HMT Olympic by Glen Senkowski - Trumpeter - 1/200 - PLASTIC - RADIO

[Glen Senkowski]

CONVERTING RMS TITANIC TO HMT OLYMPIC.

Using the 1/200 Trumpeter RMS Titanic as the base kit.

 

Acknowledgements. 

 

The vast majority of the source data I used were taken from the Titanic CAD Plans website, created by Dr. Bob Read. Sadly, the operation has been permanently closed, but the site is still available as a research center. If you purchased any of the Olympic plans when they were available, I would like to get some information off them, because the thumbnails on the site are too small for me to see some of the details.

 

Caveats.

 

This is just a construction log; historical information is available all over the place, so I will only discuss them as they relate to building the model. Also, I am not attempting to rebuild the Trumpeter kit from the keel up. To me, it is perfectly fine for what I am doing. If you are wanting to 100% "accurize" the kit, like correcting the stern hull plates, etc., I recommend visiting 1/200 Titanic Builders Group on Facebook. This kit has upgrade detail products available out the ying yang. I have no vested interest in any of these products, but I will describe what I used and why.

 

HMT OLYMPIC.

 

Below is a photo of Olympic in camouflage scheme, 19A. She is underway at around her full speed of 23 knots, with a full load of troops. She is in battle-ready condition, with lifeboats swung out and her complement of (6) 6" guns manned and ready (the aft two are visible on the poop deck.) She is also flying the white Royal Navy battle ensign from her aft mast. This scheme was applied in 1917 and sometime in 1918 it was changed to 19Ax.

 

Note that the canvas is removed from ALL of the lifeboats: it was a lesson learned by the sinking of Britannic that she might be needed to offload her entire complement of approximately 4,000 souls in less than one hour!

 

Of particular interest to me is the two long booms swung out near the forward well deck. I believe these are for handling lines to operate the paravanes, but if you have other ideas, please comment.

[Glen Senkowski]

These are the wacky dazzle camouflage schemes that sold me on building the Olympic! She had two main versions: scheme 19A applied in 1917. Sometime in 1918, the scheme was changed to 19Ax, which remained until the Armistice. Mixed up photos of the two schemes are all over the internet, and cause a lot of confusion. Since no original color photos exist, the easiest ways to tell the two schemes apart are that 19A had solid colors on funnels 1 and 2, And 19Ax had the zebra stripes on the bow.

 

Along with being literally "colorful," she had a colorful service history, transporting over 200,000 troops and intentionally ramming and sinking an enemy submarine! Sometimes the prey becomes the hunter. The Captain received the DSO for this action. Unfortunately, post-war, she also accidentally rammed and sank the US lightship Nantucket.

Edited April 20, 2021 by Glen Senkowski

[Old Collingwood]

This sounds interesting.

 

OC.

[Glen Senkowski]

A port side view of scheme 19A in port, probably taken during the same voyage as above. It is likely that the aircraft that took these photos escorted the ship out of port and into open water. Note in this photo that the weapons are stowed and the lifeboats still have their canvas on. Judging by the extreme wear, she has been transporting troops for some time.

 

Edited April 20, 2021 by Glen Senkowski

[yvesvidal]

Interesting project. 

 

Yves