Greetings & Salutations to you all. R/C Naval Combat Model boats seems to give all that effort / building a purpose. I'm working in the Arabian Gulf for while and I am very intrigued by the concept and hope to spend endless hours "getting ready". I have a pet project carried over from my wargaming days when I scratch built a 28mm Nile Gun boat. I was thinking of a 1/96 scale version of the Melik, armed for and aft with a 4" howitzer? Historically the Melik was retired from service in 1926 so although she was built around 1898 she was still on active service until between the World Wars http://www.melik.org.uk/articles/Nile-gunboats/ Little chance of the acid test of combat out here - but who knows. Should make the trip back home more interesting when I'm asked, going through Customs, if I have "anything to declare". Thoughts any one - is there likely to be issues with her draught / freeboard etc being legal. Combat wise she probably couldn't pull the skin off a rice pudding - but I think she's lovely. Regards
Welcome to the forums! The only semi-active 1/96 scale combat club is the Battlestations group. I'm not sure the particulars about the rule set for start and ending years, but the rule set is someplace on the site here. You may want to check them out for inclusive years and construction particulars. Weapons wise, most big gun clubs are using upto 1/4" ball bearing cannons limited to a max elevation of horizontal for safety. Size of the shot depends on the size of the original ship's guns. I've seen one completed 1/96 scale combat ship: Mikey Deskin's Straussburg. It is amazingly large and beautiful!
Battlestations date range is 1900-1945. If a ship was launched even if never commissioned during those dates it is allowed. Tosa and Mackensen are both allowed for example. I think that was the scheme. So Melik is a bit early.
