Hearing that Mirage was going to produce affordable Flower class corvettes in 1/350 I was very excited. I like the smaller vessels up to destroyer size. So much diversity, but unfortunately not so much documentation and unfortunately a bit neglected by modelcompanies.
The HMS Anchusa took a little longer to arrive in the East (not surprising with 16 knots top speed )
First look: Quite nice, like the hull plating, details are nice, who cares for a bit flash. Nice instructions colored side view.
So, excited as I was, I glued together the hull, and



Sinkholes in the aft part (1) Seems to have had a grounding on the way, maybe in the South China Sea.
Resulting in (2): a nasty leak (shortshot)

Not nice but easy to be repaired. Hey, there is no other flower!

Then I started to research a bit and found only very few pics of the ANCHUSA, all probably taken at the same time. Probably even in the correct camouflage acc to Preston/Raven.
Unfortunately in a later configuration with the lower bridge, Radar and mast behind the bridge. And she has a round stern, not a square one because she was no minesweeper. Seems that Mirage has taken the Hull of HMS Zinnia and uses it for HMS Anchusa, too.

To resume: Out of the box you cannot do Anchusa at all, and the camouflage seems doubtful for the earlier configuration.
So after a lot of picture studies (surprisingly few for so many ships)I decided to built another early configuration ship: HMS Campion where some nice pics exist, and....
buy the HMS Zinnia too.

I had found so many different versions of the Flower class, that you can easily make 4 or 5 totally different requiring more or less effort for conversion.

HMS Campion was not equipped as minesweeper, so I had to convert the stern. I made a cut in the stern, softened the corners of the square tuck with hot water and liquid glue, inserted a small wedge in the middle and glued it together again. Sounds more complicate than it is. You cannot just putty, because the deck is open and the bulwark should be kept thin.
The result:

Note: the little uneven corners are actually lips, which protect the depth charge rails which stick out a bit.

I found quite a lot of references in a nice forum:

http://theflowerclasscorvetteforums.yuku.com/topic/674

Side views, front views of the deck, and even a painting, confirming a profile in the Preston/Raven Book.
So I mixed a very dark blue grey (AP507a?) for the hull and painted bow and stern off-white. Underwater seems to be red, Deck seems same color like the hull, and the wooden deck in front of the gun looks painted too.



Decks and funnel are installed already, the fit of the deck on the engine room casing gave me a fit. Beautiful seam, difficult to remove without removing the details.
You can see, that i added the ASDIC transmitter on the keel a bit forward of the main gun position.

More next time.

Greetings from Shanghai

She is taking shape rather nicely. Look forward to seeing her done.....Cheers mark

White Ensign is shortly releasing a PE set which, among other things, is supposed to correct the incorrect bridge and superstructure.

Thanks Mark!
Hi Biggles! Yes I know, but I did not want to wait. I will use some generic PE later. And I never saw a model of the early HMS Campion, thats why I chose it.
I found that it is quite difficult to take photos of this overall dark gray ship. seems the camouflage is working.

I forgot to mention above, that the surface of the plastic is quite strange. It is covered by some quite nasty mold release agent which is difficult to remove. And the surface itself has a very strange structure, especially the decks. It looks like it is milled from a solid part. Could be that the molds were not polished. With the bare eye fortunately you cannot see it.

Installed the wheelhouse today and put the compass platform on top. Strange corner!




so checked my pics of HMS Campion and other early corvettes and found that the wheel house is narrower and has a rail on the side



So I had to narrow the house and had the brilliant idea to open the windows. Unfortunately the abt. 1 mm x 2 mm square windows are quite difficult to bore out and make perfectly square. At the end I built the wheelhouse of square plastic, taped the windows with tiny pieces of Tamiya tape and :




Now the compass platform fits, but...
HMS Campion has a round bridge wings. So more conversion?
And the Radar Lantern?

More to follow.

Greetings from Shanghai

I started to build mine when it arrived, but then I decided to wait until the PE is available. The kit does have a few inaccuracies, but the price is right. And with PE and AM weapons, etc. should build into an attractive model.

The update took some time, was traveling and had to overcome some difficulties with the type 271 Radar.
It is surprisingly difficult to make a straight clear octagon by hand. First tried to use clear film. I cut it slightly on one side and then bend it like PE. Was working surprisingly well, but....

