1:600 HMS Repulse Wooden Deck for Airfix kit #A06206

HMS Repulse: upper deck covering in 1:600 scale

This sheet from Artwox Model is fitted to a finished model of the cruiser HMS Repulse. It replaces the smooth plastic area with the look of a planked deck, so the model stops looking like a mere molding. The kit itself is not part of the package. It is based on the dimensions of the Airfix A06206 kit.

A fast cruiser and the end off the Malayan coast

The Repulse belonged to the Renown class, that is to ships built during the First World War with the emphasis on speed, which was paid for with thinner armor. Interwar rebuilds kept her in the front line and in May 1941 she took part in the search for the Bismarck. In the autumn of the same year she sailed to Singapore as part of Force Z. On 10 December 1941 Japanese torpedo aircraft hit her north of Kuantan; together with the Prince of Wales she became the first large ship sunk by aircraft on the open sea while under way.

How to achieve a good result

Work in good light and under a magnifier, as the small edges are otherwise easily overlooked. Wipe the area before fitting and let it dry. Once it is finished, very fine dry-brushing helps to pull the edges of the planks out. Finish the superstructures last, so that the deck does not get dirty.

Who the accessory suits

• For modelers interested in battlecruisers
• For collectors building the pair of ships of Force Z
• For those who want to turn a smooth deck into wood
• For builders used to small work