Summary Build quality/fit and finish: good/very good Performance in combat: TBD Overall rating: 8/10 Details The Battlers Connection Narvik Class Destroyer Hardware Kit contains shafts/stuffing tubes, rudder posts, rudder post bushings, rudders, prop shaft struts, props, motor mounts, dogbone universals, micro switches, motors, and wire. While apparently geared towards a fast gun build configuration, the hardware kit serves as a good starting point on a vessel destined for big gun use. The shafts/stuffing tubes are very cleanly and precisely assembled; all "wet" components are made from corrosion-resistant materials (brass and stainless steel). The rudder posts, rudders, struts, and motor mounts are a gray cast resin which is easy to sand and shape as necessary to fit precisely to the hull. The rudder post bushings and rudders are supplied with excess length, allowing the builder to easily trim them to fit using a combination of sandpaper and either a hacksaw or rotary tool. The motors appear to be surplus Mabuchi motors while the micro switches are COTS parts (as typically available from electronics parts vendors). While the labeling on the wires was not legible, they appear to be multi-stranded PVC-jacketed 16AWG or 14AWG. To use the hardware kit, one needs to have a soldering iron and wire strippers/cutters. Selection of batteries and the method of connecting them to the motors is left to the builder to determine. Inclusion of a few inches of appropriately-sized polyolefin heat-shrink tubing would be a recommended improvement to the hardware kit as it would add the ability to create water-tight splices or other connections, improving the corrosion-resistance of the electrical system. It has yet to be determined if the motor/shaft/prop combination included in the hardware kit will achieve regulation speeds as-is or if any tweaks will be required. All these attributes yield an overall rating of 8/10.
