Type 43 Destoyer - double tiered Air Defence warship

[Thorvic]

Ok as part of the Project Cancelled 2011 theme of British cancelled projects i shall be focusing on some of the warship designs that i have not yet covered.

First up is the Type 43 Design from the 1970's that was intended to follow the Type 42 ships should funding be available. These large cruiser ships made up for the shortfalls in the Type 42 design by incorporating twin Sea Dart systems fore and aft along with twined 909 directors per launcher. An inner layer defence system was based upon 4 sextuplet Sea Wolf launchers. Due to the missile systems fore and aft a flight deck and hanger for the Sea King Replacement helicopter (AW101 Merlin) was fitted amidships with the hanger abreast the forward funnel, an unusual spot for such a large helicopter but advances in helicopter and on board landing systems coupled with the more stable platform amidships meant this concept was judged acceptable.
These large cruiser sized destroyer's would have proved capable ships and escorts.



The hull has been created using a Fujimi Ticonderoga hull with the stern filled in, a recess for the gun cut into the bow deck and the sides skinned in plastic card to bulk out the sides before a chine was added with another strip of plastic card. Superstructure will be created from plastic strip and plastic card. Fixtures & Fittings will come from Type 42 kits and their equipment sprues.

[Weaver]

Heh - I've always wondered exactly who judged that helo deck "acceptable": I'll bet it wasn't the Fleet Air Arm! 

One of these years, I'll get around to my hypothetical Type 84: 4 x Olympus, twin Sea Dart, twin Ikara, no helo.

[PR19_Kit]

Was that class designed as a sort of 'Super Bristol' perhaps?

[beowulf]

ooo.....like the look of this one 

[Hobbes]

Admiral Baker is steaming into port with a load of his floaty boaty builds.... 

[Weaver]

Was that class designed as a sort of 'Super Bristol' perhaps?

The Type 43 that Geoff's building is more of a "Super Type 42", with 4 x Speys and later radar, of early '80s vintage.

My Type 84 plan is an alternative, "Big-Budget Bristol" for the early 1970s.

[Gondor]

My Type 84 plan is an alternative, "Big-Budget Bristol" for the early 1970s.

Everyone likes big bristols 

Gondor

[Thorvic]

Getting there with the super structures and sourcing parts, built up the fore and aft decks, but still need to create the funnels. Part way through doing the bridge and sorting the masts out. Got the Sea Wolf & Sea Dart launchers but still need to to sort out the Sea Wolf directors as these need to kitbashed/scratch built.

Photos to follow once the structures are completed.

[Hobbes]

Are you creating the superstucture from card or from a solid block?

[Thorvic]

A bit of both Harro, the hanger is card so it can be left open whilst  the rest is strip styrene of suitable thickness, Funnels will card too.

[Thorvic]

Built the superstructure and now in the process of fitting out













And one showing the Type 363 Corvette a Type 42 batch III and the Type 43 to illustrate the size difference



Enjoy

[Vlamgat]

Bravo - great stuff

I love your RN whiffs!

[Hobbes]

It's coming along nicely.

The superstructure looks much higher than is usual for British ships, but I guess that's inevitable with the position of the 909 directors.

[Thorvic]

Hi Harro

Yeap your right it is generally higher than most British Destoyers, probably to allow for the twin 909 directors in addition to the 910, it also puts the Air Search Radar higher giving it better coverage. There is also a trend in the Type 23, 24 and 44 designs of the same period to have the bridge higher, probably to raise the guidence trackers up to give better coverage.

Upto to the fitting out stage now after adding the clutter to the superstructure. Equipment fit will be pretty much in line with a Batch III Type 42 as built, prior to the additional close in AA guns being fitted.

Aiming to do a Type 44 as a companion to this build, which was based on a strecthed type 22 hull but had just the single Sea Dart & Sea Wolf combo.

[Mossie]

Another good looking one Geoff.  Yeah, I don't know ships much but the heli deck amidships struck me straight away.