Modelling HMS Monarch

HMS Monarch - note the position of the mainmast, set further aft than usual to allow for the turrets

The trials and tribulations of the scratch builder eh? One of the ironclads I am building for the Royal Navy 1880 project is HMS Monarch - the first Royal Navy warship to go to sea sporting turrets. Whilst I was looking through my various references on battleships of the period I saw her thought yes, that will do for me! The only snag was that I had not looked too closely at her layout and so therefore assumed that my usual ‘hull top deck template’ would work. Except that it does not.

Note the position of the mainmast and that rather stylish flying bridge!

To incorporate the turrets and that rather fetching flying bridge arrangement the main mast was set slightly further back than usual. 

Then there is also the small matter of the forecastle and the small poop deck - neither of which I had allowed for.

Oh and one other thing, even my smallest turret templates at 20mm across are too large - they need to be around 15mm.

In short, in order to build a representational model of HMS Monarch I will need to go back to Warbases for some more bespoke pieces - a top deck template with the mast holes in the correct place, a forecastle and poop deck piece, a smaller turret and something for the flying bridge.

On the plus side, at least I found all this out now rather than when I needed it - I still have 23 other models to build in the meantime!