-- Originally Posted 5/11/08 --

Long before this year's discovery of the Exeter wreck, I had wanted to build this ship - and so had acquired this kit:


Click on Image to EnlargeThe NOVO (et al; originally FROG) 1/500 scale mold. However, although I love its size in this scale, her historic consorts and opponents - notably Ajax, Achilles and Graf Spee - were never released (except for one very rare Nichimo Graf Spee) in 1/500 scale but were instead readily available in 1/600 scale; from Airfix and even Aurora. It used to vex and puzzle me no end how Airfix could have done all those historic RN subjects in 1/600 scale and yet failed to include HMS Exeter!

Until my recent work bashing HMAS Sydney from an Airfix Ajax kit, that is. Not being an RN cruiser expert, it took me some time to realize - and even so perhaps I am giving Airfix too much credit for anticipating this - but the fact is an astounding number of RN cruisers shared similar if not identical hulls, weapons and superstructure components with the Leander class, as depicted by the Ajax kit. Including the York class - of which Exeter was a sister - despite the Leanders being light (6"-gun) cruisers and the Yorks being heavies (8" guns):


Click on Image to EnlargeHere the FROG 1/500 Exeter hull (larger; background in both images) is the spitting image of the Airfix 1/600 Ajax hull - minus (probably incorrectly) the stabilizer vanes of the latter, and plus a better-defined bow knuckle in the hull.

A comparison of dimensions between Exeter and Ajax indicates the Airfix hull could be converted into a 1/600 scale Exeter by adding only 0.09" in beam and 0.5" in length! And so I started the conversion of (yet another) Airfix Ajax hull:


Click on Image to EnlargeHere the first step - expanding the beam - is begun by inserting the keel spacer shown at top; it is 0.09" wide and - to give you an idea just how minor this conversion will be - is of exactly the 0.5" extra length required. Before lengthening, however, the beam adjustment was finished out by filling the remaining gaps along the keel with tapering shims, as shown at bottom. (I have found this to be by far the most reliable way to proceed in modifying a hull.)

But now where exactly to add in the extra length? My uncertainty can be discerned from the 5 tentative marks in the center of the new keel plate (bottom). All things being equal, the logical place to insert extra hull is at the center of symmetry of the hull; the center of the stabilizer vanes, on this hull.

However not "all things are equal" in this particular case:


Click on Image to EnlargeTo validate my one, horribly low-resolution (though perfectly orthogonal) profile pic of Exeter (center), I compared it to a profile of York (top); from Alan Raven's Warshp Perspectives; Camouflage Volume One: Royal Navy 1939-1941. Locations (dashed bars) of six major features - turret barbettes, bases of both funnels (despite the rake of York's) and trailing end of the after superstructure - all proved identical for both York and Exeter, though not of course with any of Ajax, as obtained from the Airfix kit painting guide (bottom).

However the important question was answered: Exeter's foredeck, ahead of the step-down to the main deck aft, was significantly longer than on Ajax; regarding the upper hull and deck, much of the required extra length should be added to the foredeck (gap in the Airfix profile). Although this is significantly forward of the center of hull symmetry, it is possible - and in fact often more reliable - to split the lower- and upper hull portions at different points; to add the extra length along a "stitched" joint.

And another major item indicated for the Ajax-to-Exeter conversion: the block bridge, though of course located differently on the two ships appears in itself to be almost identical for both!

But now - decidedly late in the scheme of things here - something else also occurred to me:


Click on Image to EnlargeThe Airfix Tiger hull is, except for the minor clipping of the transom, another "kissin' cousin" to the Leander-class hull - except larger, as you can see; in fact - especially with the rounded stern restored - it is an almost perfect match for a 1/600 HMS Exeter! (And again, like the FROG mold having better-defined bow hull knuckle than the Ajax kit.)

This warrants further examination - particularly given the ready availability of this kit - of which I myself happen to have recently come into a copy (THANKS, Mikey!) at a very reasonable price.

Cheers,

-Matty