Guys, I am looking at a couple of Italian ships, and I noticed that they seemed to like the V shaped hulls. Their cruisers, especailly the Zaras and Duca d'Aosta, have very defined Vs. For our purposes, does it make a huge difference on a cruiser vs a flat hull bottom? I like the Italian boats, but I wouldn't want one that is very tippy. If this IS the case, how do you mitigate the problem, if at all?
V hulls vs flat hulls is difficult to compare, straight-up, because of the many variables that affect stability. If, however, we were to assume identical displacement hulls with the only difference being V vs flat, here is what you could expect. The flat hull would have more of its buoyancy out towards the edges, which would help it orient parallel to the water's surface better than the V. However, since it will tend to be wider for a greater portion of its depth, the hull will end up shallower overall and that will raise your center of gravity. The V hull, on the other hand, since it tends to be narrower for a greater portion of its depth, will end up with a deeper hull. That means its center of gravity will be lower, which will help orient it parallel to gravity. Thus, the differences between the V and the flat hull are not a lack of stability, but different types of stability. But that's all theoretical, and you need real ideas for a real ship. So consider some of these: If every heavy item in your ship is mounted entirely (or almost entirely) below the waterline, it will improve your ship's righting force (improving stability). If you include bilge keels (those faired rails along the sides of most ships, lengthwise about halfway down the turn of the bilge), it will greatly reduce your ship's rolling rate (improving stability). If you build your superstructure light, and minimize its tendency to trap bbs inside, it will improve your ship's righting force (improving stability). If you ensure every object is securely mounted inside the hull, it will prevent ballast shifts during combat (improving stability). In short, do what every sane builder does and pay attention to your construction materials and weight distribution, and take steps to counter expected problems before the arise, and you'll have a fine ship. Italy has some cool ships, it is a pity it is not well-represented in the hobby. Hope this helps!
Thanks, that is EXACTLY what I needed. I really appreciate the info. So basically, if I keep it light up top and put as much weight below the water line as poissible, while including bilge keels, the V hull would be pretty stable. Awesome.
