HMS Dauntless
HMS Dauntless is one of the Royal Navy’s new type 45 air defence destroyers. Model: David McNair-Taylor
David’s Comments: “HMS Dauntless is the second Daring Class Type 45 Air Defence destroyer to join the Royal Navy; her armament consists of 1 x 4.5” automatic gun, 2 x 30mm cannon, 2 x Phalanx CIWS guns and the Aster missile system (18 Short range and 30 long range), anti torpedo decoys system, light machine guns, and mini guns. Anti Submarine defence is via the Merlin or Lynx helicopter. The advanced Samson radar is housed in the ball unit mounted on the large mast abaft the bridge, the large radar scanner on the after superstructure is the long range IFF (“Identification Friend or Foe”) unit. She is 500 feet (152.4m) long, 70 feet (21.2m) on the beam, and 130 feet from mast top to waterline. Displacement: 8000 tons, Crew: 190 with provision for 50 Royal Marines if required. Principal role will be Air Defence for the Queen Elizabeth Class Carriers being built but she is also capable of general defence duties and disaster aid.
“My model of HMS Dauntless is based on a 1/96 Sirmar GRP Hull and Semi Kit. I did not use the semi kit resin mouldings for the superstructure parts but scratch built them from plasticard to keep the weight down. I used many of my photos taken on a visit to HMS Daring and research items off the internet etc to get all the info I required to supplement the Jecobin Plans to bring the model up to date as she appeared in April 2012 on setting out for the Falklands Deployment. I have, however, fitted the Phalanx guns which she did not have on leaving Portsmouth but will get when the Government can afford them! (Perhaps from the proceeds of selling all our Harriers to the US Marine Corps!!!!).
“The model took some 11 months to build (working on her nearly every day); build cost is around £1100 plus labour????
“Powered by two Graupner Speed 500e Motors with Action Speed controllers running on a 12V gel cell and fitted with a Technobots sound module and using a 2.5GHz Planet 5 channel radio; very little extra ballast was required.”
[Other models of David McNair-Taylor] [other Warship Models]
