That's all well and good, but not really applicable for a fast gun first boat You gonna come by a battle before shipping out, Gascan? The loaner boat will be ready Memorial Day weekend...
I appreciate all the help guys. I have noticed a trend here though, and you all seem to be axis fans. What do you guys think of the HMS Exeter? I haven't seen too many of those while snooping around the different sites. Thoughts? Cheers
It is a great Target for all the axis to chase after, single rudder, 10ish Pds, I have always been a fan of the HMS Exeter, Im Building a Derfflinger, so maybe we will see each other If u really want a Brit first Boat, An "I" boat is a good starter.
I am by no means an Axis fan, though I am a fan of anything from WW1. WW2 is too modern for my tastes. SMS Scharnhorst/Gneisenau or an HMS Invincible would both fit your stated desires for a boat with history and available in fibreglass. I personally like armored cruisers, but that is just my fetish.
I am currently building my first boat and it is a lutzow. It is suppose to be one of the easlier ships to build. Being a first time builder even with an easy ship there are still quite a lot of questions and a lot of things that you wonder about. My advise,,,,, is to build an easy ship your first time, and learn.
I'm a new guy myself, building an Andrea Doria for myself an my girlfriend is working on a VU. Both are nice boats for beginners, but the awe-inspiring history is...eh. Now, if I had to pick any boat to build based on history and ease of construction, I think I'd pick a Queen Elizabeth class battleship. Specifically, HMS Warspite. She's one of my favorite ships, survived two world wars and the largest naval gun engagement of all time (Battle of Jutland). If there was an award for most damage taken and survived, Warspite would've earned it. Also had a habit for steering in random circles. From what I've seen, she's got plenty of room to work in and isn't very picky weight wise. I've got no experience battling, just building, so can't give advice there.
LOL Garrett, my first 2 ships were Allied, and I've gone both ways (oh, my!) in a bid to balance the battles in my area. For the last several years, I've been Axis, it is true. My main dislike regarding the Exeter is the light weight. For the same reason, I definitely recommend against the Atlanta. For a fast gun rookie Allied cruiser, I like the following ships in no particular order: USS Baltimore (lasercut kit by Mark Jenks) USS Northampton (Strike) USS Brooklyn (Strike) USS Des Moines (Battler's Connection) USS Cleveland (Battler's Connection) If you want to do WWI allied cruiser, HMS Warrior from Strike. It's pretty. But for the money, it's hard to beat HMS Invincible. I also like HMS Kent, but Strike is still working on the SS parts for her.
What about a Suffren? It's French so you can go either way if you want to, plus Battler's Connection sells a Fiberglass hull for it. I've been scratch building one for my first build, and it's been pretty easy so far. Just throwing a suggestion out there for yah. Beaver
Here's an interesting reason to pick an I-boat. The captain of HMS New Zealand was presented with a native Maori grass skirt and pendant. He wore these in every battle the ship fought in, including Heligoland Blight, the Scarborough Raid, Dogger Bank, and Jutland. Thanks to that, his ship never blew up like other I-boats did. So if you build a good enough model of the New Zealand, and find an authentic Maori grass skirt, your ship will never blow up, either! That said, the I-boats are great first boats. Unlike many of the beginner boats, the I-boat and VDT are both 4-unit capital ships, which means that, unlike cruisers, they have sidemounts so they can mix it up with the big boys. Gascan and I chose a Strike Models I-boat as our first Fast Gun ship when we got stationed near Tugboat.
I am in full agreement with Kotori and Ron. I was suggesting cruisers because Garret said he wanted a cruiser. My hands-down first choice beginner boat is HMS Invincible. Even in the depths of the dark side, I will not part with my I-boat (still in refit, got some ribs reinforced today). Come to think of it, I recommended it on page two of this thread Especially like what Ron said: for some reason, they can really take a beating without sinking.
Can you build the New Zealand from the Invincible hull sold by Strike? I thought that the New Zealand, Indefatigable, and Australia were a different class. Thank you guys for the help. Cheers
Ralph Coles makes a nice Indefatigable class hull i can pm you his email if you are interested. I think he has a couple ready to ship & turrets as well.
I have looked at the Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, and I am a little concerned about the difficulty of cutting out the windows and sheeting around the casemates. Are there any tip on how to cut out decent windows in the Scharnhorst? I was reading a thread on a Scharhorst build and it was saying how the casemates were a bear to cut out and the fella had to use three different tools. I like the history of these two ships, and I love a story that is lined with courage and bravery. Thanks for all the help fellas. Cheers
You can do the whole thing with a dremel and a fiberglass cutting wheel, but it takes time. I did my Scharnhorst with a dremel, and I remember posting that the windows were a freaking BEAR to cut, because the hull is really thick around the casements. On the flip side, NO ONE is going to be able to shoot through the fiberglass on this hull. I firmly believe that Lil Scharnie will outlive me, and I intend to give it a run for the money One trick is: as the cutting wheels get used, they get smaller in diameter. When they are down about 1/4" less in diameter from the original size, I save them for cutting in tight spaces where the smaller diameter is most useful.
Well shoot guys, now you you guys have me torn between the Invincible class and the SMS Scharnhorst/Gneisenau. I feel like they are both excellent ships for a rookie such as myself. Is there any particular gallant stories about any of the Invincibles? I admittedly not as well read up on their careers as I would like. I am part way through Castles of Steel right now. I think I like the idea of an Awe-Inspiring boat that is reliable on the pond. So either one, that will be my main goal. Thank you for all the help guys. Cheers
The Invincibles were made to sink the ACRs of the Scharnhorst type. They did so most handily at the Falklands. There is some debate as to wether von Spee could have survived that fight if he had closed and and pressed the attack while the I-boats were still in the harbor coaling but we will never know.
