by Peter Fulgoney
1/700 HMS Africa (Combrig)
HMS Africa (based the Combrig Edward 7th) was completed November 1906, one month after Dreadnought, at Chatham dockyard UK. She served in the Third Battle Squadron, Home Fleet, and then transferred in August 1914 to the Grand Fleet. The type was also known as the Intermediate Dreadnought because of the powerful secondary armament. There were eight ships in the class, also known as the “wobbly eight” because of their tendency to roll. As with HMS Hibernia, Africa was later fitted with an aircraft launching ramp over A turret, and out over the bow.
I have shown Africa in a heavy sea, “taking it green”. This idea is based on having completed the model about 18 months ago but not being happy with the overall quality. I therefore felt that some experimentation in presentation may redeem the rough look of one of my earlier builds.
The base for the sea is artist’s watercolour paper which has an undulating finish already in place. The ship is placed on the paper on the outline pencilled in. The template is then cut out, and the base spray painted. The paper is rippled by hand to create the “waves”. I placed the ship at about 5 degrees to the base so some more black hull was required, made out of plastic card.
The sea effect is then a build up of pva, acrylic white, acrylic clear gloss, and cotton wool. I stuck this in place with pva, and then used hair spray to settle the finish the cotton wool, after arranging the “bed head” look.
Special thanks to Rob Kernaghan for giving me all the necessary information to build HMS Africa, and Mrs F for the cotton wool, and hair spray because I’m worth it.
Peter Fulgoney, Chatham UK. May 2006.
