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1⁄350HMS Invincible
HMS Invincible...
Falkands Conflict 1982
Kit Airfix Scale 1/350
On release of the Airfix Illustrious kit I decided to convert HMS Illustrious, at present, to HMS Invincible during the Falkland Conflict in 1982 which is completely different in all aspects to the Airfix offering. A different ship and a different era.
The bow of the ship had to be completed changed so everything was taken off including the ski jump and rebuilt from scratch using 20 thou plastic card. The ski jump had to be scratchbuilt using only the sloppy part of the take off run of the kit The blast shield and the Sea dart missile launcher was also scratchbuilt.. Detail on the bow was added using the odd parts of a motherboard, plastic bits and pill capsules !
Alterations were also made to the hull of the vessel especially on the port side. Sponson in the boating area had to be taken off and opening altered completely, to accommodate a launch instead of a dinghy.
The Island also had to be radically changed to accommodate the bulbous Radomes which incidentally were fashioned from the rubber squeezing part of pipettes.. The main mast was also altered . Detail was added to the bridge and the island side walls mainly consisting of extra lighting and CC units , new piping and trunking and fire prevention systems. Extra boating equipment , one sloop and a small launch on the starboard side had to be scratchbuilt as Invincible carried 3 on starboard and two on the port side.
The sponson on the port stern side of the ship was taken off and the stern was reshaped completely. The hangar was also detailed creating a busy atmosphere….