Just saw the Fletcher cannon is now listed on BC's site: http://battlersconnection.com/fletcher-50-round-cannon/
Yay! Hopefully when done, this will get more new captains actually on the water and let them still battle while building their other "uber ship".
Does anyone know the overall height of the Fletcher cannon? I need a low profile cannon for my Henri IV stern mount...
Hmm....kinda like the "assault rifle" fix where they'd insert a (easily removed) plate into a 30-round mag to restrict it to fewer rounds? Yeah, that worked well. No, if you are only allowed a .5 unit gun, then you mount a .5 unit gun. Eliminates a lot of angst and stress all around. OTOH, if you have sufficient faith (or a death wish) and want to run a Fletcher w/ no pump and a 50-round gun, go for it!
As some battles are only 15 min long, and you might spend waiting 5-7 min, running without a pump is a doable option. Please also remember that you can take the guts from this ship and drop it into the Gearing, which is a 1.5 unit ship. If there is angst over 25 bb's for a destroyer, we have bigger issues... What is the goal of the Fletcher? To get a captain on the water in the shortest time possible and the least amount of money spent. This makes an actual battling captain and not just a spectator. They can then learn from this build and create their battleship (without touching the destroyer), so at least they bring a functioning ship to all the battles.
So to clarify, you're saying it's frowned upon to have the 50 capacity mag? Assuming the worst that people will take advantage and load more rounds?
No, not assuming people will cheat. Just reality that, if the capacity is there, it will be used. Why build a ship to a set of rules, and then violate those rules right out of the gate? Nobody's going to take your ship apart pond-side to count how many bb's fit in the tube. Most people in the hobby are pretty laid back. But lets look at it from another viewpoint: You're building a very weight-limited ship. Why would you want the extra .05 oz. of weight the longer magazine tube represents? If you look at the battlers connection or strike guns, they actually hold 5-7 bb's more than "rated" capacity (to allow for gun adjustments aka "tweaking") prior to battle. So even your "25-round .5 unit" gun probably holds 32 bb's.
A lot of people that build their own guns have mags that hold more than 50 BBs. As long as youre careful with how many you load there isn't an issue. I wouldn't fret about it.
The difference between the Fletcher/Sumner and Gearing is 1.5 inches. As a new captain I would be a little peeved if I bought a 25 round cannon and then have to buy a new cannon for the Gearing. Fletcher was done as more a scale offering that would have a few combat sales. Interest is so high that Gearing is now being completed, so most new captain will build that as you get 1.5 units out the gate. Also, they are having to ballast the ship so the extra weight is not a current issue (and two have been built and battled)
I was looking at the BC option to save time. I can build a cannon, but having to build one just gets this kit further away from the new guy "Hook Boat". You can't buy a 25-round .5 Unit Cannon anywhere that I know of. Guess BC should call this cannon the Gearing cannon instead of mentioning the Fletcher. The problem with the Fletcher at this moment is it still requires the builder to chase a list of parts. There's no readily available "Parts List".
We are working on that, can you post what else you are buying for the build and I will address what I can. Magazine length does not dictate allowed capacity, the load of BB's is what defines 25 or 50. CD can spot check any and all boats. Keep this build reasonable, if someone is going to build and "cheat", better we catch them with a small boat and set them straight.
I can supply 1/2 unit short barrel versions of the Stynger HL cannons for $80. They would be half the weight of a traditional cannon which would help greatly with the tippy Fletchers. Full unit version
One thought on 1/2 unit versus full unit mags on the little Fletch. The 1/2 unit cannon will be much more gas efficient. A real plus when running the 12g caps.
Steve, the "tippy fletchers" are from the first gen scale hulls. Those have been remolded with the additional 3/8th inch added to the keel. I just want anyone reading this to know they don't need to worry about "tippy"
