questions, questions, many questions

Hello,
i'm a newbie, with newbie questions. Probably they have been asked before a lot of times... I did try looking in the 'faq' and 'getting started' sections in more than one page dedicated to rc naval combat, however all were either 'cooming soon', plain dead/not working, or gave me not what i was looking for..anyways, i would appriciate some help by answering a couple of questions:
1) How much stuff is needed for making a ship, for example, assuming im taking a kit like this http://www.battlersconnection.com/html/yamato.html , what else would i need? Like tools, or some other ship parts, additional cannon balls, additional screws, rudders and so on.
2) I tried modeling. It did not work well, i have no skills for that. If i buy such a kit, how much actual talent and knowledge it requires to assamble it? All I have is patience and time. Is it similar to assembling ordinary plastic models, just with some extra parts?
3) I can't paint very well either. In what detail are those kit hulls made with? Out of the box - will this look like a floating lego block? If so, are there any easy ways to improve the look for someone who cant paint? (like waterproof stickers perhaps?)
4) I assume that 'hardware kit' on that page is the engine and everything related. I can't find any description what kind of engine it is however. Does it run on batteries, and if it has everything needed, so i have the engine, screw-proppeler, rudder and whatever else needed.
5) What about balsa plating, raughly how many would i require to fit one ship? They did not list that in the recomended items. Is it a part of other kit, like the deck kit perhaps, or should i order some additional?
6) I cant find any description on rules. Except that there are small/fast guns and big guns, and that 1:144 scale is the most popular. What other differences are there. Are there some tendencies which is more popular, and what type of ships come in the kit sets from the site given above. On westernwarshipcombat.com in the link section there is this : " Battlers Connection
Fiberglass hulls and ship hardware. Note: Complete kits are only appropriate for small (fast) gun combat." . But which one is this? Is a complete kit the "Ship Kit: NA"? Everything listed on that page falls into big guns or small guns?
7) What about the maintnance. What is required. I read somewhere that it's best to wash the electronic parts with alcohol. Is there a guide for maintnance anywhere? (there are articles on wesernwarshipcombat.com, but for some reason, there are only intro textes, and there is no 'read more' link..)
8) Are parts like co2 bottles standard? I would rather not import co2 from overseas each time i run out of it if i could buy the same in a shop near me.
9) That site does not provide radio systems, and sends to an external supplier. Does one need to know anything about electronics/radio waves to make it work, or is it as simple as attaching some wires?
10) Estimating, how much money it costs to play one battle, in terms of repaires, co2 and cannon resuply and any other if necessary?
11) In such kits, is everything preplanned, or is it left for me to decide where i put all the interior stuff?
EDIT: 12) Balsa plating again. I read that in big guns, thickness of balsa plating depends on the ship class. Is this true, or am i imaginating this? But on that page, there are 2 balsa platings, and both apper to have the same thickness (1/32''). Also, how do i know which one fits into a type of ship/kit that i would like to order?
13) I havent seen it in real life yet - is firing cannons also radio controlled? How about rotating them and pitching up/down? Are there special remotes for that with all the buttons?
14) On youtube - most battles are done at extremly close range. Is there any long range exchange of fire effective? And from this short range, do larger caliber guns make any difference?
15) On co2 price one again. I checked my local prices, and for 20$ i can get 25 bottles of co2, 12g, umarex for paintball. Is that 55$ for co2 on the site for a pack? or is it other kind of bottles? What does 7 oz, 9 oz, 3,5 oz mean?
Thanks

 

First off:
Welcome to the hobby!

Next:
Is there a club or a group near you?
If so, get to know them.

The type of ship you build depends mainly on the group that you sail with.
Each club has it's own variance of the basic rules for ship building and conbat.
Thus all that we could give you here is guide lines and not hard solid rules.

1) There are very few "Kits" out there. for the most part a Kit means a hull and superstructure. Turrets, motors, batteries and electronics are all extra.
2) Building skills are a big plus, but since our ships are built to be shot at, as long at it generally resembles a ship there should be no problem.
3) Mask off the hull at the water line. spray paint the below the water line red. let it dry, then remove tape. Mask the hull from the water line and below, now spray paint the rest of the ship gray. Let it dry, and remove the tape. Now attach water proof 1/4 inch black tape at the water line all the way arond the hul, and you are done!
4) These are seperate. The motor needs to be controlled to allow the ship to travel at the proper speed in accordance with the rules.
5) It depends on what ship you are building and according to which set of rules.
6) What rule set are you looking to use?
7) That depends on how well the ship is built. Some ships almost never need any maintenance, and others need to be fixed almost daily!
8) If the bottle is fitted with a valve, it can be re-filled.
9) setting up the radio is fairly basic. It is the same as any other RC, be it boat plane or car.
10) that is very subjective.
11) It is up to you.
12) In big guns it depends on how thick the armor was ont he actual ship. Your group should have a table displaying the thickness of balsa compared to the armor of the actual hull.
13) Yes. Please note that cannons are not allowed to elevatd above the horizon.
14) Long range is not evffective. Even at close range, I have seen the shells bounce of the oponets hull!!!

Hope this helps.

