that time. Given the lack of a side number, I wonder if the censor had a whack at this, although it certainly is neater work than one usually sees.



But I have settled on the basic configuration of 3 x dual 4.7, a quad 2-pdr aft, 4 x 20mm, 2 DC throwers and 2 rails. I can swipe the 4.7 mounts from Manxman.

I'll be using the Airfix Mag drawing above as a basis for the conversion, although the lattice mast isn't appropriate for an early config.

I'll have to shorten the hull about 12/32" and widen it about 5/64". The rest, I'll swag.

I do need to determine deck color.b

[JohnRatzenberger]

Started whacking away yesterday & today.



A section has been taken from the beam to shorten it and a strip glued to each side to widen it. I have to think a minute about the bow, tapering down, before I start putting sides together ....

Much like the RRAC, this will be design-cut-paste-as-I-go ....

[PaulBradley]

Should be fun to watch!

[JohnRatzenberger]

Next we join the halves .... Note on the bow section, I left a section without expansion and glued at the bow itself - I should be able to fill the long triangular section and we'll have a proportionally shaped bow.



I'll put some braces inside to keep the sides spread and reduce problems from ham-handed-ness ....

[JohnRatzenberger]

Put the hull parts together.



First I stuck the two aft-halves together, then the two forward-halves together and sanded the join on each, then actually did the join. Afterwards I added some bracing. There is a bunch of filler on the underside.

Here is Blackswan id the foreground and Hotspur behind - you can clearly see that Hotspur is the long, sleek one.

Next is to cut and fit the extended bulwarks/sides, then start on the main decks.

[PaulBradley]

Nice start.

[splash]

Excellent work, I was wondering how you were going to make a shorter and fatter ship.

That was a brilliant and simple solution to the bow problem.

[JohnRatzenberger]

Real world, details not important, been tough to do anything for past 3 weeks -- but today I got all 3 builds out, sanded the hull joins, and primed them ....



Ready to move along, although I really have no plan for making and putting a deck on this, so it might be a couple days until the next post.

I think it obvious that I won't finish the GB now, but I'll get as far as I can ....

[PaulBradley]

Been there, done that. I've only just started making progress on mine in the past few days as well...

Extending the deck - a strip of 20 thou around the outside of the existing deck piece?

[JohnRatzenberger]

Been there, done that. I've only just started making progress on mine in the past few days as well...

Extending the deck - a strip of 20 thou around the outside of the existing deck piece?

I think I'll be better starting from a blank sheet I don't think there is much commonality (I'll try to remember to take some pix) -- but it does lead to the idea that I could cut the kit deck into pieces, put it back together with blank filler, and run a widening strip around (or through) rather than completely scratch -- Thanks !!

[JohnRatzenberger]

Started on the extended bulwarks and new decks - nothing fancy, just some cut and fit.



I'll keep on the basic deck structures for a bit ....

[PaulBradley]

Nice. 20 thou for the decks?

[JohnRatzenberger]

Yes, 20-thou ... and there's more ...



You can see in previous picture the sides extended back. I ten ran a .030x.030 strip as spacer where the old deck sat because the new one was much thinner. Then I could trim & fit to get the two decks in, then cut and fit the superstructure and deck extension running back.

I'll need to sand/fill all this before moving on to the main deck houses. I have discovered that my Black Swan is a bit too trim in the waist, it's not quite as fat as it should be, but I have no time to correct it ....