Either the glue fogged it, or it fell off in the slightest breeze. Here you can see it standing besides the superstructure ready for installation.
In the front is the HMS Zinnia, which kindly handed over her round winged bridge. Interestingly, the Zinnia hull has still some sinkholes, but no shortshots and less flash

After 8 (!) tries I used full material acrylic glass and filed the "lighthouse" by hand. It took some time, but is clear, was good to glue and is straight.

In many pics the radar is covered by canvas (or the censor?) Does anybody know how this worked? Was it inside or outside, just one piece or like a curtain?
I saw pics from the HMCS Sackville, but her lighthouse is round and does not show any cover.
On the next pic you can see the final installed with a nearly finished bridge.



The railing canvas on the compass platform was made by kristal klear, the sandbags from thin cardboard, cut with a knife to imitate the wire lashings. The windows of the compass house are kristal kleer. For the wheelhouse below I used a different technique, because the house had to be altered anyway. I made the walls of clear plastic, masking the windows.
The bridge decks are woodplanked (the early flowers had this. For some reason the foc'sle deck is clearly painted over on one of my photos.
I replaced the 4"gun barrel with a brass tube.I think the gun is quite ok as it is now.
In the A.Raven book I found a drawing of the Semtex anti skid walkways which I imitated with very thin painted Kabuki tape. I know that Semtex at that time had light gray color, but it looks strange.
Does anybody know if they were painted over?
From the anti skid point it makes not much sense.



The depthcharge rails are "Lend-Lease" from USS England, shortened and converted. The originals are just plastic blobs (Zinnia's are better). Ladders are generic PE.

Unfortunately Mirage wants you to put two of the side depth charge throwers behind the shield (besides the AA gun). I doubt that they can fire over this shield, which anyway in many ships carries a liferaft.
Photos for HMS Anchusa as well as HMS Campion show, that the pair of throwers is grouped close together at the aft part of the engine room casing aft of the shield. I only saw this at a late stage, which made removal of the tiny molded pedestal of the thrower a bit difficult.
I think, the position is right for Zinnia, (which has no shield and has been copied for Anchusa. As far as i can see, the decks for both models are similar.

I will prepare a list at the end of the built with all corrections for reference.
That's all for today.

Greetings from Shanghai

Short update:

Installed a lot of small parts. Mast is built of 2 different diameter brass pipes. Did most of the rigging already, using black straight hair.
Boats, davits and rail is still missing



I asked already before, but maybe somebody can help me with the following questions:

In many pics the radar is covered by canvas (or the censor?) Does anybody know how this worked? Was it inside or outside, just one piece or like a curtain?
I saw pics from the HMCS Sackville, but her lighthouse is round and does not show any cover.

I found a drawing of the Semtex anti skid walkways which I imitated with very thin painted Kabuki tape. I know that Semtex at that time had light gray color, but it looks strange.
Does anybody know if they were painted over?

Greetings from Shanghai

She is coming along very nicely indeed.....Cheers mark

Thanks Mark

Wait for the next one, will be a short foc'sle one, just not decided which.

Greetings from Shanghai

Looking very good Tom,

Getting inspired to crack on with mine.

Thanks Tom.

Si.

Thanks Simon.

Campion was originally planned as a kind of prototype without muhc conversion, before I tackle a short foc'sle version, but the more you look the more you find to change.

Greetings from Shanghai

Not that anybody thinks I am not continue. Had just a lot of traveling this month and not much rest to model.

HMS Campion is now nearly finished, just need a little weathering. That was the first time I used self made decals for the Hull Numbers. A little So-So experience. Very fragile and a bit low in pixels but you don't see it on the model.



In front of the Campion you can see an early short foc'sle conversion (originally HMS Zinnia) This one will be a minesweeper so i can leave the stern as it is. Not yet decided if I will do a Canadian or a British Version. Just want a Western Approaches Camouflage. Any special requests?

Greetings from Shanghai

Tom,
Very nice work on the Mirage Flowers. Actually this surprises me these kits are not being really raved about. I realize they may leave something to be desired, but it is a start for us. Plus White Ensign just came out with the PE sheets for these kits. I, for one, will be definitely getting into this series. I really admire the Corvette crews and what they accomplished.

So how did you find the actual construction ? I realize you will be converting future hulls for various builds, but basic construction ? Keep up the Great work, Tom. And please let us see your work !

Take Care.......................Bruce

Hi Bruce

Thanks for the kind words. HMS Campion is finished now, will tomorrow try to make some good pics (sun is shining here) and then will make a comparison, what is ac.c my opinion necessary to make a correct HMS Anchusa and what are the differences to HMS Campion.

