HMS Illustrious and Illustriouser

I’ve been looking at carrier kits of the Illustrious and in my research of the kits and the real deal, it seems like there are 2,3 maybe 4 versions of ships with this name. I’m interested in the most recent ones; i guess the Gulf War version got a retrofit that modified the bow and added a bunch of radar/comm tech to the island tower.

Does this modern version come in a decent 1/350 kit? What about the previous version? Any info or insight would help.

Then there’s the HMS Invincible, which has no kit, bujt can be modifed and scratch-built using an Illustrious kit. S-O-S

thx

There have been 5 ships to carry the name Illustrious. Its common practice for the RN to re use names.

According to this review, the Airfix 1/350 kit shows her after her last refit in 2005.

http://modelingmadness.com/review/misc/ships/gb/spahrillus.htm

Yeah we do that too. Essex, Enterprise, Ranger.

There’s also the WW2 Lusty, Heller 1/400.

yes the HMS Invincible can be modified from the Illustrious kit. i’m doing that in 1/700 scale using i think the Invincible to do the Illustrious & the Ark Royal.

OK, client changed his mind again and wants to stick with the Charles DeGaulle AC from Heller in 1/400. He doesnt like the toyish looks of the deck airplanes, so if you have suggestions or vendors who carry decent PE details and landing gear, as well as PE for the ship’s numerous railings, nets and radar gear, that would be a big help. Thx again.

Oh, and how the heck do you guys post pics on these FSM forums?


IIRC, Tanker Builder had a thread on the CDG Heller kit here, should only be a couple of pages back. He doesn’t post pics yet, but might have some insight on AM stuff for it.

Pics need an outside host site, ie. Photobucket, Flikr, Imageshack, etc. Several threads in the technical help sections at the bottom of the main page.

http://www.larsenal.com/1-400-standard-railing-c2x15951875

http://www.larsenal.com/1-400-superdetail-parts-c2x15951879

http://www.larsenal.com/1-400-thin-railing-c2x15951891

http://www.larsenal.com/1-400-rafale-jet-fighter-x-5-c2x15951885

http://www.larsenal.com/1-400-grumman-e-2c-hawkeye-x-2-c2x15951886