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M 784 - HMS Kent
This is the Tri-ang Minic Ships model of HMS Kent the fourth of the Royal Navy's eight ship "County" Class destroyers all of which were named after counties in the United Kingdom.
The "County" Class destroyers were the first Royal Navy ships to be fitted with guided missiles in place of guns for anti-aircraft defence. They were also equipped with a Westland Wessex helicopter, fitted out as a "hunter killer", complete with dipping sonar and homing torpedoes for anti-submarine warfare. These ships were designed to operate in "fall out" areas with clean lines and most deck installations under cover to facilitate "washing down" in the event of attack by nuclear weapons.
The "County" Class destroyers were the first ships of this size to be fitted with COSAG ( Combined Steam and Gas Turbine ) propulsion machinery. The gas turbines were capable of providing a high concentration of power that was used to supplement the power of the steam system for high speed work and also enabled the ships to get underway instantly in the event of an emergency, even if lying in harbour without steam.
Tri-ang Minic produced identical models of the first four "County" Class destroyers HMS Devonshire, HMS Hampshire, HMS Kent and HMS London which were distinguished only by the model number and name marked on the underside.
Specifications
| Builder: | Harland & Wolff Ltd, Belfast |
| Laid Down: | 1st March 1960 |
| Launched: | 27th September 1961 |
| Commissioned: | 15th August 1963 |
| Displacement: | 6,200 tons Full Load |
| Length (OA): | 520 ft 6 in ( 158.6 m ) |
| Beam: | 54 ft ( 16.5 m ) |
| Draft: | 20 ft ( 6.1 m ) |
| Armament: | 4 x 4.5" main guns in two twin turrets forward 2 x 20 mm anti-aircraft guns in 3 single mounts 1 x Twin Seaslug long range SAM launcher aft 2 x Quadruple Seacat close range SAM launchers |
| Protection (Armour): | |
| Propulsion: | 2 Babcock & Wilcox boilers, 2 AEI geared turbines, 4 G6 gas turbines, 2 shafts, 60,000 shp |
| Maximum Speed: | 32.5 knots |
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Complement: |
440 |
| Disposal: | 1993 - sunk as target in the English Channel |
( Statistical information from Jane's Fighting Ships 1966 - 67 Edition )
| Further details of the actual ship can be obtained from the following links - | |
| The Royal Navy Postwar Web Site | http://www.btinternet.com/~warship/Postwar/Destroyers/county.htm |
| RN Guided Missile Destroyers - a Russian Site | http://www.rn-ddg.narod.ru/Pages/Text_pages/distribution.htm |