John Hodkinson  - HMCS HAIDA 1943

I have been building a 1/48 Haida now for the last couple of years and it is at long last coming together a couple more months of "fiddly  bits" should see her completed.I scratch built the hull using 1/4 ply for frames, 1/16 balsa for the skin (bit thin this next time I will try 1/8 balsa) then fibreglass matting and finally car body filler sanded  to get a good shape and finish.I then plated it with 010" plasticard.Most of the rest is scratchbuilt apart from ships boats and the 4"gun and one or two bits I "borrowed " from older models.

I started building her as HMS Matabele and when I decided to model Haida found a tremendous lot of difference but I hope I got it right  in the end.

John Hodkinson
e-mail:  jh(at)bolhamhouse.com

All photos courtesy John Hodkinson

Almost completed.

 
 

Starboard midships.

Port forward view.

 
 

Sea trials.

 
 

Closeup of gun director. (May 2005)

 
 
 

The completed model  - July 2005. Click to enlarge.