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HMS Ark Royal R09

HMS Ark Royal R09…

HMS Ark Royal was commissioned as the world’s first aircraft carrier built with an angled deck. She beat USS Forestall by nine months. Construction was started in 1943 and she was launched in 1950. It took five more years to finally complete the ship, this was due to redesign.

Aircraft that flew from her deck include the F4K Phantom, de Havilland Sea Vixen, Grumman Avenger, Hawker Sea Hawk, and the Westland Wyvern among others.

Although she was present at many different important operations she never took part in any combat. While on exercises with NATO she collided with a Soviet destroyer.

The ship featured in the 1960s British television series Not Only... But Also starring Peter Cook and Dudley Moore. During one episode, the ship's catapult was used to shoot a piano into the sea while Moore was, supposedly, seated playing it.

She was taken out of commission on February 14, 1979 when the white ensign was lowered for the last time. She was sold for scrap early in 1980 when efforts to preserve her failed.

The Kit…

The kit is old and I did not have many references to improve it so I just used the box art to add some detail on the hull. I did construct a hangar deck and placed a couple of the planes inside. A lot of cutting, sanding, and filling was used to close the huge gaps in places. I did place the kit as coming into harbor with the sailors on deck waving at the crowd on the dock.