 

Thank you It does help, but a follow up questions:
On that link in my first post about kits, there are recomended items list. Assuming i get the kit and all that items - is this all, or are there still stuff to buy?
I havent found any club around here yet, but im pretty fresh to this subject, so i havent really tried to find them either. Although i think it's not too popular here in Poland. But first, im just checking to see if i can afford it, be able to build a model, and like the game itself. Could you describe perhaps how are models in relation to their historical parameters? Are battleships indeed more powerful than a destroyer, or is it more luck dependant on who scores the first fatal hit. Im guessing that its pretty much more fun if a ship you control represents more or less what it historically was, of course to a degree that scaled modeling can afford. It would be quite a disappointment if a little, hard to hit destroyer sunk a battleship only with his guns.
So, in terms of rules i have no idea what would i play with. Personally, the idea of big guns sounds more appealing, but...i never tried it and before i find anyone from around here to share the hobby with i wont try them. Chcenes are i'll have to interest a couple of friends and hope they like it. Anyways, checking the catalogue, i was planing to get either the Scharnhorst or the Prinz Eugen.
Also, i see submarines are rare. I was wondering, how do people play with those? I assume they are always on the surface ? Or can they actually dive?
Lastly, my late question number 15) Are those co2 bottles the same as in paintball? I havent tried paintball so I dont know much about it either, but 25 bottles for 20$ seems cheap enough even without refilling. Even if 3 bottles for each turret go per battle, thats still quite affordable.

 

I have never had any dealings with Battlers connection, so I can not answer that one.

It dependsd on the builder. Some models are very detailed, some are not detailed. others look like they have a box on top of the hull for a superstructure!

In BIG Guns (That is the type of club that I am in) the Battle ships are firing 1/4 inch ball bearings where a destroyer is firing .177 BB's. The Battleships sides are 1/8 inch thick balsa, where the Destroyer is only 1/16 inch thick. The Battleship has a high volume pump, and the destroey has a small pump. The odds of the Destroyer shots being able to make a hole in the side of a battleship are very slim if not impossible! Where one hit from a Battleship and the Destroyer will be running back to shallow water at flank speed!

Also so it is very easy to arm the turrets on the battleship. It is very difficult to arm a Destroyer. (I know. I have a French destroyer that was one of the largest destroyers ever built. I have yet to get the combination correct to arm her)

Fast Guns is set at a fast pace and is more playable with a lot of action. BIG guns is more realistic. slower speeds, slower rate of fire.

Subs are VERY VERY VERY difficult to build! Yes they dive.

Now then, I have some questions for you.
On my list of ships to build is the ORP Blyskawica.
I have not been able to find hull lines for that ship.
I have a profile view and an overhead view. I have enlarged these to 144 scale.
Have you seen the hull plans for that ship?

Since she is on display there, have you had a chance to walk her decks?

 

My interest in modeling was very limited, I do not have any plans for any ship. I did however see ORP Blyskawica, got her on a photo, but only from shore. It was late at night that i visited there and it was closed. I normally live far away from the city that ship is located and i was in that city briefly with little chance of sightseeing . I do have a friend that lives there though. I think i could ask him to go there and take some pictures if that helps. --- ok, i just asked him. He says the ship was not in port when he last visited, probably has gone under repairs or something.

 

I have found a lot of wonderful photos of the ship on line.
What I would need is the Hull Lines. I.E. The ribs.

When I first joined this hobby, I noticed that the US, Japan, British, German, Russian, and French ships are represented but not the Polish!
I soon learned why. Poland never had a Battleship! The largest ship in the Polish fleet was a mine layer ORP Gryf. During the war, The brit's did give the Polish Navy some Light Cruisers. So I have the ORP Dragon in my sights as one of my future ships. I hope to have all twelve torpedo tubes operational! I have already built a 144 scale mock up of the ORP Dragon. My building skills need to improve before I start building her for combat. Building the ORP Dragon is the last step before I start on building the ORP Blyskawica.

If you are wondering why I have such an interest in the Polish Navy, well my name ends in ..ski, Need I say more?
No, I can't speak Polish. When my grandfather came to this country he said: "We in new country now, we speak new language, no more Polish."

 

Agreed: check to make sure it is legal first. The Australian Battle Group, one of the largest Big Gun clubs, had to overcome legal hurdles before they could get started: the models were considered concealed assault weapons and needed to get a special exemption. Getting a friend interested means that you will encourage each other to keep going and give you an opponent once your first ship is complete. The members of this forum can help with everything else once you;ve got those first key elements together.

 

URI:
I have two other questions for you.
Can you find out the lenght, beam and draft, of the ORP Edward Dembowski, and the ORP OLZA? Thank you.

 

I have never even heard of those ships before. There is SS Olza (http://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Olza), but im not sure if it is what you were looking for. As for the other ship, I can't find anything on it, not even a trace of existance .

 

I have found photos of the Edward Dembowski online. But no details of the ship.

For the ORP Olza, I found a water line paper model of it.

 

Checked out that web site.
It is of no help because I can not read Polish.

 

Here is a web site for the Edward Dembowski.

http://www.pol.com.pl/flota/min215.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.pol.com.pl/%3Fsub%3D3%26sub2%3De&usg=__TIb21dFcb6YYDCpvoIYnKzzn1jg=&h=81&w=200&sz=6&hl=en&start=8&um=1&tbnid=Noz2lk7ZWVvWmM:&tbnh=42&tbnw=104&prev=/images%3Fq%3DEdward%2BDembowski%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG%26um%3D1