For me the fun is the research and conversion. When I can get reasonable hull and some components like main guns and boats I am quite satisfied.

My feeling is, that the HMS Zinnia is the better kit. Had less sinkholes and flash, and the hull shape is correct for a minesweeper corvette. Unfortunately I cannot find any photo of he, because she was sunk early.

Hull and Deck are ok, maybe the plating a bit exaggerated. many parts have still the structure of the machining of the mould, which is a bit annoying to remove.
The worst fitting part is the engine casing and its deck. The casing has inclined walls and there is a nasty seam when the deck is installed. Really recommend to fit the deck on first and then putty before installing the main deck on the hull.
The boats and the depthcharge rails are unusable for me. Rest is ok. But hey we are modelbuilders not assemblers.
What I love in these kits is the possible varieties , the color schemes and the fact that I do not need to assemble 102 identical 2cm AA guns and install yards of rail.
I only used generic PE, rails stairs, small parts and made brass masts.
I wish Mirage would do their Fourstackers in 1/350 too. There are as many versions and paintschemes as with the flowers.

Greetings from Shanghai

I've got both kits and think they're pretty decent. I'm less enthusiastic about Mirage up-scaling their four stackers - there are issues with those kits. New tool, please.

Fit on my flowers has been decent; there were some knocking pins at the bottoms of the main deck bulwarks that should be removed, if present

HMS Campion is finally finished, fixed all the small details and weathered lightly.
Underwater a light coat of green and sandbrown, above water, careful weathering with rust, dark grey and black for the prominent fender marks like on the photo.







Just an overview what changes were necessary for HMC Campion from the original HMS Anchusa kit:

-add Asdic transmitter*
-correct square stern into round one*
-correct lower bridge (narrower with sidewalk)*
-correct position of depth charge thrower*
-shortened boat davits*
-add type 271 radar
-upper bridge with round wings 0.5"twins and lowered searchlight
-repositioned liferafts




The points marked with * are in my opinion necessary, too when doing a HMS Anchusa as built. Unfortunately I have no photo of her in that condition so no idea about camouflage. Probably medium or dark gray (AP 507 a or b), but that is just my guess. Many early flowers were painted like that.

The camouflage in Mountbatton-pink in the the kit should be correct only for a later refit, with mast behind the modified bridge and radar. However this require further modification of the bridge.

My second flower will be an early short foc'sle Canadian Flower, HMCS Brandon. I have the plans of HMCS Agassiz and some nice pics of HMCS Brandon. Quite colorful..

More to come

Greetings from Shanghai

Very nice, I love those 'little ships' and respect the men who sailed them. Al

Thanks, Al!
Must been quite quite terrifying in these little ships in winter on the North Atlantic. Even today in a big ship its not real fun.
Greetings from Shanghai

Hi Tom,
You did indeed a wonderful job on this ship....Excellent!

Now, I have a target for my u boats!

Again....excellent job,
Cheers,
Joe

To see what it was like on a Corvette, read Nicholas Monserrat's books 'The Cruel Sea' and 'Three Corvettes'.
It was said that a corvette would "roll on wet grass", and one vessel caught in a North Atlantic storm lost the whole 4" gun and mounting over the side!!

I love these little ships.............

@Joe: Wait until my 2nd corvette is finshed. Then I can form an escort group.

@Dave: I read the "Cruel Sea" and loved the movie. Did the trip several times on a small containership in winter. Much bigger and safer than a corvette and slower movement. Not exactly pure fun all the time however, except when we started sliding down decks like Charlie Chaplin

Greetings from Shanghai

Small update from the escort group:

Hull and main deck for the HMCS Brandon finished for first layer of paint. This one will have a "Western Approaches" camouflage with a lot of white and will show any scratches

On the pic you can see in white the conversion, grey is the original kit



Part of the conversion is necessary for the short foc'sle version, part for the Canadian versions. The Canadian ships have a different stern part of the engine casing, due to the location of the galley under the bridge.

Greetings from Shanghai

Hi Tom,

That is another great build....

So you say an escort group....Hmmm well then, looks like
I'll have to start a wolfpack!

Have a great day and keep those corvettes coming!

Cheers,
Joe

I am afraid, you will probably outbuilt me in 1/350 with your subs. And I do not see any help of destroyers or frigates yet


Just have a Liberty ship to protect.

Greetings form Shanghai

Excellent work Tom, You are tempting me to pick up one of thoese corvetes, but judging by Your pictures, the quality of the mould seems to be a bit behind todays standards.