Hey Captains and Admirals! Thanks again to everyone for your comprehensive answers to my questions and for volunteering your stories!!! I recieved 100% on the essay and 100% on the presentation based off of the essay! Here is Part One of the Essay, enjoy: Radio Controlled Naval Combat: Introduction and Overview Craig Nash Research and Writing Abstract The purpose of this essay is to give you a brief overview of what Radio Control Naval Combat (RCNC) is, outline its history and to summarize various aspects such as building ships and battling them. There are comments from some of the prominent individuals in the hobby from Canada and the United States as well as some information from online sources. Radio Control hobbies have been around for over fifty years. In Radio Control Naval Combat (RCNC), captains outfit their World War ship models with BB cannons. It is a competitive alternative to static models where instead of building to scale replicas for display, the boats are constructed for simulated RC warfare. On his RCNC forum website, Justin Scott states “R/C Naval Combat is a scale simulation of naval combat. Custom-build, radio-controlled warship models from early 20th Century are pitted against each other in ponds, streams, and lakes all over the world.” (Scott, 2006) The history of this hobby does not start on the RC side of things. The Naval side of World Wars I and II provided some of the inspiration for RCNC, as the models in the combat game, are made to be historically accurate models of the real ships from 1906 – 1946. As with any game, there was a starting point. For an original description of RCNC’s infancy, I have an excerpt from the U.S. Model and Boat Builder Magazine, an article by Steve Milholland: . . .in the early ‘70s in Amarillo, Texas, there were three young men named Stan Watkins, Jeff Poindexter and D.W. Fluegel. As young men wont to do, these three had an itch to have some fun with the plastic model battleships they had been building. . . put an anchor and line on the ships, and launched his respective model in the local lake so that the tethered warship would run in lazy circles around the anchor line. These adventure-hungry, would-be captains then proceeded to shoot away at each other’s models from shore with a Daisy BB gun. . . (Milholland, 1996) Research and development is paramount in a hobby such as this. The majority of RC participants have no problem finding running gear to get boats on the water to run, the problem was the BB cannon combat system was needed, and there wasn’t anyone making them in the early 70’s. The early BB cannons fired spurts of three or five shots at a time and home made guns, strange, twisted and bent into configuration were prevalent. They rarely fired reliably, and frusterated captains looked for alternatives. The BB cannon system was refined and has even gotten to the point where single magazines may be a thing of the past. Greg McFadden, one of the names on the cutting edge of RCNC R&D, is credited for damage proof molded superstructures, one of the best pumps in the game and is soon to have in full production, the pancake cannon delivery system. Regardless of the number of cannons that you wish to use in one turret, one, two or three, his new system is state of the art, blending ease of refilling with a reliable firing system, a deadly combination for the hobby. Greg McFadden on R&D, “When someone tells me it can’t be done, don’t do it, I do it… Research and Development is the best part of the hobby for me…I’m working on an idea for putting a GPS chip in an electronic speed control.” (McFadden, 2008) Want more? Stay tuned. I learned a lot from this and am contemplating setting up something for a handout for people. Craig
Very well written Captain Sparrrow! Re your mention of R/C combat going back more than 50 years, several years ago my father sent me a clipping from a late 1930s Mechanics Illustrated. (Dad has a massive collection of old newspapers and mags and clipping articles of interest to friends and family has been a hobby of his as long as I can remember.) The article was about a guy with several larger scale models (they look to be about 1/96 scale) operated by a reed type radio, including a sub and a battleship that he could sink via radio. He was trying to think af a way to actually battle with his models. I have another article from the 1980's about some guys in eastern Europe battling with models of WWI British monitors and other ships operated via electrical cables emerging from the bottom of their hulls and going underwater to hand-held control boxes - no radio controls systems available or too expensive I guess. Where there's a will there's a way! I forget the scale but they looked larger than 1/144. Bob
