Hi, my son and I are looking to commision the baddest R/C Battleship on the planet, do you know of anyone who can build her for us? This is what we are looking to have built for us: 1/96th scale version ship measures 9.5 feet long, 17 inches wide and weighs about 75 pounds without her batteries. If possible we would prefer she be gas driven for range and speed. We would like a 32-inch-tall superstructure with red and green running lights on the side, smoke comes out of this smokestack, her radar antenna spins and the anchor goes up and down. The 3 main gun turrets: should have 9 barrels that elevate and fire the largest bb known to man. We would like a water tight, reinforced hull. She should be outfitted with 4 screws, twin rudders, faster than anything else out there, have greater range and maneuverability. Think, "The DeatH Star" reincarnated in the form of a R/C Battleship. Are you capable of building such a beast? If not, can you point me in the right direction. We would also like her to be built in the USA. My name is Robert and my personal email address is: picasmemorabilia@yahoo.com and my cellular number is (717)728-6125. Thank you for your time and consideration.
For $10,000. I'd be happy to build you a 1/96th scale Montana Class Battleship. It's longer and has more guns than what you've specified. Why mess around with anything less?
A ship that big should displace at least 150 pounds. With 75 pounds available for batteries, you won't need a gas engine to get lots of range and speed. The 96 scale Hood that I built would do 100' in 34 seconds - with only one of the props turning. We didn't test full speed with both props turning. Each motor only draws 15 amps, so even with the lead acid batteries it could maintain full throttle for over two hours.
You're looking at a canoe sized ship, do you have a trailer to carry it and launch it from? You ask for "largest bb". Largest type of shot used in hobby is 1/4" ball bearings. Is this what you have in mind? Drive, rudders, running lights etc. are easily done. If this is being built just as a toy, hull can be made of fiberglass (or wood) with no worries about building to any given rule set. Your description of 3 turrets of three guns each, plus radar narrows down candidates to the USS South Dakota, North Carolina, and Iowa classes, all of which have easily obtained plans. An Iowa-class ship in 1/96 scale would be 9'3" long and 13.5" wide. Is this what you had in mind?
