I have wanted to do a 4 stacker for quite awhile, and I see that Revel has re-released its old box scale as the HMS Campbeltown. I was wondering if any one has built her and done a review. Also, I see that WEM is going to be releasing some PE for her soon, but after looking at the directions for the kit (on Revels website) the guns look...well, they leave a lot to be desired.

So really the question is, does anyone make 4", 3" and .30 and.50 cal machine guns in 1/240 scale?

Thanks

I have the same kit and also picked up the PE set from GMM. I have a project on the bench right now and will get to the four stacker after my Akagi buils.

Check out B&D Barrels. They have two sets of deck guns for this kit. They cost about $12 for the full set. I will be picking them up in a few weeks.

Sam M

I picked one of these up as well, and want to convert it to a Canadian destroyer, likely HMCS St. Clare as she was involved in the hunt for the Bismark.

Any upgrades would be great, didn't know that WEM was going to reissue the PE for it. New guns would be great as well!

Hi Bruce!

The classic Revell four stacker was one of may favorites from childhood and I am in the process of making a series of them in diorama form showing the various guises the flush deckers appeared in their long career.

The molds are over a half century old and the kit engineering betrays its early generation pedigree: thick railings along deck edges, heavy boat davits, lack of detail on the torpedo tubes, inaccurate deck planking, and those awful guns.

The good news, for those with the ambition, is that all of that can be replaced with basic scratchbuilding and aftermarket items. In fact, the only inaccuracy that cannot easily be fixed or replaced is the lack of flare to the bows. In my case, scratching 70-80% of the kit is necessary because of all the modifications made to class anyway.

On the other hand, for just plain old kit building, the stock kit produces a decent representation of the classic four stacker look in a handy size. It all comes down to what you want.

--Karl

Thanks for all the relies people!

@Sam, thanks for the tip on B&D Barrels. I guess I am going to go with the replacement barrels since I couldn't scratch build a gun mount to save my life.

But that still leaves the 3" gun and the machine guns to locate in that odd-ball size

@Scott, I also found out that GMM makes a photo etch set, that while not specific to a 4 stacker, will work quite well.

@Karl, really I am just looking to do a flush deck that actually looks something like it did when it was in commision. In the back of my mind I want to do DD163 before she was converted to a water tender.

Again, thank you everyone for your help.

Bruce;

Not a problem. I plan on starting this project in a couple of months. I'm a slow builder and working on a 3 flight deck IJN Akagi in 1/700. The Campeltown / Ward build will be the largest model to date for me.

I'm also seeking info if the four stackers had wood decks? The Campeltown kit I have, has planked decks. What about yours? Should they be sanded flush? Did any of the four stackers have planked decks? I wouldn't mind working with a wood deck>

Let me know if you have any info.

VR
Sam M

The 4 stackers did not have wooden decks. The detail for the wood planking has to be sanded off or the deck replaced. The B&D barrels look great. I bought some resin guns from Nautilus in, I believe, 1/144 scale to replace the Revell kit parts. The mounts are much nicer than the kit ones. And with the new B&D barrels will look even better. In the Nautilus set, you get various size mounts and have to pick the ones that seem to be the right size. You should be able to do this for the three inch guns as well as the four inch guns. A quick calculation gives me 4.5 inch in 1/350 is roughly equal to the Revell 3 inch.
There is also a wonderful build article in the Destroyers section of ModelWarships. The builder is very talented and scratch built almost everything except the hull and basic superstructure. I can only dream of building something like this, but he gives a lot of info on how he built the model and his research on what needs to be corrected.

Shaun

Shaun;

Thanks for the info and I will keep that in mind. I wonder why Revell made the deck look like planking? I know of the build you are talking about, and that guy is a true master. He re-built the kit / scratchbuilt the ship using no PE parts at all. That is true craftmenship.

Sam M