Chucky, that sentiment is not lost on me for sure. Thanks. Hey Bob, Once again... bringing up some great stuff (where was this info earlier?!?!? lol) As I said before, I really, really appreciated all the effort and support I recieved from everyone who volunteered some time and answers to questions. Justin's and yours especially Bob were thorough and information filled. I wished I could have written a small book... perhaps a novel... hmmmmmm.... ;P Not yet. Would have to do some more research for sure! Thanks for the comments and compliments... they are not lost on ole' Jack Sparrow! (hat tip to Bob) ..... and without further adieu Part 2 : Some of the guidelines and rules that are used today came up through trial and error. Safety measures for combat; roping off the battle site, wearing safety glasses and pinning your BB cannons when not in use. Other rules such as how to construct your ship had both mathematical equations for determining speed, penetrable area and number of cannons and rounds per ship, had to be formed. The combatant’s entries also had to look the part. The consensus was that all models that competed must have the look of the original ship, right down to an appropriate paint scheme. When everything was finally written down and a formalized rule set approved by the general membership, some of the decisions were: All captains had to have eighty-five percent of the ships’ fibreglass sides penetrable, and sheeted with one thirty-two second balsa wood, which was to be waterproofed before it was adhered. Depending on the size and weight of the real ship, would determine the speed and armament. A battleship’s scale speed would have it run at scale of one hundred feet in twenty-four seconds and have six to seven battle units according to its weight. This would allow it a bilge pump for defense using one battle unit and six cannons with fifty BBs in each. Building a ship can be a daunting task. There is the decision about which one you want to build and which ships are available to construct and the cost. When talking to perspective new captains, I usually point them in the direction of Battler’s Connection. It is an online business that sells kits or parts, whatever you need. There are also individuals like Greg McFadden who have excellent parts to purchase. Curt Stokes, one of the pioneers of the hobby in Canada, had this to say, "Put it in perspective. The start up costs are high. Compare it to the Wii and that these systems go down in value over time, new systems come out, you have to get another one. . . The maintenance is the cheapest of all hobbies out there. It is affordable. Next to nothing to operate these things. My boat is going to last another 20 years. In the long run it will last the longest of all my hobbies." (Stokes, 2008) If you have a creative mindset and can work well with math, you can create your own mold for your ship’s hull. Hull creation is a lengthy and involved process, especially to get the precision of the scale right. Once you have your dimensions and have prepared everything, you can begin construction. To build a ship from the hull up takes time and patience. You have to create a plug, make a mold and then you would begin using fibreglass to manufacture the hull. Another option is to custom order one from someone like Bob Pottle, who builds superb representations of these ship’s hulls. He had this to say about creating a hull from scratch, “Fibreglass is the way to go, but it takes a lot of work to produce molds, and most people don't have the necessary experience, time or a suitable workspace to make a hull plug and take a mold from it.” (Pottle, 2008) Another way to get started in the hobby is to buy a second-hand ship, this is how I started. I purchased the USS North Carolina in July 2005. It was in great shape and handcrafted by a local captain who had moved on to another project. Some captains build, or attempt to retain, multiple ships. More often than not, they wind up parting with most, keeping their favourite, or signature ship. (SNIP) And there is the next part for now. My reason for cutting it up, is that should someone wish to use the whole thing, they will have to plagerize through connection. I don't mind putting the essay out there... if someone wants some of the info they could always message the source. The next couple of comments gets the next part out sooner....
Great Job Craig, definetly an A+ paper. You did alot for the hobby by portraying it in simple terms, while not being condescending. Overall, i hope this reply gets the next one out sooner : )
Wow, Jack who knew you could write??[][}] Just kidding, an excellent paper (so far) and look forward to reading more! J
Excellent again Craig. Great to hear that your hard work gave you the greatest reward. We couldn't be happier for your achievement. Glad that the RCNC community lent a hand to help you. Looking foward to the remainder of the ESSAY.
