In a March 2015 Airbrushing & Finishing story, Richard Price revealed how he painted and weathered White Ensign Model’s 1/700 scale HMS Sussex for World War II service. But that was only part of the story of the model. He poured a ton of scratchbuilt and aftermarket detail into the heavy cruiser. Take a look at all that marvelous work.

Here’s some of the many changes and enhancements made to the kit’s bridge.

1. The bridge decks were replaced with .005″ brass sheet, the bulwarks with .002″ brass. Richard opened the ladder wells, giving the decks more depth than the original moldings.

2. Richard hollowed the solid resin bridge, then made windows using photoetched-metal ladders as frames.

3. He refined and sharpened the deckhouse moldings.

4. Wind deflectors were added to the decks using styrene and paper.

5. The padded bags lining the railing are sheet styrene engraved with an appropriate pattern.

6. Using turned styrene and brass, Richard built new pedestals for the kit’s photoetched-metal optical range finders.

7. He built tubs for the 20mm guns from .002″ brass.

8. Admiralty Modelworks supplied paravanes.

Richard made more changes and enhancements around the funnels.

1. He cut the entire upper deck from .005″ brass so the overhanging decks were scale thin.

2. Crew shelters were refined: He thinned and hollowed the resin castings, then added styrene stiffeners to the roof and splinter shields from styrene and brass.

3. Four aftermarket gun turrets occupy the deck. Richard detailed them with blast bags made from tissue.

4. He detailed the vent covers with styrene strip.

5. The lockers scattered around the deck are scratchbuilt.

6. Scratchbuilt motor boat.

7. Richard detailed the kit’s torpedo tubes and scratchbuilt doors for the compartments.

8. He separated the searchlights from their brackets for realism; he drilled out the solid lights and formed new lenses with Microsclae Kristal Klear.

9. Opening the stairwells give the decks more depth.

Moving aft there are even more of Richard’s improvements.

1. He scratchbuilt new platforms for the kit’s pom-pom guns — quad-mount 40mm antiaircraft guns — from brass sheet including a support column and bracing underneath.

2. Sanding and filing refined the deckhouse. He opened the windows and added frames.

3. Walkway replaced with brass sheet.

4. Richard scratchbuilt the deck atop the superstructure.

5. The catapult turntable deckhouse was scratchbuilt. Check out the rigging on the Supermarine Walrus scout plane; remember this is 1/700 scale.

6. Scratchbuilt vents run along the structure.

7. The crane is enhanced with styrene and wire, and rigged with cable.

8. Richard scratchbuilt new pedestals for the antiaircraft gun directors.

9. After enhancing the hull plating with strips of paper, Richard blanked some of the portholes with styrene discs. He added eyebrow gutters to the portholes using copper wire.

10. Richard replaced the mast with one made from brass-rod and photoetched-metal platforms.