by Sam Ross
1/700 HMS Glamorgan and HMS York (Skytrex/Dragon)
This is a display of 2 Royal Navy GMDs;
The first is the batch 2 county class HMS Glamorgan as she appeared post Falkands. She had been equipped with STWS either side and a Lynx had replaced the Wessex 3 as the shipbourne helicopter and she is fitted with sea gnat chaff dispensers. The county class orignally consisted of 8 units named after UK counties, and built around the Sea Slug SAM, this strange missle had to be stored horizonatlly and meant that much of the aft part of the ship was a magazine. The Skytrex kit has had additions from spare skywave spres including Lynk helicopter, double bedstead radar and chaff launchers. I have had always had a soft spot of HMS Glamorgan it was the first ship I ever went on during Navy days in the early 1970's. I think the kit captures the classic lines of the county class well.
The second GMD is HMS York the last of the batch 3 type 42's, her design contrasts with HMS Glamorgan and shows how missile technology has moved on, the Sea Dart system is more effective and compact than the Sea Slug, leading to amore compact design. Obviouly not as compact as the budget batch 1 and 2 type 42's. The kit is by Dragon and because of my lack of skill with photo etch, I avoided using those sprues
