HMS Victorious/ HMSFearless 1/600 Airfix
My intension was to build the Airfix HMS Victorious to indulge my passion for re doing the kits I built as a kid and also because my dad served on this ship,I knew it was a basic kit the moulding is from 1959 so it is seven years older than me !,I quickly realised that the pylon style mast behind the smoke stack just was not acceptable under any circumstances and even considered missing it out altogether it was so bad,I found there was a photoetch set for various Airfix ships which included the mast and cranes for Victorious however it was over £20 on a kit that cost me a fiver,oh well .The kit comes with poorly detailed Seavixens ,Scimitars and Skyraiders but one thing was missing - a helicopter, I remembered that the Airfix HMS Fearless has two helo's so that was bought just to provide the much needed finishing touch. A bit of research showed that these two ships careers did overlap by a couple of years so they can be displayed together.
I always thought the Vicky as she was known by her crew was a handsome looking ship and built it more than once as a kid the same cannot be said for the fearless however.
The HMS Fearless was a ship designed to get marines on the ground quickly and has two landing craft which are delivered to the sea via a ramp in the stern and four smaller landing craft hanging from the sides as well as two or more helicopters.
Thanks for looking, N.
I thought those were Skyraiders, but I wasn't sure. Nice work, sir...I like 'em both.
Craig, thanks for your kind words,yes the British FAA used Skyraiders as a stopgap until the Fairey Gannet came along, I am currently working on the Classic Airframes Gannet, and it will appear on this site at some point.
N.
They both look great, nice job
Thanks Rob,N.
Gives a nice remembrence. The Victorious was one of the first ship-models I built about 45 years ago. Modified later to waterline and slightly damaged and it has "survived" in a drawer together the other airfix-ships of that time.
Those ancient Airfix kits were very basic ,but for us old boys a nice reminiscence to days gone by when life was easy, thanks for looking.
N.
Those two take me back to my yoof Neil.
They were the the very basics of kits back then, with no A/M around either.
Simes ! glad to hear from you pal,I have been checking in most days ,just not posting or commenting, Jaime sent me a note and that spurred me to get back into the scene,I love the really old Airfix stuff.
Cheers N.
Neil, I like Fearless. I've never seen one built here in the former colonies. Looks like a ship designed to "land the landing party".
Hereabouts we had Revell ships, and once in a while, I get to thinking I'd like to build one for the same reason, I had the F D Roosevelt.
I remember a reviewer in RAF Flying Review commenting on the Skyraider with the folded wings. He said it looked like it had had a fright.
Thanks for looking,Fearless served from 1965 until 2002 and was the last steam powered ship in the Royal Navy.
N.
Neil, I'd never had known that. No small distinction. Thanks for pointing it out, that's amazing.
Hello Neil,
Brings back many memories. I can still see the box art. Already then they new how to sell these plastic kits.
You did not have much to play with, so you did a great job.
One remark on the Douglas Skyraider and for instance the Lockheed Neptune. Both these types were on loan from US Navy inventories. The American politics made very clear to the UK, that these planes were not to be used to control colonies. They did it anyway during the Suez crisis and were criticized by the US. After this "political" incident US "loans" were "swiftly" handed back to the US. So came the introduction of the Shackleton and Gannet. Both type's inferior to the US made naval aircraft. But beautiful aircraft (!) to see. Today, that is all over. F35 Strike fighter /Boeing 707 sensor aircraft / P-8 Poseidon anti submarine aircraft and so on.
My father was aboard Victorious during the Suez crisis and claimed to have been part of a AA gun team,that bit may or may not be accurate,he was prone to tall tales on occasion.
I would be the first to admit my effort looks a bit basic ,even toylike but I have seen some finished to a standard on a par with your work and the handsome lines of this ship really shine through.
Thanks for looking and your kind words.
N.
P.S. I would love some decals for the aircraft and maybe more equipment on the deck,tractors etc do you know where/if they are available in 1/600.
Yes, these old Airfix kits bring back great memories for a lot of us "oldies", thanks for sharing them with us, Neil.