by Panagiotis Charalampakis
1/350 HMS Hood (Trumpeter)
First of all forgive my poor photos. My wife's camera can't do much better. Also, since English is not my native language many words are not familiar to me concerning nautical terminology, so again I apologise. Current built is at about 50%, more or less. Hood is one of my favorite ships so I tried to do her as much justice as my poor skill permitted. Good thing is that references are a lot and the site of Hood's Association (HAS) is really a must http://www.hmshood.com/hoodtoday/models ... mpeter.htm . I used LR and WEM sets plus my PE spare part treasure box and various bits and pieces made from evergreen styrene. Besides the usual enhancements like rails, doors/hatches, ladders etc ect, I have corrected or altered as many things as I could based on the above mentioned site plus various photos I have collected. All colors were WEM.
The list of enhancements/convertions includes:
Hawse pipes were drilled (all 4) and grill covers were added.
Portholes/Scuttles. All of them were drilled. Some of the already present ones were filled with sprue, some new made according to Anatomy of the Hood book and Hood Association site.
Propeller shafts were replace by appropriate brass rod. LR propellers added.
Degaussing cable. According to HAS a double cable was used at bow and stern. Although WEM provides double cable, it's wrong since both cables have same size. In reality, the upper one was smaller than the lower one. I used LR's for the lower and 1/700 spare cable for the upper one. CHeck HAS for the appropriate position of the cables.
Cable fairings above anchors are wrong in the kit so some minor surgery corrected the shape port and starboard easily.
All inclinned ladders were replace mostly by WEM (more detailed), including the ones leading to Quarterdeck. Soon protection rails will be added at all inclined ladders leading from one deck to another. Also, that elevated structure in between the 2 most aft boats was corrected by removing it, drilling and adding an inclined ladder leading below deck.
Door and Hatches. Both LR and WEM (with WEM slightly more detailed) were used for all bulwarks and decks. Here i opened as many door and hacthes as I could. I like the realistic effect of open doors. I also added the missing hatch behind B turret.
Silly plastic chain was removed and real one added. Also. I added the small side chains that prevent main chain from accidents. I added and drllled the openings that all chains go into the deck.
Breakwater. All parts of the kit were replaced by LR's.
The two small breakwater cranes were enhanced by rigging and pulleys.
A pair of slim vents added in the back side of turret bases B and X.
Hawse and cable reels. Again both LR and WEM used. A total of 16 so far (and probably more will come).
Still I have to correct the 2 twin vents just forward of the rear splinter shield at the end of the deck.
Boat craddles were scraped and replaced by WEM (amazing little pieces).
Corrected the size of the 2 small circular vents in the forward side of shelter deck near the forward pom-poms by cutting their tubular part a little and adding covers.
Replaced the rear splinter shield and its wooden deck at the end of the deck from WEM.
All lockers got a face lift of their front side by LR PE parts specific for this. I regret I didnt fill their backsides that have really ugly shallow holes but now it's too late for that :mad_1:
All grills of various parts were removed and replaced by LR perforated ones except the ones of the motor boat workshop behind the second funnel that were actually canvas covered windows.
Bulwarks from LR replace all the correspondent Trumpeter parts and soon they will get additional various cables and voice pipes.
The large vertical areas below the rear of the boat deck at the front of the quarterdeck were not identical so I slightly enlarged one of them.
The two rafts of each side of the conning tower were not added as they were actually situated near the stacks.
Signalmen's Shelters. These two structures were added with styrene according to HAS details.
Conning tower platform. See the page 14 of the kit instructions. In the lower right hand corner you can see the assembly of the Conning Tower Platform. You need to make modifications specifically to parts A8 and A10. Basically, remove the little square outcroppings on the lower/rear corner. Basically, remove the little feature on the lower/rear corner. In reality, the bulkheads were vertically flat...nothing sticking out (other than voice pipes and of course, the Signalmen's Shelters mentioned above). There was also nothing sticking out to the rear at the bottom (most drawings/plans of this area are incorrect). Copied from HAS, easier than trying to describe what I did here. :roll_eyes:
Admiral's bridge. The two small bumps were gone and soon canvas covered rails will be added. Also I detailed the rear portions of parts A21 and A22 with perforated rectangular screens.
The 4 5 inch machine huns were enhanced by using Trumpeter's barrels with everything else from WEM. Also, the two towers of the aft guns were corrected by removing the splinter shields replaced by rails, one ammo locker onto the platform and the 2nd one near it's base. Vertical ladders added.
Search lights were drilled and front screen added (LR).
The 2 paravanes were enhanced with WEM's help (more detailed than LR's).
Main director got braces from WEM.
Boats were treated with both LR and WEM additions. Now they are models of themselves. Coloring is according HAS suggestions again.
LR resin turrets which are much more accurate than Trumpeter's. Added the correct pattern of platform onto turret X and also added two pairs of slim ventilators on turrets B and X. Blastbags were not painted in any fancy color like white or tan since actual blastbags were the same color approximately as hull color. I also added the covers wearing Hood's emblem at the gun muzzles.
Pom-Poms and machine guns got a treatment of LR and WEM sets. Only thing I ommited were the shields of the 4 machine guns.
Up rocket launchers were made from scratch using WEM/LR parts and styrene.
The conning tower platform and forebridge, air defense platforms and compass platform got the nessesary convertions following HAS information and photos. Added the platform to the foremast starfish. Also tried to make the aft side of foremast starfish to appear having two round extensions as was described in HAS.
Added the exhaust pipes at the sides of the mainmast tripod. All platforms and both starfishes of main mast and foremast got rails and structural reienforcements.
All rigging was made with stretched sprue and caenis thread. Added the insulators with white glue.
Extensive rework of the aft superstuctre, doing corrections according to HAS info.
There maybe some building flaws and I 'm sure there is room for even more accuracy, but as far as I can tell, judging from photos from various builts of fellow modelers, I believe this is the most accurate built so far and I'm very proud of it. :smallsmile:
