As you all know, I've been throwing out a lot of posts lately as I still try to decide on what to build, but I still have my heart set on something American. What are the best American ships for beginners (battleships, cruisers, etc) for big gun or fast gun? I want it to be fairly inexpensive, but still able to have a significant effect on the battle. I would also like something that can be expanded on or kept for a long time.
South Dakotas are pretty tough customers in Big Gun. Heavily armed and armored, and maneuverable to boot. Other than that, try a torpedo-armed destroyer. Fletchers and Gearings are great, especially if your local club lets you build the Timmerman. You can arm one or two torpedoes off each side using MJV-2 cannons. In the WWCC, you are allowed to represent triple torpedoes with a single-barrel launcher, loaded with three 1/4" ball bearings. Not as effective as a true triple torpedo, but still pretty good.
I like the Gearing and its like, I was just worried that destroyers may be a bit to small, and thus difficult. South Dakota is indeed one of my favourite big ships, along with King George V (ww2) and the Moltke class (which would be easiest?). I do like the Omaha class, but I can't find any fiberglass hulls for it and I have limited experience with carpentry.
You could buy plans for Omaha, and follow the method shown in the Cheapest Point of Entry thread to build one from wood. It's not a particularly difficult hull to build. SoDaks are nice looking ships, and like the man says, in big gun they are well armed and armored. If you want to do a slightly longer BB, North Carolina plans are available free on the internet in pdf. Your local Kinko's or blueprint shop would have to scale them for you, but that's not hard.
Basic questions to answer... 1. where are you located and what clubs/people are near you 2. which format, first question will answer second sometimes 3. how old are you and how much experience/tools do you have with building things from scratch 4. how much money can you spend (offset by question 3) Each format has a different answer so it's important to know where you are starting from. A ship will cost you roughly about $700 to $1000 FULLY finished in fast gun but it's not money you have to spend all at once. Welcome aboard captain!
Thre are a few other options out there too if you are limited to a fiberglass hull. Strike Models has a USS Tennessee that looks nice, as well as a gorgeous USS Arizona hull that had me drooling the first time seeing one. Battlers connection has a USS Maryland hull that looks great also. I'm sure all three of those would work well in big gun as well as fast gun. For something smaller but brings a lot to the fight in fast gun, Battlers Connection has a USS Mississippi hull. The little ship is 3 units, fat, tubby, and manueverable. It's slow speed might be a detriment in big gun, but in the fast gun clubs the speed matches other short slow ships and it gets a sidemount cannon as a pre-dreadnaught.
1. I am currently located in the Chicagoland area - but I won't be building anything for quite a while because right now I am busy with preparing to apply for college. 2. This will probably depend on where I end up going to college - but preferably big gun, though fast gun is interesting to. 3. 16, I have basic woodworking experience from middle school shop class, and rc experience from tinkering with rc cars. 4. I'm not sure on an exact number, but personally I would like a ship that isn't too expensive.
Make sure you apply for college in sunny California, we've got Big Gun aplenty here A Gearing destroyer isn't too hard to build in Big Gun, especially if you use MJV-2 torpedoes. I'm currently re-building the destroyer Z-25 to use MJV-2 torpedoes. I'll try to take photos as the project progresses. An Omaha is another good bet. I actually helped build a pair of them. One is (unfortunately) now a shelf queen, but the other is seeing active service down in Australia. The bigger cruisers like Omaha need to be armed with proper triple torpedoes in order to be effective, so that may actually be more of a challenge than a destroyer. A predreadnought like USS Mississippi is a very interesting boat in Big Gun, but I wouldn't recommend it for a rookie. It's very unforgiving, and not heavily armed. It is more interesting to an experienced builder who needs a very compact, portable battleship. The SoDak is a great choice for a beginner. It's big and heavily armed. If you're doing Big Gun, I would recommend the SoDak instead of the similar North Carolina. Their speeds are similar, and SoDak's skeg layout makes for a more robust, well-protected propulsion area. I have heard that, in Fast Gun, the North Carolina's extra few inches are enough to bump it into a higher speed category.
How would a South Dakota compare with the other large ships that I am considering: the KGV, Moltke, and Deutschland?
For a Big Gun beginner, I would recommend the SoDak or KGV. If you can buy used, a Lutzow/Deutschland pocket BB would also work. Do not build a WWI capital ship as your first ship, because they have a lot of turrets (more expensive), and tend to be smaller, slower, and less armored. KGV is a great beginner ship. It is roomy and simple, with two quad 7/32" guns. It also has a twin in there, somewhere, but nobody I know of has actually bothered arming it. Quad guns are wonderful. They pack a wallop whenever they hit, and having only two turrets to worry about simplifies your plumbing and layout work. It isn't the most maneuverable ship in the world, nor is it the fastest, but it's an all-around solid performer for the Allies. SoDak is another great beginner ship. It's got three triple 1/4" guns. That'll be more expensive to arm than a KGV, but it's also throwing bigger, more powerful rounds. The SoDak has a wonderfully fat stern, which makes for a relatively easy installation of your rudders, propshafts, and electronics (firing servo, radio, etc) than in skinny ships like, say, Scharnhorst or Lutzow. If you don't over-ballast this ship, it'll handle great. Put too much weight in, however, and it'll be sluggish. Deutschland is a tougher beginner boat. It's got two triple 7/32" guns, in a cruiser-sized hull. The size makes for an unforgiving ship, both in construction and battling. It is very tempting to treat the Deutschland as a battleship, when it really isn't. Swap broadsides with a SoDak or KGV and you're toast. It is also a more difficult build. If you can buy one used for a good price, go for it. If you're building for yourself, pick a bigger boat.
One factor to keep in mind when deciding on a ship is transportability. I've limited my recent ships to a max length of 4.5 feet, the longest I can fit across the back seat of my car. South Dakota is a little too long but Tennessee is just right. If you have a van or truck or SUV, length will probably not be an issue. Another practical concern is weight. The big ships can get pretty heavy (40 pounds or more) making them more cumbersome to get in and out of the water.
True, but I regularly fit a Bismarck (i could fit a Yamato, its only a few inches longer) in the back of a civic, however if you drop down to the 4ft range they become a lot easier to fly with....
I guess it all depends on the vehicle and if you can flip down the back seat to gain access to the trunk on some of the smaller vehicles. I regularily transport a Kirishima (58") diagonally in the back seat of my Cavalier. I could easily fit something much larger if it was laid in the back seat, and into the trunk area.
Don't forget about Richelieu. Dual quad 1/4"ers in a bigger, faster platform. Not much protection off the rear, though.
Hey guys. My topic isn't working, wont let me type in it. Same question as eighth, but for Fast Gun. I need 3 things: Reasonable length/weight, reasonable firepower, and reasonable price. The holidays are coming up, so I think I'll have more money. Had 2 ships in mind: USS Wichita or DKM Lutzow. Thanks, -Son-
Maryland /Colorado class 5.5 class, pump and 4.5 guns, nice and big roomy, takes damage well, lots of options for gun placements.
Don't forget the West Virginia. Turns well on a single rudder, roomy, and can take a good amount of damage and still stay afloat.
Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Tennessee, and Colorado class are all of very similar dimensions and layout. Some have twin turrets some have triples. And the Pennsylvania has casemates in which to lay barrels to get them closer to the water. Several of those classes got massive bulges. First that come to mind are Tennessee (114' beam!) and Arizona at 106' beam (Pennsylvania class). I personally like the look of the Tennessee and strike models has a kit. There is a Maryland in the for sale section. Das Bütts