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh the critics love it!!!! Ok.... I see that more is needed.... LOL here goes...... Part 3...... The end of it all.... Once you have a ship and have a group to battle with, you can begin preparing for combat. You’ll want to test and test again your ships internal systems, take it out for a few test runs and have all the qualifying tests such as speed and CO2 pressure tested before your first competition. Make sure to have BBs and that all of your batteries are fully charged. Having a battle site can involve a lot of red tape. Battling can involve carrying insurance, as we did in Saint John, New Brunswick, having a permit to battle in Halifax, Nova Scotia or having to register each BB cannon as they do in Australia. The cannons fall under the category of a firearm there. The group organizers will make sure of safety issues such as extra goggles, that there is a first aid kit and that the site is set up for battle. Preparing the site consists of roping off the perimeter to insure a safe area called “The Pit.” In this area the CO2 refills of ships are done and any test firing, at lakeside, can also be done. It is also where, when battle begins, the ships will launch from. Safety is a primary concern of this hobby, an injury-free battle is best for the enjoyment of all. The boats are in the water, the contest director calls “Let the battle begin!” and the two sides clash into each other, most using tactics, some just doing their part, others just running around creating havoc. It is a fun-filled fur ball of fighting! Nothing compares to the energy releasing “Thwack!” of your first shot finding the mark and penetrating balsa. There are the sinks, the walks of shame for your sunken ship, the agony of defeat, the thrill of victory, the camaraderie of good friends. It is like nothing I’ve experienced before. Once the battle is over at an official event like Canadian Nationals, which was held for the first time outside of Nova Scotia in Fredericton, New Brunswick this year, then you tally up points. Points determine which side wins the fight, the top prize and bragging rights for another year. These are tallied as follows: ten for each BB hole above the waterline, twenty-five on the line, and fifty for each below as these are the hardest to hit and cause the ship to sink the fastest. Then should the ship succumb to her wounds, there is a point total for the sink determined by the amount of units, for example Bismarck has a pump and six cannons, and is over a thousand points sunk. The team with the fewest points against is victorious! The winning team is now determined, the bragging and awe of damage has passed, and the next round is prepped for. You patch all holes from BB damage with a product called silk span, an RC airplane wing material. While silk span is held over the hole to patch, you apply sigment, a kind of glue, the patch holds, is waterproof again and allows the balsa to retain it penetrability for the next battle. Next you refill your CO2 bottle and your BB cannons, and out you go again! This takes about ten to twenty minutes, depending on size of ship and damage. Another bonus to the hobby is the environmental impact. None. The boats are electric and most now carry BBs that after a while dissolve in water, placing naturally occurring elements back into the lakes and ponds used for battle. Once all coffee cups and caution tape are cleaned up, the next visitors to that spot would see nothing different then from the last time they had been there. From its humble beginnings of only a few captains getting together on the weekend to RCNC today, where you’ll find several hundred registered users of the Forum Website, rcnavalcombat.com. There are close to fifty clubs registered from around the globe, most of which are located in the United States. There are five clubs in Canada, a few in Australia and more in Europe. Most clubs have events they hold annually, some are able to combat year round, and others take their ships on tour, presenting them at shows in museums and halls. The hobby has had articles in magazines, been on small TV shows, and usually makes the local news when major events are happening. The future for the hobby in Canada according to Bob Pottle, who has been caughtup in RCNC since he saw his first article in a magazine back in 1979, “. . .there will be more connection in Canada between the Maritime and Ontario clubs, but due to the larger separation between us than between the eastern U.S. clubs it will be difficult for us to have a truly national event. . . I see the Maritime clubs expanding and battling together. . .(Pottle, 2008) As long as ships keep getting built, then there will always be RCNC. Here in Canada, we have five active clubs, two in Nova Scotia, one in Newfoundland, one in Ontario and then the new club here in New Brunswick, Atlantic Radio Control Club (ARCC). It is a sport that its captains refer to it as the “Magnificant Obsession.” A game of adults playing with toy boats. I think that the captains, right from the founding fathers, Poindexter, Watkins and Fleugal to Stokes, Pottle and myself in Canada would say, “Let the BBs fly!” References McFadden, G (2008) Telephone interview conducted on October 27th, 2008 Milholland, S. (1996) U.S. Model and Boat Builder Magazine. Pottle, R (2008) E-mail interview conducted on October 29th, 2008 Scott, J.K. (2006) Retrieved November 5, 2008, from http://www.rcnavalcombat.com/rcnavalcombat/whatIs/ Stokes, C.V. (2008) Phone interview conducted on October 25th, 2008 AND THERE YOU HAVE IT MY MINI-PIRATEERS!!!! THE ESSAY IS NOW COMPLETE.... GO BACK AND READ HER ALL AGAIN.... THANKS TO EVERYONE..... THIS WAS A LOT OF FUN TO DO. JUSTIN, BOB, CURT, GREG THANKS VERY MUCH!!!!!!
Colorful.....with nice pictures and not a lot of words. (Quote from George W. Bush). He is truly brilliant...on the level of a 3 year old, but it makes sense. Also direction to this website as it is the best i have seen on this subject (thanks Justin!!)
