I have been looking, but haven't found anything on gas powered engines. I have looked through the rules and everything, but haven't found anything that says we have to have electric engines. I was thinking about changing the engines out to be gas powered. What is everyone's thoughts about this?
Every club I'm aware of requires a form of propulsion that does not involve flammables. Practically speaking, this means electric motors. The ships really sink, and a gas engine would not last long in a scale combat environment, aside from the flammability risk. Cost-wise, electrics are very effective and reliable, and require MUCH less maintenance than gas engines do. Every rules set for RC Naval combat sets speed limits on ships, so achieving a high top end is not really a concern as it would be in boat racing.
It's a bad idea, for a lot of reasons. First, it's a fire hazard. You have sparks and such which could ignite it. Second, are the environmental impacts of spilling the gas or leaks when you sink. Third, you need the batteries to drive the non propulsion systems, so you're not eliminating anything. Fourth, it makes reverse a poor option. Fifth, it would require you to add complexity to the inside of the ship by adding a fuel tank and duel lines. The bigger question is why would you want to do this? You literally gain nothing.
Those are interesting points and I am not one that likes to destroy the environment. I was thinking about that because I like to stick with realism and I thought that gas powered engines would be a great idea. I do understand that when the ship sinks the engine would suffer, so maybe i'll just build a boat with one, but not use it for combat, just for entertainment. I'm not dumb, but I have always like gas power better then batteries.
Beyond destroying the environment, we battle at ponds that are owned by people (or the public) who are not battlers and do not want gas/oil in their pond. I'm pretty sure that we would lose both of our battle ponds if anyone was battling with a gas motor. The un-scale noise would also detract. And, as mentioned, all current rule sets require electric. Darren's point about having a gas tank and such is also important, as most ships do NOT have much free space inside without any of the support stuff that a gas motor would need. Thirdly, gas motors generate heat, and the CO2 tanks already tend to blow the safety disc with just a hot sun on the boat. A hot engine near a compressed gas cylinder would probably be a very bad thing.
If you want realism, put a minature steam turbine in (or triple expansion if WW1 boat). Elsewise, go electric. Gas in R/C modeling has gone the way of the Dodo. Everything in R/C today runs faster, cheaper, and just as long on battery power!
If looking for a scale sound perhaps try a sound generator. It would sound much more authentic that any small gas engine.
I appreciate everyone's input. I haven't built a ship before, and wasn't sure how much space is inside the hull. So I guess an electric motor is the only way to go in this hobby? What about Bow thrusters? Those are pretty much a prop inside a tube that help the ship turn starboard or port.
You could hook your gas engine up to the CO2 bottle, and run it like a backwards compressor....Nah, just dreaming.
Bow thrusters are generally allowed as long as the original ship had them. NO WW1 or WW2 warship that I know of had them, I wouldn't be surprised if one did but none of the more common and hobby effective ships have them. You might be able to find a convoy, liner, freighter, ocean going tug, etc that had them, but nothing with significant firepower.
Except the German carrier Hindenburg...but it was a Voith-Schneider drive so not really a bow thruster There is a convoy here that has one, the Jakhaaru, but she's not a warship.
Only if you rule they fall under an illegal turning system, however if the original ship had them you would have a pretty strong case for use. Finding a ship that had a bow thruster from that time period that is worth building is still going to be the hard part.
No, you are incorrect. All three of them specify "Only rudders shall be used to steer ships. No "turning motors" or other systems may be used to assist in turning".
Yes part of the rules that I was talking about as well, my point is that IF you can find a ship that actually had them, a CD would probably allow it. (We allow rudders larger than standard if they are scale to the original so there is precedent for that sort of thing.) CDs tend to have a lot of leeway in determining what gets allowed and what doesn't. Finding a combat effective ship that has bow thrusters for this to even matter is another whole topic. Lots of stuff is restricted on propulsion, number of shafts, number of props, top speed, certain fwd/rev setups (ie running different voltages or different motor/prop combinations), drag disks, rudder size Props themselves are pretty open at the moment for different shapes/designs/# blades/pitch/etc. The rules also still have lots of grey areas, they are getting better but it is a slow and painful process....basically if you do anything too "extreme"/different expect a reaction. Generally there is always one thing or another that is a "hot topic" and people are yakking about, but I think that just comes with the competitive aspect of the hobby.
Running at the local pond might be okay if others are agreable to letting you test something like that out, i'd be interested in seeing if somebody could do a Graf Zepplin with a working Voith Schneider Propeller (the type installed as a bow thruster), but telling people they are generally allowed isn't the case. I wouldn't want somebody to go to all the effort of putting something like that in, only to show up and have to rip it out. This isn't a grey area rule.
None of the old steam ships from the wars had bow thrusters. They were all assisted for docking by Tugs.
