Modern Micronaut Conversions

[sjolly75 H4]

I had this typed up from some of the conversions I have done in the past, and thought I would share what I had. Please feel free to post any other conversions that you might have done, I'm always up to trying them out. And as for the manufacturer...I usually do my conversions on other manufacturer's, since if I screw up, I'm not out a nice looking GHQ model!

Common materials for most conversions:
glue
jeweler’s files
hobby knife
MF-522 British Tripod Tops by C-in-C
Also, I usually keep the sprues from the smaller pieces that come with the GHQ models


French DDG Suffren -> Netherlands DDG Tromp

Materials Needed:
Pictures of ships for use as guides
1 DDG Suffren
1 FFG O.H. Perry main mast
1 Mk13 missile launcher (O.H. Perry FFG)
1 NATO Sea Sparrow missile launcher

Directions:
First, take off all small objects off the decks except for the A gun mount. This includes the B gun mount, the Malafon ASW missile launcher, the Exocet launchers, the Masurca twin missile launcher, and the aft mast and radar directors. Also remove the main mast to about the bottom of the radome. Take the Mk13 launcher and glue it to the aft superstructure, facing aft. Then glue the Perry’s main mast to just aft of Suffren’s old main mast. The Suffren’s old main mast is now the stack for the Tromp. Take the Sea Sparrow launcher and glue it to the B mount position. Paint the ship as pictured.


Italian WWII Duca D’Aosta CL -> Russian Sverdlov CL

Materials Needed:
1 Italian WWII Duca D’Aosta CL (preferably GHQ’s RMN09)
4 Triple gun mounts (from the Brooklyn class CL by GHQ)

Directions:
Take the dual gun mounts from the Duca D’Aosta and use them for the Sverdlov’s secondaries. They go in pairs: One on either side of the bridge; one on either side just aft of the aft stack; and one on either side just forward of the Y gun mount. Check before gluing to ensure that they fit. Take the triple gun mounts and place them accordingly on the A, B, Y, and Z gun emplacements. Take one of the generic radar masts and place it between the bridge and the forward stack. Take the other mast and cut the radar off the top. Cut two pieces about ¼” long off the mounting for the radar you just cut off. Use these pieces as cross pieces for the fwd radar mast you just glued on, and the other for the aft radar mast already on the ship. Take the radar you cut off the mast and glue it onto the top of the bridge (this heightens and squares off the bridge).


Generic Trawler -> Russian Okean AGI

Materials Needed:
1 Package #3406 Trawlers by Viking Forge

Directions:
Cut the radar emitter box off the top of the mast. Glue the radar mast to the front deck of the trawler. Paint in any color gray or white that you want, their paint job varies with the ship and the year. And that’s it!


Russian Kotlin DD -> Chinese Luda DD

Materials Needed:
1 Kotlin DD (Superior 4R26)
1 dual, small caliber mount (from a WWII ship)
a piece of round ~1/10th of an inch radius sprue

Directions:
Cut and/or file off the sections of the superstructure between the forward stack the after mast, and also between the after stack and the after section of the superstructure. These two removed sections should be approximately 2/10th’s of an inch long. These sections are where the HY-2 missile launchers go. There should be about a 1/8th inch of the very aft superstructure left. This is where the dual gun mount goes. Cut any excess off the gun mount, and glue it to the after section of the superstructure pointing aft. Just aft of that should be the 130mm dual mount on the main deck. Cut the sprue so that you have two very short mountings and two half circle missile tubes. A picture is very helpful to do this model. Glue the short mountings to the cut out spaces of the superstructure. Then glue the half circle pieces so that the flat part of the half circle is on the mountings. Point them any direction wanted (look at your pictures). Paint them as seen in your pictures.


Canadian St. Laurent FF -> Spanish/Egyptian Descubierta FF

Materials Needed:
1 Canadian St. Laurent FF (Superior 4C02)
2 small single gun mounts (I used guns from Italian Vittorio Veneto CG)
1 NATO Sea Sparrow octuple missile launcher
1 dual, small caliber gun mount (from WWII ship)
1 small (1/4”) piece of mast from another ship.

Directions:
File the towed sonar array off the fantail as well as the box looking thing just forward of the sonar array. Glue the Sea Sparrow launcher to the fantail just forward of where the sonar array was. Glue one of the single gun mounts to the aft end of the helo pad, and the other to the deck just above the helo pad. Be sure to leave enough room on the deck above the helo pad for the other mast. Glue the mast piece to the deck between the dual stacks and the single gun mount. File down the bridge just enough to glue the dual gun mount on it, leaving the bridge slightly higher than the gun mount. This gun mount is to be the Bofors ASW rocket launcher, so if it seems like too much trouble, feel free to leave it off.


Russian Koni FFL -> Libyan Modified Koni FFL (AL Hani FFL)

Materials Needed:
1 Russian Koni FFL (Superior 4R24)
2 small 1/8th “ long, flat sprue pieces

Directions:
Cut/file off the forward RBU ASW rocket launchers. Cut a line into the flat sprue pieces, lengthwise. Glue the two pieces on either side of the bridge. These two pieces are the SS-N-2C missile launchers. Paint like in the pictures.


