-- Originally Posted 4/20/08 --

For modifying the Airfix Ajax kit into Sydney, no photo in our historical collection so far is more important than this portside profile, IMHO. Using it, and the painting guide from the Airfix instructions, I was able to paste up this first-cut diagram of the modifications required:


Click on Image to EnlargeAt center is the Airfix layout for Ajax, while the raw profile-view at top has been corrected at bottom; to fit it perfectly between the aft bulkhead of the bridge castle and center of the X-turret barbette (long dashed bars).

Thus, the profile makes clear exactly how far forward the aircraft catapult turntable must be shifted (short horizontal arrow between short dashed bars), as well as the relocation of the High-Angle Guns platform, and of the guns (single-4"45cal open-mounts) themselves, as indicated by the short bars at bottom; along waterline of the corrected profile pic.

This analysis was such a good start and so convincing, IMHO, that (actually, a couple weeks ago now) I began applying exactly the above changes to my Airfix Ajax kit:


Click on Image to EnlargeThe gun platform is removed, the gunwales cut down to the lower, after deck level forward as far as the arrow on the hull (starboard side already done), and the deck section containing the catapult turntable slid forward.

Here is a closer look at the latter:


Click on Image to EnlargeTo preserve the deck width, I simply scribed along the planking direction to move the central section only. Underneath, horizontal bracing (bottom) keeps everything in one plane - and in this case the thick blocks will resist squeezing by the remarkably tight fit against the hull in my kit, which may not be a problem in yours. Meantime, extending the aftmost piece slightly beyond the edge will provide a lip on which to anchor the replacement piece(s) to fill the gap.

And speaking of gaps, in retrospect it seems the above removal of the gun platform was neither required nor efficient. None of its features - neither the funnel locators nor the gun mount bases - are correct for Sydney, meanwhile exactly the same section of deck must be retained in that original location anyway. Moreover, it turns out the rectangular section removed doesn't exactly match the shape of the after gun platform to begin with:


Click on Image to EnlargeUnder the Finding Sydney Foundation camo drawing at top - and, note, pointing the opposite way - are the drawings of Sydney which I extracted, spliced and corrected (to fit a flipped version of the top profile) from the Airfix Magazine article about which Avery so kindly reminded us.

Although the magazine plans represent HMAS Hobart, its text - and everything else I have heard elsewehere - implies her decks and superstructure were all 100% identical to Sydney. Note the after gun deck (detail at left, and dotted-outline on plan view) is not rectangular, but with after corners clipped at an angle.

Note also several innaccuracies of the Airfix magazine drawing: the catapult turntable is shown a full deck level too high; mounted on a non-existent deckhouse extending from forward. In the Finding Sydney Foundation's profile (emminently more credible, for several reasons), note the turntable is simply the continuation of a deckhouse, extending from aft - and in front of it you can see clear across the deck, completely unobstructed.

OK, with significant disagreements cropping up, it's time to do what I should have done to begin with : marshall all available references:


Click on Image to EnlargeAt top is the Finding Sydney Foundation graphic and under it the Airfix magazine Hobart plans, now flipped and fitted to match it in all important respects. Following that is a profile plan by one "R. Gillett" (if I read it correctly) and at bottom is our now familiar actual profile photo of Sydney - both likewise fitted to the dimensions in the Finding Sydney Foundation profile. At bottom right are also my own modifications (right) to the Airfix magazine plan views - some of which I am already concluding need to be further corrected/updated (see below).

Pics of the real thing are the ultimate corroboration, and both the Finding Sydney Foundation and Gillett drawings are confirmed in many features by this full-resolution look at our historical profile photo:

Note the forward end of the catapult turntable is in shadow (from the catapult overhead), and forward of that is a spot of - daylight. It doesn't extend all the way down to the deck - maybe there is another, half-height deck level there - but clearly the catapult turntable is not appended to a full-height deckhouse extending forward.

Similarly, there is a tiny spot of daylight shining through the alcove, aft, for the torpedo tubes (just below and behind the after funnel) - clearly, there cannot be any full-height deck house extending forward as far as the base of the funnel here (though again there could be a half-height one). But in front of this gap - right abaft the funnel base - note the deckhouse wall emerges into full lighting (looking curved to my eye), so that it is not a narrow, central spine as in the above Airfix magazine drawings, but some sort of winged shape extending outward to very near the deck edge if not merging completely flush with the hullside plating itself. Thus the basis for my above modifications (heavy dark lines), to the Airfix magazine plans for these structures underneath the high-angle guns platform.

However the above and the actual wreck photos are now convincing me that the front edge of the above deckhouse cannot be triangular as drawn - because what I at first interpreted to be vertical X-bracing at the deck edge must in fact be the cradle for the aft 27-foot whaleboat (which, note has its own X-bracing); thus, the forward pinching of the deckhouse must not be straight but scalloped to create a sufficient niche for the boat and cradle.

Clearly, the above is still a work in progress. But I'll bet we're fast approaching a very accurate - and I know more accurate than the Airfix magazine article - depiction of the actual layout of Sydney, as sunk.

As always, anyone having additional to add/observe, pipe up or send it in to us!

Cheers,

-Matty