1970s HMS Ark Royal plastic kit?

[c7xlg]

I fancy building a kit of the 1970s era HMS Ark Royal aircraft carrier... but I can't seem to find an 'airfix' kit or equivalent anywhere. Does anyone know if one is available?

thanks!

[Eric Mc]

I'm not sure if any of the mainstream kit manufacturers have ever released a model of the post war Ark Royal (she actually served from the early 1950s through to 1978). There might be a more specialist kit around of her (Shar2 will probably know).

Airfix did release a kit of the WW2 era Ark Royal and more recently released a kit of HMS Invincible - which could be used as the basis for an Invincible Class Ark Royal.

[blueedge]

There is a Fujimi 1:700 kit of the 1950s Ark Royal, there's a couple on Ebay at the moment actually. It may be possible to convert the kit to how she was in the 70s but I don't know easy a task it would be.

[Eric Mc]

The biggest change was the fitting of the full angled deck a few years after she was launched.

[IroningMan]

Seems a high-profile subject for Airfix to have missed-out.

[Eric Mc]

At the time when Arfix was at its most prolific and producing lots of ship models, HMS Ark Royal was only one out of a fleet of carriers to chose from. Airfix decided to produce a model of HMS Victorious instead.



It's in their current catalogue so is readily available at the moment.

[Shar2]

As the others have stated there is no kit of the Ark Royal in it's final form. There have been lots of rumours over the years, but none have come to fruition. When model companies ask the various forums what modellers want, the Ark always tops the ship lists.

[c7xlg]

Cool! thanks guys... a few options there. A friend ended his naval career flying F-4s off The Ark hence my interest.

[stemll]

Ark Royal IV in 1:700

https://www.whiteensignmodels.com/p/Fujimi+1700+HM...

Built up

http://www.modelshipgallery.com/gallery/cv/hms/ark...

Edited by stemll on Saturday 3rd March 18:02

[Eric Mc]

Nice - but it would need a fair bit of modification to show her as she looked when she was carrying Phantoms and Buccaneers.

[stemll]

Didn't spot that the built up one had a scratch-built angle deck.

[kirppana]

Hi I know its a bit late but I have just found an unmade Airfix HMS Ark Royal in my attic if you're still interested

[Eric Mc]

I presume that's the Invincible class kit?

The OP wanted to model the ship that operated up to 1978.

[ARODGERS]

HI AM SEEKING THE MODEL OF ARK ROYAL THAT WAS SOLD IN HEMLEYS IN 80S IT WAS A UPTO DATE MODEL CAN ANYONE REMMBER THIS ASLSO AM SEEKING OKD ARK ROYAL TO DO UP PLEASE

[ARODGERS]

AM SEEKING A ARK ROYAL FROM 80S WAS SOLD IN HEMLEYS IN BIRMINGHAM YEARS AGO CANT REMMBER THE MAKE ANY IDEARS PLEASE ALSO DO WANT A WW2 SCALE ONE TWO OK TO BUY

[Eric Mc]

Ardrogers - why all the capitals?

No kits exist of the ships you are looking for.

[dr_gn]

ARODGERS said:

ALSO DO WANT A WW2 SCALE ONE TWO OK TO BUY

I can barely comprehend your post, but if a rough translation to English is along the lines of "I'd also be interested in a WW2 version of Ark Royal", then there's this:

[Simpo Two]

ARODGERS said:

AM SEEKING OKD ARK ROYAL TO DO UP PLEASE

There's one near Gibraltar that could do with some work...

[andyA700]

This is a Revell 1/720 WW2 Ark Royal, which comes with a tribal class destroyer.

https://www.jadlamracingmodels.com/revell-5149-hms...

This is an Airfix 1/600 WW2 Ark Royal.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Airfix-A04208V-HMS-Ark-Ro...

Trumpeter do a 1/350 WW2 Ark Royal at £129.99.

https://www.wonderlandmodels.com/merit-1350-hms-ar...