1/700 HMS Tiger Class 6"/50(15.2cm) QF MKN5 Gun x2

1/700 Scale HMS Tiger Class 6"/50 (15.2cm) QF MK N5 Guns  x2. Very highly detailed models created from plans and by using many reference photographs to make these the most accurate and detailed Tiger Class 6"/50 (15.2cm) QF MK N5 Cruiser Guns available.

• 2x Mounts
• Highly detailed, modelled from plans and photographic reference.
• Barrels are printed separately and can be angled as desired
• Photo Etch Ladder mounting points are printed on each Turret
• details include Hex nuts, Open Sighting Ports, Water Cooled Barrel Sleeve, Accurate Venting and Access Hatches

Historical Data
This was an automatic gun of "all-steel" construction with a high rate of fire and was the first British 6" (15.2 cm) design to use cartridges instead of bagged powder charges in over sixty years. These weapons were originally intended for triple mountings on the projected Neptune class and for twin mountings on the projected Minotaur class of 1947. These projects were both canceled shortly after the end of World War II and the first two experimental guns were not completed until 1949. Per the post-war naval gun designation system, they were then redesignated from QF Mark V to QF Mark N5.

In the early 1950s, these weapons were selected to arm the Tiger class cruisers, which had lain incomplete since the end of World War II. These ships were then completely redesigned and work was resumed in 1954 with HMS Tiger being completed in 1959, nearly two decades after she had first been laid down.

There are many reports that these weapons were unreliable in service, but that does not seem to have always been the case. The initial problems found during development at Shoeburyness and with the prototype on HMS Cumberland were rectified during trials, one major breakthrough being the choice and filtration of the oil in the oily servos fitted to the turrets.

"A normal days' firing would be 150 to 200 shells every day. Lion would be engaged in doing a shoot, usually at both air and surface targets. The problem with the turrets was not reliability, but with the inordinate amount of highly skilled technical staff required to keep the guns operational (ordnance artificers, weapons mechanics and seaman armourers). That said, on Lion the maintenance team on A turret used to muster at 1330 on Q1 gundeck with umbrellas, before disappearing into the dripping oily wastes of A turret. We had two misfires that I remember, the shell eventually falling out into the sea after about 20 minutes. Lion at least twice changed all its barrels (the last time from Hong Kong when an emergency flared up and only one gun was operational the other three barrels were changed at sea on the way). The joke round the fleet never was reliability, the joke always was that the ships could fire all ammo off within 20 minutes. Of course, this was never true as you would only fire so many seconds and then change targets. In normal practice shoots against AA targets, the first shell would hit the target. On NGS shoots, two or three targeting rounds would be fired to hit the target and then a twenty second burst with both barrels would destroy the target." - Peter Parkinson, who served on HMS Lion during her second commission.

"The mounting was controlled by 118 manually operated switches, 141 push buttons, 11 contactors, 43 actuators, 79 relays and 244 microswitches. Tiger's gun was electrically elevated and trained (unlike Blake's which was hydraulic)." - Darrel Williams, who served aboard HMS Tiger.

These weapons were controlled by the Gun Direction System (GDS1) using the Type 992 radar. This system enabled the ships to engage multiple targets within a few seconds of each other and was technically very advanced for its time.

HMS Blake was the last cruiser in commission in the Royal Navy. In December 1979, a few days before she was decommissioned, she enjoyed the distinction of firing the Royal Navy's last 6" (15.2 cm) gun salvo.

Constructed of a loose barrel with hydraulically operated horizontal sliding breech block.

Cleaning Information
Some part cleanup will be necessary. The 3D printing process uses a waxy substance to support certain part features during the printing process. Although the parts are cleaned by Shapeways, some waxy residue may remain.  It can be safely removed with water and a mild aqueous detergent like "Simple Green" using an old, soft toothbrush, Q-tips or pipe cleaners. During the printing process, liquid resin is cured by ultraviolet light. Microscopic bits of resin may remain uncured.

Let your parts sit in direct sunlight for a few hours to fully cure the resin.  
Water-based acrylic paints meant for plastics is strongly recommended. Other paints, especially enamels, may not cure on Frosted Detail 3D-printed plastics.
Use dedicated model sprue cutters to remove parts to minimise the risk of damage to parts.
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