Reconstructing HMCS Prince Robert in miniature

Robert K. Liu built his 1943 model of HMCS Prince Robert without plans and with only a few clear photographs. A commercial Prince Henry model supplied an initial comparison, and another Prince Robert model became available only after his build was complete. The position of six 20 mm guns was uncertain; a written claim that six more were added could not be confirmed from photographs. Each of the two scratch-built quadruple pom-poms used 16 tiny parts, alongside the ship's ten 4-inch guns and other fittings. Wood, plastic, aluminium, and wire reproduced structures that had to fit into a hull only 9.3 centimetres long. Small errors in component size accumulated until parts had to be rebuilt, while drilling holes for wire fittings improved strength. The model records both practical construction choices and limits in the surviving armament evidence.