AirWar C21: HMS Fearless (L10)

No attempt to game the Falklands War would be right without any ships, after all the defence of the fleet was paramount to the RAF/FAA. Having decided to use 1/300th models for the planes, the issue was what to do about the ships. In the end I decided to adopt an element of forced perspective and use 1/600th ships with 1/300th planes, which seems to work quite nicely.

The first ship I have painted is HMS Fearless (L10), one of two Landing Platform Dock (LPD) class vessels to serve in the conflict taking part in the landings at San Carlos.

The model is the venerable old Airfx model, which I have 'waterlined'. From my research I understand that the model is not 100% accurate for the Falklands conflict, being based on what she looked like in the sixties when first commissioned. But if it looks like a duck etc.

I couldn't find a definitive painting guide for her in the Falklands either but from what I have found I understand she had grey decks in 1982, not the green on the Airfix instruction sheet, although my grey may be a litle too dark.

I understand that the serial and funnel markings were painted out when in service, so I have done this using a slightly lighter tone of grey to give the effect (from the photos I have found you can't really see this but I liked the idea).

Further I weathered the model with some rust and dirt smudging to reinforce the fact that it was winter in the South Atlantic and the fleet did not look pristine in action. The deck markings are hand painted but again I am not 100% sure of the accuracy for 1982.

I must say that after some trepidation (the model has sat undercoated for about three years now), I did enjoy painting Fearless and like the end result.

Painting Target: 448/1000