Full Size Printed Drawings Scale 1/96 Arethusa-class light cruiser H.M.S. Penelope L 63" Suitable for radio Control

Full size printed drawings

 H.M.S. Penelope

Arethusa-class light cruiser

Full size printed drawings on two sheets 66” x 30” and 65” x 19”

Two page article

Note: These are scale drawings no building notes

Recommended for experience builders

Scale 1/96

Length 63 ¼”

Beam 6 3/8”

Suitable for radio Control

Note: Drawings for experience builders

BY NORMAN A. OUCH

   At 3/8 in. to 1 ft. scale the model would be 5 ft. 3 ¼ in. long by 6 3/8 in. beam by 1 ¼  in. at full load draught, and these dimensions would give a displacement of 14-15 lb. This would give her builder plenty of buoyancy for carrying radio control fittings, accumulators for long voyages, and either steam or electric power, the scale full speed being 3.2 knots at the most.

If the model is built to represent the ship as at the Battle of Sirte the catapult should not be fitted and pole masts of the drawing should be replaced by the gaunt tripods shown lower down. The whole hull should be painted dark blue grey, the black "boot topping" being retained, and all the rest left the pale blue-grey of the Mediterranean Fleet colour as in peace time

   The drawing shows H.M.S. Penelope in her peacetime rig as on her first commission, but below the half-breadth plan are the details of her altered superstructure in the waist after the catapult was removed, and of her masts as fitted some time before the Battle of Sirte. The body 'plan is on the left and the same, with the plating added, is on the right.. The drawing shows her immense length compared to beam, a ratio of ten to one, and the slender, graceful lines so characteristic of light cruisers. Her profile with its three turrets, is less impressive than in 'the earlier and larger Apollo class and the appearance of these was better balanced, as they had four turrets. The funnels were streamlined in order to take air currents clear of aircraft on the catapult between them. Their displacement was the least acceptable for ocean-going efficiency and their armament was considered adequate to deal with likely convoy raiders, as, being relatively not very costly, they could also be built in numbers. Her 'length overall was 506 ft., between perpendiculars 480 ft., with a beam of 51 ft. and draught 14 ft., her displacement being 5,220 tons. Her armament consisted of 6 6 in. guns in three turrets, 4 twin 4 in. HA/LA guns, 2 four barrel "porn-porn" guns, 2 four-barrel 0.5 in. machine guns and 6 21 in. torpedo tubes on two triple mountings, with one aircraft on the catapult.

Thank you for looking Rose.