British Type 21 (Amazon) FF -> Libyan Vosper Mk7 (Dat Assawari) FFL

Materials Needed:
1 British Amazon FF (Viking Forge 3807)
1 small single gun mount (I used guns from the Italian Vittorio Veneto CG)
4 small rectangular boxes (make from sprue material, approx. 1/10th “ long)
1 small piece of either wood or metal for filler (cut to size)

Directions:
File down the very aft piece of the ship so that the deck itself is flush. Do not remove that deck piece, just get it flush. Then place either a metal or wood filler piece so that it is flush with the next deck up. Glue the four box structures to the aft deck. Two should be on the port side of the deck pointing out and forward. The other two should be on the starboard side pointing out and forward. Glue the small gun mount to the very aft end of the aft deck (onto the filler piece) so that it is pointing forward. Then paint as per the pictures.


British Type 21 (Amazon) FF -> Iranian Vosper Mk5 (Saam) FF

Materials Needed:
1 British Amazon FF (Viking Forge 3807)
1 small single gun mount (I used guns from the Italian Vittorio Veneto CG)
1 NATO Sea Sparrow missile launcher

Directions:
Cut/file off the following pieces:
- port aft boat and davit
- the rectangular piece of superstructure that goes from the aft weapons director to the after deck
- the forward ASW rocket launcher
Glue the gun mount to the aft deck just above the towed array. Glue the Sea Sparrow launcher to the deck where the superstructure was removed. Paint as pictured.



Here are some easy conversions that take no work to do. Just paint the miniature, and use it!
US Ethan Allen SSBN
French Le Redoubtable SSBN
PRC Xia SSBN
UK Vanguard SSBN

US Thresher SSN
Japan Yuushio SS
Netherlands Zwaardvis SS
PRC Han SSN

UK Swiftsure SSN
French Rubis SSN
French Agosta SS
Italian Sauro SS
Netherlands Dolfijn SS

FRG Type 206 SS
Argentina Type 209 SS
Brazil Type 209 SS
Denmark Type 205 SS
Greek Type 209 SS
Indian Type 209 SS
Indonesian Type 209 SS
Israeli IKL 500 SS
Israeli IKL 800 SS

[av8rmongo]

Stephen,
Excellent ideas. I've been doing these kinds of kitbashing for years. One observation though, the Type 21 conversion to Libya's Vosper Mk7 and the similar Iranian Mk5 are best done starting with a 1/3000 scale Type 21. There is an appreciable size difference between the Type 21 and either the Mk7 or Mk5, 50ft or more. Using the smaller scale ship to start with helps approximate that difference. I've got two I'm converting to the Iranian boats right now. I thought I lost one for a while but I've found it again, thank you micro armor gods! I'll post pictures when I'm done with one so you can see the before and after shots.

Paul

[sjolly75 H4]

Paul,

Thanks for the tip...I hadn't even really thought about going smaller scale (Duh!). Of course, now I'll have to start looking at any other conversions I can do.

Any ideas/tips that you can add?

Steve

[av8rmongo]

Stephen,

One real easy conversion is the Cruiser Azov. Azov was a Kara class CG that was used as the trials ship for the SA-N-6 system. The SA-N-6 is installed in place of the aft SA-N-3 system. Purists will want to make the structure for the VLS hatches but the easiset way to represent it is to glue the Top Dome radar from either Slava or Kirov where the aft Headlights radar is positioned.

The fun thing about this one is that there was only one converted so many don't know about it. Depending on the sophistication of the game your playing aircraft may stumble in thinking they're facing a 19nm missile when suddenly they discover its almost a 50nm shooter. If they fail to ID the radar suite it can be a bad day. Too bad it was scrapped six or seven years ago.

Paul

BTW do you have any pictures of the Viking Forge Type 21?

[sjolly75 H4]

Paul,

I don't have any pictures right now of any of my miniatures. That is something I want to get into, though. Not sure where to start. I'll pull out my miniatures this weekend and try it out though.

Anyone have any recommendations for taking pictures w/a digital camera?

[dragon6]

Stephen (Steve?) have you considered turning Suffren into Tourville? The length is almost the same as a Tourville as is the beam. The bow back to the bridge can be used as is, remove the radar dome, probably needs some work on the back side of the bridge superstructure, leave the malfon alone, more work at the stern superstructure. Add the Crotale launcher, remove the Masurca launcher and directors, reshape that superstructure into a hanger

Then you have two french ASW classes to escort their carrier.

I'd think changing Georges Leygues into Cassard might be a bit more challenging, but doable.

Paul what do the hatches for Azov look like? I'm sure they are unique. I think I saw a drawing that showed 4 square coverings. It's possible that she shares the hatch coverings with Kirov but I don't know.

[sjolly75 H4]

Dragon6,

No, actually I hadn't thought of converting the Suffren into the Tourville! Great idea! I'll have to look into it more, and add more Suffren's into my 'to buy' list. It just keeps getting bigger and bigger!

Thanks!

Steve