Take_down why dont you start with a liberty ship http://www.battlersconnection.com/html/LibertyShip.htm it would solve a lot of your cash flow problems (only need a two channel radio and no guns or pumps) as well as get you on the right path. my first build was a liberty ship and my cruiser is coming out much better for it[] learn the ropes and than dive in with both feet its working for me []
I gotta disagree about building a convoy ship first. If you want to get into model warship combat its probably mostly for the combat and unarmed convoy ships are just targets. Plus anything you'll learn from building a convoy you'll learn from building an armed boat plus some. Since most of the people around you seem to be MWCI battlers I would imagine you'll be fighting with them and using MWCI rules. In which case go with a cruiser or maybe a class 4 like a VDT or I-boat. The Class 4 boats will cost more but most people tend to want to move away from a cruiser pretty quick since they don't have sidemounts which people tend to like. The cruiser will be slightly cheaper since it has fewer guns, and cruisers can be fun to drive and can be a big annoyance in a battle once you know how to use them. Maybe a K-Class or Prinz Eugen since you seem to like th axis boats. Or I think you can get an IJN Mogami hull from somewhere, thats a nice little axis cruiser too. Its not going to be cheap but its doable, see if the guys close by have used parts or old guns that still work that they would be willing to part with. Look around on the internet, you can get a good deal for a radio on ebay. Don't try and have the latest and greatest, you just need something that works its easy enough to upgrade parts later.
This is true snip however he is 13year old kid with no real income. Don’t you think a class 4 is a bit much to shot for? Just to get his feet wet and make the contacts and save the parts up I figured that was the best bet.[] My 10 year old wanted a battle ship as well but guess what he will be running with this year if he likes it and sticks with it I will just have to build my self the USS Massachusetts and pass on my Boston and the liberty ship will be a loaner for a tempted Fish[]
No I dont think it is, if thats what he wants he'll find the money for it. Mow a few extra lawns or something. A class 4 ship isnt that much more expensive than a class 3, and they take longer to get tired of[]. I also recommended a class 2 boat(K-Class), might be a little tough due to weight but its cheaper. When I joined the hobby I was a poor college student and I built a cruiser since thats the "basic" starting ship, I didnt have funds to build a new ship for 4-5 years, it would have been nice to start off with a class 4 for just a little more money up front. Sean can look at what kind of funds he has and look at what stuff costs and make a decision. My point was, who gets into the hobby so they can drive an unarmed convoy ship around? (you dont have to join a combat club to drive an unarmed ship around) That and in MWCI rules convoy ships are only used about twice a year so for that to be your one and only ship doesn't make sense.
Snipe has the right of it, a liberty isn't going to be any fun. The fast gun clubs only run convoy battles at NATS, and I doubt any of them are going to just let a kid make their convoy runs...he's gonna get sunk. The rest of the time nobody will bother shooting at him, but then again, why do you need to be in a combat club for that? Nothing says that his class 4 has to be FULLY armed. No reason why he couldn't build the ship and start buying CO2 fittings as he gets them, then add a single gun, then another...etc. A ship that's not fully armed is still legal, so as soon as he gets a single gun in there, he can start fighting. If most fast gun clubs allowed Q ships, it would be a good plan. Throw a gun in and a half unit pump and call it good. Since they don't, well it is what it is. I'd never recommend anything other then a warship for a new guy, especially one on a budget who may not be able to replace it soon. Snipe has a good point about the class 2 ships also. If a cheap warship is what's wanted a 2.5 unit K class ship or Atlanta could be set up on the cheap. Throw in a 1 unit pump and a single 75 round gun and call it a day. That's about as cheap as it gets.
Small ships also wont be mobbed by the bigger ships because of it's lower threat level. That come from a guy who's building a 5' ship as my first ship. I better get my scuba gear out.
If fast gun clubs would wizen up and allow convoy ships into regular battles, it would make it easier to get new and interested folks behind the wheel. That sets the hook in the fish's mouth and all that's left is some play on the line before you've caught a new member. As the rules currently stand, convoy ships are not for beginners, and a 3-4 unit ship would be better. As was mentioned before, it doesn't have to have all the cannons at first. Heck, the Australians allow unarmed warships (or warships whose cannons aren't working) to run as convoy vessels to help people get on the pond and have fun even if they are having technical issues.
Well I didn’t say it would be better just more feasible. a fighting ship would defiantly be the best in the proper scenario. as I have watched his post from the get go and the only thought was it would be the only way for him to get on the water for this season but heck if he wants to try good luck to him. just an awful waste if like most kids do he gets it than chases another butterfly out of my 4 kids more than once I wasted my money on something they really wanted no let me rephrase than had to have only to have them put it on a shelf. My son has a liberty ship and I'm doing it with him, minimal lose if he falls overboard and swims to shore but I guess it was just the dad in me . []
Although I haven't personally built one, I'm very partial to recommending the Von Der Tann with its relatively simple geometry (limited superstructure even when relatively detailed), clean lines (easy sheeting/resheeting), good maneuverability (it can hold its own from what I can tell), and decent unit allowances for fast gun. If I ever get the time, I might even try doing one in Battlestations 1/96 scale for myself. Just don't do what I did originally when I built a USS Gearing; that was a steep learning curve.
jest get the Andrea Doria like you said 2 weeks ago. jest do it. start buying stuff. and will help you. it took me 1 year to get 2 ships on the water. buy the parts as you need.and go from there.ok i have 3 ships but i bought 1 with no guts
that = nice ship (Andrea Doria) 5 months of parts so next year you can battle so you have time to do it right no rush. you need to slow down. you have alot of help. its all good but it takes time
That’s great Take last I know you was low on the founds my mistake we will help you where we can good luck and get busy ps can you put me in as a beneficiary []
Just wondering if anyone had a set of scratch build plans for a liberty ship or similar size cargo vessel. It sounds like this would be ideal for me. I have little to no modeling experience, but prefer the idea of building my own. Plus I'm pretty sure I still have a two channel kit back in my folks attic : )
This is the best free planset for an unarmed warship I know of. I had not realized how good it was until I took a second look. I'm not familiar with the planking technique for the base... But Kotori is a prolific poster, and will certainly help you along, and help you to find answers. It's also in progress with another novice (tbone) and you guys can troubleshoot together. I would highly reccomend this one if you are going scratch built... I had trouble with the plansets for the liberty I had, because I had two, and assumed that they matched... DOH!!! Mike
