Wow!! I don't believe it. BC, has the AOBA hull!!! I'm freaking out on this because my 2nd and first reliable RC combat model was the AOBA. It was built entirely out of balsa wood , had freon tanks aboard and cannons. It never fired a shot and it survived the crossing of Victoria Harbour(salt water), numerous groundings and rams by rc speedboats. It was refitted many times and I sold it back in 1992. It was built in 1988. I remember the paper thin bow which got beat up a lot, the plastic octura 2 blades and the speedometer cable u-joints. I always wanted to build the model right. Looks like I will get my chance. Hmmm I got way too many hulls now soooo I will have to sell a couple to get this one.
Hey, tokes, I just saw the Aoba's hull at BC website, it is a real perty' rendition. You will have a great looking battler when you get her built up! Thanks for pointing the new arrival out! Steve
NP. I am going to have dig up my old pics of my pure Balsa version of AOBA and post them here. I told the GF about it and she says... so when are you going to get time to build it. See that's what I like about a large collection of unbuilt hulls. When I do get the time I have many choices. Yeah I like the lines and hey it has bulges too. Perfect. My thing is no way I could ever beat the bow up.
I can't wait to see an Aoba out there. The only problem I see, is that BC has it listed as a 2 rudder ship which is incorrect. Both the Aoba and Furutaka classes only had single rudders.
They did have two rudders at times. One of our members found a book listing twin rudders, a print with two rudders and photos of the ship with twin rudders. I have seen them, he even had the book translated from Japanese to English. Turns out the Japs changed the rudders on the ships durring differnt refits. No I don't have them and he does not ever look around this forum.
I heard that too. It is possible. Maybe with this ship twin rudder will work better. I had a single rudder and it's not maneuverable. Twin would help it a lot.
I'd have to see the photos to believe them. The best researched book on IJN cruisers I have ever seen, Japanese cruisers of the Pacific War by Lacrroix and Wells, lists them with a single rudder and even gives the total rudder area. It details the extent of the refits and modifications and says nothing about a second rudder being added or deleted. In the Mogami section of that book, it goes on to state that the Mogamis had twin rudders unlike the preceeding Class A cruisers (Heavy cruisers) which would include the Aobas and Furutakas.
Ik now the Mogami had dual rudders but I am pretty sure that the Aoba and Furtaka classes had only a single rudder.
Even with a single rudder I think the Aoba could be a very very good cruiser. Even though you have built one, experience has probably taught you a lot since that first one in the 80s, and there is probably a lot you might do different with motors, gears, shaft placement, rudder placement prop size/pitch and number of blades...all of which might improve the turning. I think another key would be to keep it as light as possible instead of building to max displacement. The less mass you have, the quicker the maneuvering will be.
It will definitely be an engineering challenge trying to find the right balance of characteristics. That undulating down sloping stern though ought to make for some sweet stern gun action as you can keep them low to the water and still hit close to your own stern. Didn't Bob P develop a lightweight cannon for his I-400? It might be worth looking at using the same kind of gun to keep the Aoba's top weight down. EDIT: Since I have a soft spot in my heart for IJN cruisers (except the Takao class) the Aoba hull brings us pretty darned close to having all the IJN cruisers available. All we need is a Takao/Myoko in fiberglass. BC has the Aoba/Furutaka covered, Mogami is produced up in the OAF, and pamnjay is working on the Tone plug. It's time to start a Myoko campaign!
I thought I fought with a Takao at CAN-NATs 6. I don't know if it was fiberglass but the Canadians may have a mold.
