I have a commission client who knows naval, but is asking for some ideas on what I can build for him. He’s looking for a Royal Navy or US destroyer, modern but NOT a Type 45. It needs to fit on a 28" wide bookcase shelf. I’d like to find a decent kit about 24" but may have to settle on fiddling with the typical 17", depending on what’s out there. Any recos on ship names or Types and where to find them would be greatly appreicated. Thanks.
One of the Olier Hazard Perry versions might be the ticket.
But, a Spru-can is more lieky to fit the dimension wanted.
Bears more consideration.
Not a lot of 700 ft destroyers to choose from.
Spruance would be about 18", Zumwalt around 21".
Even the Ticonderoga and Virginia cruisers come to about 19"
Bill
And, along those same lines, what might be wanted is an LHA or LST
Very Fire annouces the USS Atlanta. CL 51.
This is an important ship. Originally classed as a Lead Destroyer; 8 twin 5" mounts, about 500 feet long.
This would include Juneau CL 52 of Sullivan Bros. note.
That would be a really nice model.
Bill
CL (AA) 51 an excellent idea. She’s 530’ long, so, a little shy of the goal stated.
Some elaborate Meas 33 paint schemes, too
“Oakland” class a little less tedious for only being the six 5"/38 mounts–but gets all quad Bofors (but as few a six 20mm mounts).
I have a number of CLs on the shelf, but 1/700. I would like to build this one. Wonder if VF will do the Oaklands?
Bill
It shouldn’t be a huge issue, delete two 5"/38 turrent, and add more quad 40s. The deck mould would need the turret base deleted.
Curious: Most of the line drawings show a “doghouse” on the torpedo tubes, but none of the actual photos ever show a “blast enclosure” installed. The Original Atlantas would need one due to the additional 5" turrets, but not the Oaklands.
For a modern US Navy destroyer, there are two kits I can recommend from personal experience with both:
- For a ship currently in service: consider Trumpeter’s 1/350 Arleigh Burke-class USS Lassen DDG-82 kit (click here). It represents a Flight IIa ship with helo hangars so could be used as the basis for any one of more than 40 Flight IIa ships. The real ship is 505’ in length, 17.44" in 1/350 scale, so it’s shorter than your ideal of 24". The model looks good built right out of the box and came with a small fret of photo-etch.
- For a destroyer model that is larger, albeit a 1975-2005 subject rather than one currently in service, consider any of the Dragon or DML (same company) 1/350 scale Spruance-class DDs (click here). The real ships were 563’ long which makes the model 19.3" long in 1/350 scale. One ship of the class remains in service, as a test ship. I have the Dragon USS Spruance DD-963 kit, very nice, and it includes markings for 4 ships of the class.
Although not US or Royal Navy, there are two newly released kits of modern subjects that may be worth a look.
- 1/350 scale Italian Horizon-class destroyer by Takom (click here). This handsome class is in service with Italy and France. The Italians class them as destroyers and the French classify them as frigates. At 501’ in length, they are nearly identical in length to an Arleigh Burke-class destroyer, very large for a frigate, and operate as air defense destroyers.
- 1/350 scale Sachsen-class frigate by Takom (click here). Also large at 470’ in length, this class of ships operates as air defense destroyers, too, and is in service with the German Navy.
Hope this helps!